We hear a chorus of voices telling us what the Koran stands for. Perversely; the Islam basher and the terrorist agree; thereby legitimizing each other. The Islam basher maintains that the Koran says "kill" so that they can bash Islam all the more. The terrorist agrees that the Koran says "kill" and goes out to kill; claiming justification. But the Koran does not say "kill;" nowhere near it. And so it goes; both Westerner and Muslim are caught up in a web of Koranic misrepresentation based on so-called "interpretations" that disregard the literal sense of the Koran. Both basher and terrorist are making-up their own religion; dishonoring the Koran and maligning Islam. This book sheds light by providing an unbiased; frank reading of the plain words of the Koran. With this; the picture of Islam changes and causes us to refocus on the obvious disconnects that appear between the Koran and how some of its followers practice the religion and provide fodder for both the Islam bashers and the terrorists. The Islamic learned don't help much; and sometimes create the problems facing Islam. Some learned leaders disregard; disobey and dishonor the Koran by fomenting trouble in the land; something the firebrands have done from the very beginning of Islam's history. The firebrands amongst the learned are mostly to blame for the disconnects found between the dictates of the Koran and how Islam is actually practiced. Those learned who are not firebrands; and ordinary Muslims as well; are also to blame for not fulfilling the duty placed on them by the Koran to intervene and make peace; or failing in that; actively join-in to combat Muslim wrongdoers.This book proves what it says with very readable quotations from the Koran recast in clear; modern English. You will be able to see exactly what the Koran stands for and how it is being dishonored by those Muslims who do not follow it. You might also be pleasantly surprised as the book points out Western misunderstanding about the Koran in matters such as gender; Muslim tolerance of Christians and Jews; and democracy. You need this book to understand what is really going on; and it is an easy read. Included in the book's Appendix is a chapter on "Responding to the Ayatollah Khomeini; Osama bin-Laden Hizbullah;" comparing their published statements to the Koran. Also included is "Just Unjust Jihads" which analyzes some ancient Islamic wars; the recent wars in Afghanistan; Bosnia; Kosovo and the three Saddam Hussein Wars; all in terms of whether those wars can be considered just jihads under the Koran; and also covering the American role in the recent wars. The chapter "Advice To Would-Be Jihadists" explains what suicide recruits are being told and shows how that violates the Koran. And "A Brief History of Early Islam" is a fascinating portrayal of Islam's history starting with the Patriarch Abraham and the Kaba and going through the period when Islam was the "light of the world" in the arts and sciences.
#1141059 in Books Process 2006-11-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.10 x .90 x 6.00l; 1.25 #File Name: 0976082276320 pages
Review
129 of 130 people found the following review helpful. A good place to startBy Jon M AltbergsThe strength of this book is that it favors breadth rather than depth.If you are thinking about leaving the US but don't really know where you'd like to go; or if you have a destination in mind but don't really know what you don't know about emigration; this book is for you. Getting Out covers the top 50 destinations for US expats; with information about the quality of health care; cost and standard of living; and social permissiveness. Also included are brief accounts of the experiences of expats living around the world. There is also good general information about the different pathways available to the potential expat.Reading it will definately leave you with more questions than answers; since any comprehensive emigration/immigration guide to all the countries in the world would fill a small library. Getting Out will give you the basics and point you in the right direction to find more in-depth information. You won't find anything here that will help you decide to settle in one country over another; but it will help you either narrow your list or give you reason to consider some place you otherwise would not have.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Unserious; outdated bookBy Scott C. LocklinWell; their website is good enough it caused me to purchase the book. Unfortunately; the book is not super helpful. There are other websites superior to this book.The good: it covers a variety of the issues a would-be expat has to deal with. It also covers a variety of the nations a would-be expat might consider relocating to.The bad: the editing is atrocious. The information is sparse and contradictory. There is also a lot of missing information. While Spain has a new program; lowering the amount of purchased real estate necessary to gain a Spanish passport; the actual legal mechanism is centuries old. In countries based on Roman Law (Portugal also qualifies; so does Italy to a lesser extent); a "man of means and property" is given favorable disposition in applying for citizenship. Basically; buy some property; get a passport. I know about this; as I've been kicking around the idea of doing it. Missing in this volume. On the other hand; there are all manner of (subjective; as far as I can tell) assessments of the friendliness of nations towards marijuana smokers and gay marriage enthusiasts. From this; the demographic this book was designed for becomes painfully obvious: petulant recent college graduate ding dongs who want their "teaching abroad" experience to be seen as some kind of "I don't like George Bush" political statement (the book was published during the Bush administration). In other words: people who are fundamentally unserious about leaving America; as well as everything else in their lives.What actionable information is in this book is woefully out of date: the expatriation tax numbers are wrong; and the legal advice they give; questionable. Save your sheckels.67 of 67 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating and almost completeBy Todd VThis book is a fun read with lots of very useful information; it's just as good for Americans looking to get out as it would be for non-Americans looking for someplace to go; as it profiles many countries and also has a wealth of suggestions for moving and income that are not country-specific.On the downside; as an American living in Japan; I can say that its section on Japan is woefully incomplete. Jobs here are said to pay "the mighty yen"; but my friends and I always grimace when it's time to send money home. It doesn't even mention the astounding bureaucracy or the racism that often goes hand in hand with it. And it only mentions Tokyo; despite that there are foreigners living in beautiful; cheap; and friendly cities and villages all over the country.This is a fun read but should not be your last source of information!
