Shadi Hamid

A blow by blow description of resent Islamic history full of descriptions of competing forces that cause plans to go awry. These competing pressures cause things to seldom work out as expected.

"The Chicago statement on biblical inerrancy, published in 1978…" Page 49–50

"That Muslims go well beyond Christian notions of scriptural inerrancy and believe that the Quran is god’s actual speech does not necessarily mean that they believe it should be taken literally." Page 51

"If you come to believe that the world offers nothing but darkness, then modern notions of restraint may sound nice, but they are of little use in a state of war." Page 224

And probably the most meaningful part of the book to me:

George Orwell wrote:
"Hitler has grasp the falsity of the hedonistic attitude to life. Nearly all western thought since the last war, certainly all progressive thought, has assumed tacitly that human beings desire nothing beyond ease security and avoidance of pain… The socialist who finds his children playing with soldiers is usually upset but he is never able to think of a substitute for the tin soldiers; tin pacifist somehow won’t do. Hitler because in his own joyless mind he feels it with exceptional strength, knows that human beings don’t only want comfort, safety, short working hours, hygiene, birth control and, in general, common sense; they also, at least intermittently, want struggle and self-sacrifice, not to mention drums, flag and loyalty parades. However they may be as economic theories, Fascism and Nazism are psychologically far sound than any hedonistic conception of life… Whereas socialism, and even capitalism in a grudging, have said to people “I offer you a good time,“ Hitler has said to them I offer you struggle danger and death,“ and as a result a whole nation flings itself at his feet.”
Page 236 A reference is on page 290. This quotation is also found at: https://bookmarks.reviews/george-orwells-1940-review-of-mein-kampf/… (mer)

Adding this to my to read list after having watched a November 2016 interview of the author.

Huffington Post link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/shadi-hamid-understands-donald-trump-appeal_...

Publisher link:
http://us.macmillan.com/islamicexceptionalism/shadihamid/9781466866720… (mer)