Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics [Paperback]

I was prompted to write a review for this book having read two others with which I (both) disagreed. Both were emotionally-charged responses that were inaccurate for different reasons.

Robert Spencer has a problem: on one hand, he is very well-informed and does present a great deal of useful, sometimes shocking information; on the other hand he can be too aggressive in his approach, usually constructing identities of "us" and "them", "east" and "west". As a (practising) Catholic myself, I found this book to be worth my time, as Mr. Spencer clarifies things with which Catholics are familiar (such as the Virgin Birth) in relation to the Islamic position. A point that Mr. Spencer makes that is really the focus other books (which I would not necessarily recommend) is that a practising Muslim has good reason, based on Koranic principles only, to be a militant Jihadist. Also, the most devout Muslims, who take their faith seriously, are more likely to turn to violence, as the Koran (to a lesser degree, Hadith) is the only source of instruction relevant to personal moral conduct. I have read a fair amount on this subject and it seems that Mr. Spencer neglects treating Muslims who disavow certain interpretations of the faith. Spencer might argue that the consistent Muslim would have to concede that there is only one interpretation of the faith; others--less aggressive--are simply heretical. This may or may not be true: that is for Muslims to decide, not me.

To Spencer's credit, he does point out many inconsistencies and contradictions in the Koran, which may have offended the reviewer engaged in "interfaith dialogue". To some extent, I think non-Muslims have to be cautious about being naïve in their assessment of Islam: the desire to find common ground must not be done blindly. We don't know very much about Islam. For example, we consider ourselves (Christians and Muslims) monotheists both, Muslims consider Christians to be polytheists. Spencer tells the reader why. Also, Spencer explains why Muslim cultures have certain views which we Westerners find unacceptable in our own culture (e.g., treatment of women, attitude towards Jews). Of course, these things--as unsavoury as they may be to the West--are part of life in the Middle East. Once again, such information may offend those who choose to overlook differences and focus only on very broad connections between Christianity and Islam.

The question-and-answer format of the book makes is very accessible, though Mr. Spencer's writing is full of sarcasm and attempts at wit that may go over well with some, but seriously missed the mark with me. I would really like to see a similar book--written for Catholics and Westerners in general--that lacks the sarcasm. Despite his attitude, it is clear that many of his points are valid. When Western authors write about Islam, it is really difficult to know who is presenting accurate information; maybe therein lies the difficultly. Catholicism's faith is comparatively easily presented, as there is only one accepted doctrinal position, centralised and organised. In Islam, there is only the Koran, Hadith and individual Imams (the structure is much like most forms of Protestantism).

In Europe and America, there are a different set of problems to approach than in the Middle East, where Christians are the minority and are really persecuted. Although somewhat controversial, a Coptic priest is very popular in the Middle East, explaining Islam (can be seen on YouTube, Fr. Zakarias Boutros) is being hunted by Muslims. This is possibly the greatest problem with people who seek to reconcile Islam with the West: how can freedom of religion be practised when Christians are not allowed to speak openly and Muslims can be killed for leaving their faith. I continually hear "there is no compulsion in religion", but clearly there is. For those who speak of interfaith dialogue, please do so in Saudi Arabia, where Christian Bibles are prohibited, much less Christian Churches (this has been the case, and I assume nothing has changed in 2010). I have a great deal of respect for my Muslim friends, one of which is very close to me; however, it is difficult to talk about things I consider to be basic human rights as some Muslims (at least governments) disagree with Christian-based ideas of freedom and charity towards all, even sinners. The problem with questioning the Muslim faith is that the Muslim faith cannot be questioned. I don't expect Muslims to all become Catholics, though I would like to see all Muslims embrace peaceful co-existence with all members of society. (Of course, this means Christians should do the same, especially certain countries, like the U.S., which only provoke the Muslim world).

In short, while I didn't care much for Spencer's writing style, I think this is one of the few books of its kind. It does a reasonably good job of explaining the basis of Muslim belief to Catholics and other Christians. I might avoid this book because of Spencer's attitude, though I don't know which book I could recommend in its place. For a much more positive interpretation of Catholic/Christian-Islamic dialogue please see Ecumenical Jihad by Peter Kreeft.

While on a Catholic womens' retreat last October, I bought this edition at the bookstore of the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama. Just three months before I had written a review on the now dated film Not Without My Daughter [DVD]after seeing a rerun of it on television. After finding out that the book had been co-authored by a convert FROM Islam I became even more interested in reading it.

This book has an interesting format including a Forward, Introduction, 100 Questions and Answers, a chapter on Sharing the Gospel with Muslims, Contradictory Teachings and Commands of Islamic Theology, Notes and Appendix. It answers some very important questions I myself have asked as a practicing Catholic. One of these was expressed in # 86 where it was asked: "Given Islamic teachings on jihad, how can Muslims claim to be a religion of peace?" This is not only a question I may have had but so might many of the suffering thousands (perhaps millions) of those affected by the bombings of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. As Irshad Manji wrote in The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim's Call for Reform in Her Faith: "We have to own up to the fact that the Koran's message is all over the bloody map. Compassion and contempt exist side by side. Look to its take on women. Hopeful and hateful verses stand only lines away from each other. So, too with religious diversity. There's no single thrust in this so-called perfect, indisputable and straightforward text. The Koran's perfection is ultimately suspect." In Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholicsthe reader is also informed: "When the Muslim declares that Islam is a religion of peace, he is either ignorant of the Koran or is extending this "peace" only to those within the Muslim community, without telling you that he is the way he means it. According to the Koran, "Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah. Those who follow him are merciful to one another, but ruthless to unbelievers."

As a well educated woman who married later in life and who, if left to fend for herself, could very easily support herself and her family comfortably, I have also often thought on Question # 94. "What is the position of women in Islamic society? Do they have the same rights as men?" I had already read in the Geraldine Brooks book Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Womenthat being married in the Islamic faith meant "the acceptance of a legal code that valued her testimony as half the worth of a man's, an inheritance system that allowed her half the legacy of her brother, a future domestic life in which her husband could beat her if she disobeyed him, make her share her attentions with three more wives, divorce her at whim and get absolute custody of her children." I could not imagine any intelligent, well educated American, British or Canadian woman born and raised in a democratic society ever learning to tolerate such injustice. The authors of Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics agreed with Brooks (and myself I might add) that "The treatment of women in Islamic countries is consistently shocking to modern Westerners....Islam views women as innately subordinate to men." This question was followed by # 95 which states: "The Koran's teachings on the status of women seem to reflect those of St Paul's in the Bible. Didn't he tell wives to be submissive to their husbands?" The author's response to this mirrors what I have been told by a number of Catholic priests I have spoken with over the years: "St. Paul's teachings for wives to be submissive to their husbands must be read in the entire context of his letter to the Ephesians....Immediately prior to his "wives be submissive" injunction, St Paul tells husbands and wives to "be subordinate (or submissive) to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Eph 5:21). Thus in Christian theology, there is a mutual submission of husbands and wives to each other in love, a submission reflecting the Church's submission to Christ....In fact, rather than exalting the authority of men over women, St Paul goes on to place an even greater burden on men when he says "Husbands,love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her..."....in other words, husbands must give their very lives for their spouses--they must sacrifice themselves and their own wills for the good of their wives and their families. The Koran, on the other hand, has a very different view of the relationship that exists between spouses. Husbands, by divine right, have total authority over their wives....the idea that a husband should sacrifice himself or live "in mutual submission" with his wife is entirely foreign to Islam. In fact, the same verse in the Koran that begins by stating that "men have authority over women" goes on to give divine sanction to wife beating." The Koran teaches male superiority, in part, "because they spend their wealth to maintain them." No wonder educated women are such a threat in such a religion. An educated woman CAN support herself and has no NEED to be with a man CHOOSING to be with him instead because she truly loves him.

Thus as a Catholic and a woman I am grateful to the authors for confirming some of what I already knew and adding more information for further clarification. I am grateful also to be a Christian whose faith does NOT promote the subjugation of women. I think many a reviewer doesn't know the fact that half of the women in prison in Pakistan are there because they have been RAPED! This was documented in Manji's book where she wrote how "Pakistani General Zia al-Ha, in an effort to win favor among village leaders, mixed a punitive reading of Islam with tribal customs. It became a reuirement that a rape be witnessed by FOUR MEN before any offender could be charged." With a lack of sufficient witnesses it was concluded that "it must naturally be a case of adultery committed by the woman and therefore to be condemned by the stone." In other words, the VICTIM of a rape would end up being stoned to death (or imprisoned) as a legal punishment for adultery! What a travesty!

I strongly recommend this book if you REALLY want to know what Islam is TRULY about!

A well written, no nonsense guide for those of us (not just Catholics) who want to find out more about this much misunderstood faith. The question and answer format may not appeal to some readers, but personally I found the questions were pretty much the kind I would have asked. I thought I already knew quite a bit about Islam, but there were one or two suprises contained within its pages. The fact that the writers were themselves Muslims also helps.

On the whole, I would definitely reccommend this one. Its no nonsense approach and clear writing means that you'll probably finish it quickly, but it leaves the reader with enough basic information to feel informed and even enlightened.