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Book Review: Faith, Reason and the War Against Jihadism

J.J. Jackson* | May 12, 2008 

It’s short, but the book Faith, Reason and the War Against Jihadism strikes a lot of important chords. Some people don’t want to admit that there are those out there that hate other people because of their religious beliefs and that that hatred culminates in a convert or die mentality. But whether or not people want to admit it or not doesn’t detract from it as the truth.

Western Judeo-Christian nations were warned about aspects of the Muslim faith many years ago when the Barbary Pirates were raiding western ships and enslaving their crews. Tripoli’s ambassador, Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja said of his war against non-Muslim nations, “… that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every [Muslim] who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.” But even so, modern day apologists for those Muslims that abide by Jihadism still make excuses ranging from it is somehow the West’s fault that they hate us to they are simply being misunderstood when they speak.

George Weigel’s book provides a nice, short read to help understand that these extremists do not attack us because they are impoverished (or what ever excuse you make) but rather, simply because they believe they have a divine right to do so.

What I liked:

The book is short containing 15 Lessons. Some of the best are:

Lesson 4 in which the author approaches an often taboo subject about how the Islamic world was actually aggressors and that they became bitter after the Western world struck back and enslaved them as they had tried to do.

Lesson 6 in which Weigel notes that it is not “Islamophobic” to look at the links between jihadism and terrorism. He also discusses the Pope’s widely criticized speech in September 06 where he discussed how those that abide by Jihad have a mistaken understanding of God.

Lesson 8 where he dares, much to the chagrin of liberals no doubt, accurately discuss how the hand of the West was forced after September 11, 2001 and how moving to remove the cancer that had been growing in the Middle East was a “realistic objective, given an unacceptable status quo …”
He also takes on the “Unhinged Left” (radical liberals who blame George Bush for everything) and the “Unhinged Right” (radical libertarian who aren’t very libertarian who also blame George Bush for everything).

What I didn’t like:

Really, not much. This book is pretty straight forward. If anything its shortness will be one of its detractions. While it is a quick read, it glosses over a lot of important points that could be further developed to help bolster its main points.

For the more than just the casual observer of events, such espousals and expansions are unnecessary. But for many who still have their heads in the sand to this day they and who do not know much of the background and history, they may be left with a short sighted reaction that this book has little of substance.

Sure he stumbles at points such as his apparant discussion of illegal immigration as not all that important but no book is perfect.

Overall however definitely a must read.

Contributor's website: http://www.libertyreborn.com




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