Johann Hari delves into the Jewel of Mad …
Johann Hari delves into the Jewel of Madina controversy (though is it really?).
Willow also adds her thoughts on this topic at her blog. Sunny Hundal adds his thoughts on his latest Comment is free post.
Related: Read the views of Denise Spellberg, Shahed Amanullah, and the author Sherry Jones.
Sy is discussing.
Sy 4:37 am on August 14, 2008 Permalink
This was actually a rather good piece, and I came into it with a rather biased slant against Hari having been a regular reader of him re: Islam, work that I found riddled with errors of fact about Islam, ridiculous characterizations about the muslims he lives near, and the too obvious atheist-normative present in his writing. While I don’t like him presenting a matter of great historical debate (Banu Qurayza, Aisha) in such starkly simple ways (the worst interpretation is certainly not the only one), this was a decent read, but it really doesnt say much that hasnt already been said here.
I too, question the ‘controversial’ nature of this censorship, given the more benign nature in which publication was shut down (as opposed to death threats). I am certain that many a book pertaining to different cultural/religious groups has too been stifled after some minor publicity here in the US; but any censorship over Islam is certain to achieve first page status. Whither news coverage and controversy when Finkelstein has his books attempted to be put down by Dershowitz?