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The Myth of Islamic Tolerance

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The Myth of Islamic Tolerance
Book cover
AuthorRobert Spencer (editor)
LanguageEnglish
SubjectIslamic Studies
PublisherPrometheus Books
Publication date
January 31, 2005
Media typeHardcover
Pages594
ISBN978-1-59102-249-7
OCLC55982393
297.2/8 22
LC ClassKBP2449 .M98 2005

The Myth of Islamic Tolerance: How Islamic Law Treats Non-Muslims is a collection of 63 essays edited by Robert Spencer. It deals with the history of non-Muslim populations during and after the conquest of their lands by Muslims.[1][2]

Overview

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The book contains 17 chapters by Bat Ye'or, as well as essays by Ibn Warraq, Walid Phares, David Littman, Patrick Sookhdeo, and Mark Durie.[3] The writers opine that attitudes of Muslims today are informed by the tenets of Islam.[2] It covers topics including sharia law and antisemitism.[4]

Chapters

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  • I. Islamic tolerance: myth and reality[5]
  • II. Islamic law regarding non-Muslims
  • III. Islamic practice regarding non-Muslims
  • IV. The myth and contemporary geopolitics
  • V. Human Rights and Human Wrongs at the United Nations
  • VI. The Myth in contemporary academic and public discourse

Reviews and reception

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A November 2004 review of the book in Publishers Weekly said the book's theme "merits exploration", but that the book does not explain why Islam is "inherently intolerant".[6] An August 2005 review of the book in Asia Times opined that:

... The Myth of Islamic Tolerance warrants our attention. Any study of contemporary Islam would be incomplete without it. Collectively, the essays expose an unsettling fact: that Islam's famed tolerance of non-Muslims has over the centuries fallen well short of an embrace ... However, the book is full of flagrant distortions and glaring omissions.[2]

The book was reviewed in the September 2005 issue of The Middle East Journal.[7] A review in the June 2006 issue of First Things said that the book "might be described as an extended bill of indictment against Islam and a debunking of the still commonly heard claim that Islam has been and is tolerant of minorities."[8]

Writing in National Review in March 2007, Dinesh D'Souza described The Myth of Islamic Tolerance as being attractive to those who would like to criticize Muslims at large for 9/11.[9] He suggested that the book uses a strategy of selective quotations from the Koran, which he calls "history for dummies".[9]

Dr. Akbar Ahmed, professor of Islamic studies at American University, described the book as an example of one of the most humane religions in the world being misrepresented as a violent one.[10] In his book Beyond the Veneer, Ioannis Gatsiounis says that the book "struggles to find an enlightened balance", as it sometimes overlooks complexities while at the same time avoiding a trend in many circles of viewing the issue it addresses solely as a non-religious one.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Andrew C. McCarthy (March 27, 2006). "Cold Comfort on Islam and Apostasy". National Review. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Ioannis Gatsiounis (August 27, 2005). "Book Review: Addressing Muslim rage; Myth of Islamic Tolerance". Asia Times. Archived from the original on December 22, 2005. Retrieved January 17, 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ (subscription required) "The Myth of Islamic Tolerance: How Islamic Law Treats Non-Muslims, by Robert Spencer, Prometheus Books (2005)
  4. ^ Bawer, Bruce (2006). "Crisis in Europe". Hudson Review. 58 (4): 577–597. JSTOR 20464487.
  5. ^ Chapters
  6. ^ "The Myth of Islamic Tolerance: How Islamic Law Treats Non-Muslims". Publishers Weekly. PWxyz LLC. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  7. ^ (subscription required) Yildiz, Murat (October 1, 2005). "Myth of Islamic Tolerance: How Islamic Law Treats Non-Muslims". The Middle East Journal. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  8. ^ "Briefly Noted". First Things. June 1, 2006. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Dinesh D'Souza (March 14, 2007). "The Closing of the Conservative Mind, Part III". National Review. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  10. ^ Khalid Hasan (November 29, 2006). "British channel to screen documentary on Islamic art". Daily Times. Archived from the original on 2016-01-11. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  11. ^ Ioannis Gatsiounis (2008). Beyond the Veneer: Malaysia's struggle for dignity and direction. Monsoon Books. ISBN 978-981-08-0657-6. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
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