audiobook Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic lllusion of an Islamic State by Tarek Fatah in History

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Flavourful read!By Louise GuayTarek Fatah has a way of turning politics and religious complexities into entertaining reads. You learn an awful lot without realizing it as you keep turning the pages. This is full of wit; facts and wisdom; all written with a dash of Fatah humour. Don't waste any more time reading me when you could be reading this excellent book by an incredible Canadian author!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Comprehensive awesomenessBy obzIt is a great read for anyone interested in finding out what the hell is up with Muslims of the world.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Caliphate (Islamic State)/Sharia Law not required in Islam; critical reasoning of Islam is not slander.By Books Customer Since 1996Chasing a Mirage: Lots of evidence as to why a Caliphate (Islamic State) is not called for in Islamic ideology. Goes over in great detail the early "golden" age and why it was a terrible time for the people closest to Mohammed (they were basically all murdered by other Muslims over who and how to run the Caliphate) and not a good model to govern Muslims. Makes a very good argument using critical reasoning that a political Islam is not called out in the Koran. His call for reform or a different interpretation of Islam to bring it into the 21st century under equal rights for all and separation of Mosque and state is needed.Unfortunately this was written in 2008 and there has been zero successful reform at any local; national; international level. Saudi Arabia type Sharia Law and slandering the prophet accusations are used successfully everyday in non-Muslim countries. Germany just had to lower the allowable already married age for refugees coming in to as low as 12 to accommodate Islam.So called successful moderate Muslim countries like Indonesia and Turkey are increasingly intolerant.Not to mention this was written before ISIS (Islamic State) was created.This is the first book I've seen that used critical reasoning to review Islam and now that I've looked around there are no colleges that do any of that.Name a college Islamic Studies center that does critical reasoning? They all seem to be sponsored by Saudi Arabia.It's a bleak assessment.I don't even see any non-Muslim countries much less Muslim countries that have a identifiable group of Mosques that allow criticism of Mohammed; call for equal rights for all under the law; and believe in separation of Mosque and state. What would that group of Mosques be called?As a side note the author is a progressive Canadian Muslim. So he groups all bad groups even non-Muslim under right wing/fundamentalist and America is not talked about much under a good light. Leftwing groups are good except he does call them out severely for supporting Islamist ideology. His explanation is the left has been hoodwinked into believing Islamist are fighting American imperialism just like they are.Book is highly recommended.