This section contains a list of books that it might be worth reading. I am creating this section as much for my own needs as yours dear reader. The books listed on this web page are not necessarily going to be books I have read. Indeed, my main purpose in creating this web page was to list some books I want to read, having heard something of interest about them. I may also recommend some of the books that I have read as well. However, as I have said, the resource represented by this page is as much for my benefit, dear reader, as it is for yours.
It seems to me, your editor, that Islam has recently fallen into the hands of fools, knaves and murderers. In this situation it is extremely refreshing to find an intelligent, thoughtful muslim who is able to rescue the reputation of Islam from the sewers in which the Muslim Fundamentalists seem almost willfully keen to consign it. In this context the reader may already have heard of Ed Hussain, a gentleman who has been much in the media of late and who seems to create a very favourable impression in all those of his listeners who have more than half a brain. Another such cultered and intelligent muslim writer, it would appear, is Mr Akbar Ahmed.
It is a very long time since I have heard the muslim cause represented as effectively and intelligently as Mr Akbar represents it. However, I have just heard him talking on radio 4, in a panel discussion chaired by Andrew Marr. I discovered that Mr Akbar speaks very well and very intelligently of the matters concerning the world of Islam. It is extremely refreshing to come across someone like this. Aside from Ed Hussain, I had begun to despair seriously intelligent, cultured and well educated muslims who were willing to engage with the western media at all.
Mr Akbar has some very interesting things to say. Also, he puts advances his arguments in a most intelligent manner. Obviously, since I have only just heard of Mr Akbar, I have not yet read any of his books. However, it seems he has written two books on the subject of Islam. These are Islam under Seige and Journey into Islam (The Crisis of Globalization). I note that there is a Web Page devoted to "Journey into Islam", on the Brookings Bookstore Website. If you are interested to know more, this could be a good place to start.