Latest Read
My latest read is called, A Portrait of Egypt by Mary Anne Weaver.
Synopses & Reviews
Publisher Comments:
For centuries Egypt has been a citadel of Islamic learning and thought, and since the signing of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty in 1979, it has been of immense strategic importance to American interests in the Middle East. But Egypt is also a country in crisis, torn between the old and the new, between unsettled religious revival and secular politics. President Hosni Mubarak favors a secular society. But Mubarak's government faces constant conflict with militant clerics such as Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman. In A Portrait of Egypt, Mary Anne Weaver argues that an Islamist victory in Egypt is almost inevitable, and, unlike that of Shi'ite Iran, its impact on the Islamic world will be truly profound.
Based on exclusive interviews with militants and front men, generals and presidents, A Portrait of Egypt is essential reading for anyone trying to understand the far-reaching consequences of the growing impact of Islamist politics and policies on the West.
Because the book is based mostly of a political nature with extreme viewpoints I’m having difficulty in reading it very quickly. I actually purchased this book 5 years ago, started it but couldn’t get into it, so put it away. After completely my last book and not having anything else to read I opted to give this one a try again. I’m more than half way through it and have mixed thoughts.
On the one hand it has recent historical information, which is rather fascinating, but on the other hand I’m perplexed by the actions or thought processes of either extremely intelligent or charismatic human beings. Certainly Islamist Militants, charismatic Sheikhs, religious leaders, corrupt government officials and other extreme leaders in any role of power have been around forever, but I’m curious to know what exactly causes these extremely bright people to become so narrow-minded in their beliefs that causes them to act so radical.
For throughout history we have so many examples of such intelligent people causing such heinous harm to their fellow human brethrens that to an average Joe as myself it is absolutely unimaginable. Yet, our history books or elders around us can recount the days gone by with all sorts of tails of extremism. We are currently living in times that are no different from that of our past with regards to extremism. Moreover, no matter what is accomplished in today’s world, extremism will be recorded in our future history archives as well. So, what is the root of such actions?
Again, if we look back not long ago at a collection of just random individuals such as Adolf Hilter, Joseph Stalin, David Koresh, Jim Jones, Saddam Hussein, and Heidi Fleiss – Hollywood Madam,
it would seem that “statistically” 4 out of the 6 of these people have had abusive childhood backgrounds. Is an abusive childhood enough to create such disturbing individuals? Moreover, is this enough to create such influential individuals to reek such havoc on the masses? Ok, so Heidi Fleiss never killed anyone, however, the fact remains she is on a very small scale a charismatic person that has a clever mind. Certainly Heidi wasn't the first madam, as prostitution is the oldest profession in the world, but the fact remains she was/is a very successful "business woman" and has had an effect on a number of people from all walks of life. I am also curious as to why it’s the male species that exudes these extreme qualities more so than women. Unfortunately, I am not able to think of any women that have done such atrocities to society, so if anyone cares to share such information I would greatly appreciate it.
Of course an obvious statement would be to say, “if only these individuals used their intellect, talents and skills for the betterment of the world rather than the destruction of human life, we’d be better off”. However, I have to wonder if each and every one of these few I mentioned thought exactly that statement? I wonder if in their minds somehow they thought they were making a positive impact or difference in the world to make it a better place to live?
Nonetheless I hope to finish this book, although it is of a dark nature so have a difficult time reading such things. On the other hand I have an admiration for the woman that interviewed so many influential people in order to write this book. She certainly an audacious woman in my book.
Because the book is based mostly of a political nature with extreme viewpoints I’m having difficulty in reading it very quickly. I actually purchased this book 5 years ago, started it but couldn’t get into it, so put it away. After completely my last book and not having anything else to read I opted to give this one a try again. I’m more than half way through it and have mixed thoughts.
On the one hand it has recent historical information, which is rather fascinating, but on the other hand I’m perplexed by the actions or thought processes of either extremely intelligent or charismatic human beings. Certainly Islamist Militants, charismatic Sheikhs, religious leaders, corrupt government officials and other extreme leaders in any role of power have been around forever, but I’m curious to know what exactly causes these extremely bright people to become so narrow-minded in their beliefs that causes them to act so radical.
For throughout history we have so many examples of such intelligent people causing such heinous harm to their fellow human brethrens that to an average Joe as myself it is absolutely unimaginable. Yet, our history books or elders around us can recount the days gone by with all sorts of tails of extremism. We are currently living in times that are no different from that of our past with regards to extremism. Moreover, no matter what is accomplished in today’s world, extremism will be recorded in our future history archives as well. So, what is the root of such actions?
Again, if we look back not long ago at a collection of just random individuals such as Adolf Hilter, Joseph Stalin, David Koresh, Jim Jones, Saddam Hussein, and Heidi Fleiss – Hollywood Madam,
it would seem that “statistically” 4 out of the 6 of these people have had abusive childhood backgrounds. Is an abusive childhood enough to create such disturbing individuals? Moreover, is this enough to create such influential individuals to reek such havoc on the masses? Ok, so Heidi Fleiss never killed anyone, however, the fact remains she is on a very small scale a charismatic person that has a clever mind. Certainly Heidi wasn't the first madam, as prostitution is the oldest profession in the world, but the fact remains she was/is a very successful "business woman" and has had an effect on a number of people from all walks of life. I am also curious as to why it’s the male species that exudes these extreme qualities more so than women. Unfortunately, I am not able to think of any women that have done such atrocities to society, so if anyone cares to share such information I would greatly appreciate it.
Of course an obvious statement would be to say, “if only these individuals used their intellect, talents and skills for the betterment of the world rather than the destruction of human life, we’d be better off”. However, I have to wonder if each and every one of these few I mentioned thought exactly that statement? I wonder if in their minds somehow they thought they were making a positive impact or difference in the world to make it a better place to live?
Nonetheless I hope to finish this book, although it is of a dark nature so have a difficult time reading such things. On the other hand I have an admiration for the woman that interviewed so many influential people in order to write this book. She certainly an audacious woman in my book.
5 comments:
seems like a book i would like, so if they ever made a film of it i would defiantly go and see it (as i cant read a book) but i have to say, what the author is putting forward is very true and are the results going to be good or bad? depends where you stand and what steps you are willing to take?
Dont just read the book, but read in between the lines as that is where you will find the truth
Fe Aman Allah
Salam Ahmed,
Indeed it is interesting, but it's difficult at best for me to get into because of my lack of interest in politics.
"Certainly Islamist Militants, charismatic Sheikhs, religious leaders, corrupt government officials and other extreme leaders in any role of power have been around forever, but I’m curious to know what exactly causes these extremely bright people to become so narrow-minded in their beliefs that causes them to act so radical"
I was wondering while reading your statement who does the book categorize as extremists? is it the nonreligious secular dictatorships? or the religious militants that came about as a result of their oppression ?
To answer the second half of your question in the above paragraph you should try watching this movie, its not full proof but its an eyeopener.
Salam PH,
The question was posed as a generalization as I didn't want to lead anyone to believe I felt only this way towards the things I was reading in this book. Because certainly extremism exist everywhere in the world. However, in this book they do talk with sheiks and mullahs who specifically talk about fatwa's being issued concerning the killing of president Sadat along with attempts at doing the same to others that don't conform to their way of thinking. Also, the unspoken direct words of crimes committed against citizens by the government officials. The author does a great job, in my opinion----which is very minimal at best----at sharing information from both the religious leaders standpoint as well as the governmental official standoint. Certainly either one could be construed as extreme to those that don't agree, but I'm more interested in what creates or how does someone turn into an extreme thinker or extreme activist or extreme leader. The topic doesn't really matter as much as the extremism.
Thanks for sharing the movie information. I will have to check it out.
"but I'm more interested in what creates or how does someone turn into an extreme thinker or extreme activist or extreme leader"
Actually the movie does touch on that it specifically makes an example of Ayman Althawahari, if my memory doesn't fail me :P. It might not answer all the questions in your mind as I think its hard to understand the pain or depression if you haven't lived through it, but it does provide powerful insight on the different political dynamics of the time.
Thanks for the prompt answers ... from your reply it seems the book might make a good read .
salaam
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