Tuesday, November 8, 2005
Last Thursday, I attended a talk by Dr. Andrew Bostom on the occasion of the launch of his new book, The Legacy of Jihad: Islamic Holy War and the Fate of Non-Muslims. Clocking in at just under 700 pages, The Legacy of Jihad: Islamic Holy War and the Fate of Non-Muslims may have been sub-titled, "Everything you always wanted to know about Jihad but were afraid someone would take a 700 page book to tell you." (A very handsome volume, by the way.)
Seriously, there's a lot here, and Bostom has done an enormous amount of research and really knows his stuff, as he amply demonstrated both during his talk and after, where I and several others were privileged to join him for dinner and drinks. What's better, he picked up the tab! I'll love his book forever.
I'd do a full-bore book review, but with the length of the book and my reading speed, it could be awhile.
Now, here's where you, the Solomonia reader, come in. Dr. Bostom has generously offered to do an interview for this blog and you can help me out. I suggested that a sort of "10 questions" (or thereabout) format might be a good way to do it, and I would like to throw this out to you all. Please suggest some questions for Dr. Bostom on Jihad -- history, meaning, current reality. You can either leave a comment or email me (solomon =at= solomonia =dot= com). I'll take your suggestions into account in creating the list of questions.
With all the names, dates and extensive quotes that essays on this area of history can tend to this can be a very dry and inaccessible subject, so don't be afraid to suggest very simple questions that only require a short answer, which I will encourage Dr. Bostom to try to stay to. I think it's important to try to get as many people as possible to read at least something on this very important subject.
So, what would you like to know about the history of Jihad?
More info: Here is a link to Dr. Bostom's Red State interview. Here is a link to Dr. Bostom's web site.
How about two questions for starters, both relating to the present situation, the answers to which Dr. Bosom can undoubtedly lend historical perspective:
What Islamist idea or assertion do you think is most important to refute?
What do you think is the most effective means of countering the Islamists.
(These questions are purposely general. Feel free to make either or both more specific.)
That's a great start. Anyone else?
What about Andalusia, where the Muslims had peaceful relationships with their neighbors for hundreds of years.
I think you’re being unfair to Muslims, after all, everybody has wars: Aztecs, Chinese, Buddhists: everybody.
Isn’t this the pot calling the kettle black? I mean, Jews fought “holy wars†in the Bible. And crusade is just jihad translated into Christian.
Is jihad mandated in the Quran or is it later? If it is in the Quran, can you cite the actual verses?
I have heard Muslim spokesmen claim that jihad is defensive. And they have a point. I mean, Europeans attacked Muslim land in the crusades, and have been attacking Muslim countries pretty much ever since. People do have a right to defend themselves.
Keep 'em coming!
You say that jihad is a mandate. OK. But if that is so, wouldn't Muslims have been at war since the seventh century? They haven't been. There have been a lot of times of peace.
So, maybe, Muslims will just ignore the mandate, like the way lots of Jews ignore Shabbos. I mena, just because it says they have to do it, doesn't mean they have to do it.
Isn't the concept of jihad inherently antithetical to claims that Islam is the religion of peace?
What am I missing?