IHEYO

Ibn Warraq starts by making the point that it can be dangerous to leave Islam. Doing so makes one an apostate. Apostasy generally carries a death penalty, especially for men. And even for those who survive, it often results in the forfeiture of one's possessions and legal rights.

Nevertheless, some people do leave Islam. My own ancestors did so over a hundred years ago. And as this book mentions, some leave it in favor of polytheism, especially in Indonesia. Or for Christianity. But the main thrust of the book is to describe something about those former Muslims who have simply abandoned religion in general and why.

The main reasons for abandoning Islam have turned out to be its irrationality, its immorality (especially the treatment of Women), and the personal life of the Prophet.

Others have reacted negatively to the fanaticism and aggression of many Muslims, as well as to the increasing lack of economic competetiveness of Muslim portion of the world.

There were a few unusual points made in the book. One was simply that apostasy is not really applicable to Buddhism, let alone most polytheistic religions. Another was that if we humans were in need of divine guidance 15 or 20 centuries ago, surely we are in at least as much need of it now: why are there supposedly no more prophets to supply that guidance?

Another point is that Western media are prone to publishing pro-Islamic material. This is explained simply: Islam is in the news, so the media have to say something about it. And the media are reluctant to say anything negative for fear of being called Islamophobic.

One of the writers in the book points out that some of the articles about Islam generated by those who have abandoned it are virtually a mirror image of traditional apologetics for Islam. Is it proper to write so vehemently? The conclusion is that while vehemence often obscures otherwise sound arguments, vehement essays often make valuable points too.

The book concludes with some useful references to the Koran and on the life of the Prophet, followed by a list of websites critical of Islam and some books critical of Islam.

This book is interesting and worth reading. I think it fills an important niche between politically correct whitewashing of Islam and denunciations of Islam from those who never were a part of it.

Jill Malter, the reviewer, is an Amazon Top 500 Reviwer