Download or read book Arabs Without God written by Brian Whitaker and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2014-09-19 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Arab countries, openly declaring a disbelief in God is a shocking and sometimes dangerous thing to do. Many have been imprisoned for it, some have been forced into exile and others threatened with execution. And yet, in a region where the influence of religion is almost inescapable, growing numbers are claiming a right to believe - or disbelieve - as they see fit. Social media have given them a voice and the uprisings that toppled Arab dictators have emboldened them to speak out. In this ground-breaking book, journalist Brian Whitaker looks at the factors that lead them to abandon religion and the challenges they pose for governments and societies that claim to be organised according to the will of God.
Download or read book Religion without God written by Ronald Dworkin and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2013-10-01 with total page 71 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In his last book, Ronald Dworkin addresses questions that men and women have asked through the ages: What is religion and what is God’s place in it? What is death and what is immortality? Based on the 2011 Einstein Lectures, Religion without God is inspired by remarks Einstein made that if religion consists of awe toward mysteries which “manifest themselves in the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, and which our dull faculties can comprehend only in the most primitive forms,” then, he, Einstein, was a religious person. Dworkin joins Einstein’s sense of cosmic mystery and beauty to the claim that value is objective, independent of mind, and immanent in the world. He rejects the metaphysics of naturalism—that nothing is real except what can be studied by the natural sciences. Belief in God is one manifestation of this deeper worldview, but not the only one. The conviction that God underwrites value presupposes a prior commitment to the independent reality of that value—a commitment that is available to nonbelievers as well. So theists share a commitment with some atheists that is more fundamental than what divides them. Freedom of religion should flow not from a respect for belief in God but from the right to ethical independence. Dworkin hoped that this short book would contribute to rational conversation and the softening of religious fear and hatred. Religion without God is the work of a humanist who recognized both the possibilities and limitations of humanity.
Download or read book Arabs in the Shadow of Israel written by Tony Maalouf and published by Kregel Academic. This book was released on with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: (Foreword by Eugene H. Merrill) A compelling call for Christians to rethink the role of Arabs—also descendents of Abraham and recipients of his blessing.
Download or read book No god but God The Origins and Evolution of Islam written by Reza Aslan and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2012-08-14 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Engaging, accessible, and thought-provoking, No god but God is a persuasive, elegantly written, and accessible introduction for young readers to a faith that for much of the West remains shrouded in ignorance and fear. Adapted for young readers from No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, this exploration of Islam by Reza Aslan, internationally acclaimed scholar of comparative religion, delves into the rituals and traditions of a religion that is largely misunderstood by the West. It covers the religion’s origins—the revelation of Muhammad as Prophet and the subsequent uprising against him, and the emergence of his successors—as well as Islam’s complex history. No god but God is sure to stimulate discussion and encourage understanding of the Islamic faith and the people who follow it. Praise for No god But God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam of Islam “This welcome addition to Islamic studies provides a valuable context for reflection about the origins of issues facing Muslims and their neighbors today.”—Publishers Weekly “An introduction to Islam as evocative as it is provocative.”—Kirkus Reviews “Wise and passionate book.”—New York Times Financial Times Best Book of the Year
Download or read book God Is Not Great written by Christopher Hitchens and published by McClelland & Stewart. This book was released on 2008-11-19 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christopher Hitchens, described in the London Observer as “one of the most prolific, as well as brilliant, journalists of our time” takes on his biggest subject yet–the increasingly dangerous role of religion in the world. In the tradition of Bertrand Russell’s Why I Am Not a Christian and Sam Harris’s recent bestseller, The End Of Faith, Christopher Hitchens makes the ultimate case against religion. With a close and erudite reading of the major religious texts, he documents the ways in which religion is a man-made wish, a cause of dangerous sexual repression, and a distortion of our origins in the cosmos. With eloquent clarity, Hitchens frames the argument for a more secular life based on science and reason, in which hell is replaced by the Hubble Telescope’s awesome view of the universe, and Moses and the burning bush give way to the beauty and symmetry of the double helix.
Download or read book Jerusalem Without God written by Paola Caridi and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jerusalem without God leads the reader through the streets, malls, suburbs, traffic jams, and squares of Jerusalem's present moment, into the daily lives of the men and women who inhabit it. Caridi brings contemporary Jerusalem alive by describing it as a place of sights and senses, sounds and smells, but she also shows us a city riven by the harsh asymmetry of power and control embodied in its lines, limits, walls, and borders. She explores a cruel city, where Israeli and Palestinian civilians sometimes spend hours in the same supermarkets, only to return to the confines of their respective districts, invisible to each other.
Download or read book Unspeakable Love written by Brian Whitaker and published by Saqi. This book was released on 2011-08-20 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Homosexuality is a taboo subject in the Arab world. While cleri denounce it as a heinous sin, newspapers write cryptically of 'shameful acts' and 'deviant behaviour'. Amid the calls for reform in the Middle East, homosexuality is one issue that almost everyone in the region would prefer to ignore. In this absorbing account, Guardian journalist Brian Whitaker calls attention to the voices of men and women who are struggling with gay identities in societies where they are marginalized and persecuted by the authorities. He paints a disturbing picture of people who live secretive, fearful lives and who are often jailed, beaten, and ostracized by their families, or sent to be 'cured' by psychiatrists. Deeply informed and engagingly written, Unspeakable Love reveals that -- while deeply repressive prejudices and stereotypes still govern much thinking about homosexuality -- there are pockets of change and tolerance. Unspeakable Love was shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award in 2006. This updated edition includes new material covering developments since the book's first publication. 'A must-read for anyone who believes in human rights' Rabih Alameddine 'Masterful -- incredibly balanced and thoughtful' Ben Summerskill 'Anyone interested in reform in the Arab world must read this book' Mai Yamani 'Wise and compassionate' Guardian 'Groundbreaking' Daily Star Lebanon 'Never before has such a comprehensive study of gay civil rights been published' The Middle East Gay Journal 'Boldly delves into one of the biggest taboos in modern Muslim societies with subtlety and sensitivity' Globe and Mail
Download or read book The Atheist Muslim written by Ali A. Rizvi and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2016-11-22 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In much of the Muslim world, religion is the central foundation upon which family, community, morality, and identity are built. The inextricable embedment of religion in Muslim culture has forced a new generation of non-believing Muslims to face the heavy costs of abandoning their parents’ religion: disowned by their families, marginalized from their communities, imprisoned, or even sentenced to death by their governments. Struggling to reconcile the Muslim society he was living in as a scientist and physician and the religion he was being raised in, Ali A. Rizvi eventually loses his faith. Discovering that he is not alone, he moves to North America and promises to use his new freedom of speech to represent the voices that are usually quashed before reaching the mainstream media—the Atheist Muslim. In The Atheist Muslim, we follow Rizvi as he finds himself caught between two narrative voices he cannot relate to: extreme Islam and anti-Muslim bigotry in a post-9/11 world. The Atheist Muslim recounts the journey that allows Rizvi to criticize Islam—as one should be able to criticize any set of ideas—without demonizing his entire people. Emotionally and intellectually compelling, his personal story outlines the challenges of modern Islam and the factors that could help lead it toward a substantive, progressive reformation.
Download or read book Freethinkers of Medieval Islam written by Sarah Stroumsa and published by BRILL. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book studies the phenomenon of freethinking in medieval Islam, as exemplified in the figures of Ibn al-R wand and Ab Bakr al-R z . It reconstructs their thought and analyzes the relations of the phenomenon to Islamic prophetology and its repercussions in Islamic thought.
Download or read book Understanding the Koran written by Mateen Elass and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009-08-19 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Find out how the Koran resembles the Bible—and the drastic ways in which it differs. Understanding the Koran gives you an essential grasp of Islam's holy book: where it came from, what it teaches, how Muslims view it, and how the Allah of the Koran compares with the God of the Bible. Cherished as the final, perfect revelation of God's will by 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide, the Koran has become a part of American life. What do you know about the holy book that shapes the lives and views of your neighbors and a fifth of the world's population? Written by a pastor who was born to a Muslim father and raised in Saudi Arabia, Understanding the Koran gives you a fascinating, easy-to-understand overview that will show you: Why the background behind the Koran is important to understanding it. How the Koran came into existence. A summary of the main teachings of the Koran, including what it says about Jesus and the crucifixion. Similarities and differences between Muslim and Christian views of God. What the Koran teaches about Jihad and holy war. What the Koran teaches about heaven and hell and the final destinies of the human soul. Giving you an essential grasp of Islam's holy book, Understanding the Koran points you to the one thing that can draw your Muslim friends to Jesus—his love, demonstrated to them through you. Discussion questions make it possible to use this book in group studies.
Download or read book What s Really Wrong with the Middle East written by Brian Whitaker and published by Saqi. This book was released on 2011-08-20 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The problems in the Middle East run deeper than dictatorship. Inspired by the popular uprisings that overthrew the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt, Arabs across the Middle East are demanding change. But achieving real freedom will involve more than the removal of a few dictators. Looking beyond the turmoil reported on our TV screens, Guardian journalist Brian Whitaker examines the 'freedom deficit' that affects Arabs in their daily lives: their struggles against corruption, discrimination and bureaucracy, and the stifling authoritarianism that pervades homes, schools and mosques as well as presidential palaces. Drawing on a wealth of new research and wide-ranging interviews, Whitaker analyses the views of people living in the region and argues that in order to achieve peace, prosperity and full participation in today's global economy, Arabs should embrace not only political change but far-reaching social and cultural change as well. 'A passionate call for political and social change in Arab countries' -- Jeremy Bowen 'A call to arms for Arab citizens' -- International Affairs 'A lively, highly readable and illuminating survey of the countless things that are wrong with the Middle East today' -- Avi Shlaim, Guardian 'This is a writer willing to rattle a few cages... Detailed and well-documented' -- Huffington Post '[Should] be required reading by Arab elites from the Atlantic to the Gulf' Patrick Seale, Al Hayat 'Whitaker spares no criticism of the region's governments' -- Egypt Today 'Outstanding and credible' -- Jordan Times
Download or read book Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God written by Andy Bannister and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2021-05-18 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God? gets to the heart of what the world’s two largest religions say about life’s biggest questions—and shows the uniqueness of Christianity’s answer not merely to the question of whether God exists, but of who God really is.
Download or read book Arabs Without God written by Brian Whitaker and published by Zed Books. This book was released on 2015-06-10 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Islam is often treated as an inextricable part of Arab culture, and in the minds of many in both the west and the Arab world, to be an Arab is to be a Muslim by default. While many religious minorities, notably the Druze, Jews and Christians, have found ways of reconciling their Arab identity with their beliefs, a far greater challenge faces the growing number of Arabs who identify as atheists, agnostics, or skeptics. Emboldened by the political upheavals of the Arab spring and facilitated by the growth of social media, these predominantly young men and women are becoming an increasingly vocal and assertive presence in Arab societies, despite facing the risk of imprisonment, ostracism, and death. "Arabs Without God" explores the roots and consequences of this phenomenon, as well as the experiences of those living as 'non-believers' in Muslim countries. It examines the pressures they face in attempting to assert and defend their stance, both in Muslim countries and in the west, where they often find themselves caught between political Islamists who deride them as 'westernized' apostates, and a far right which regards all people from Muslim backgrounds as potential extremists. "Arabs Without God "argues passionately that these developments, previously ignored by western observers, are of vital importance to the future of Arab societies. For as the author says it is only 'when an atheist can be accepted and respected as a normal human being' that liberty will truly have arrived.
Download or read book Atheism for Muslims written by Adam Wadi and published by . This book was released on 2017-03-07 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "WARNING - Only read this book if you're ready. If you're Muslim, I'm going to question everything you and your family believe about Islam"In a book, the first of its kind, researcher, and ex-Muslim Adam Wadi writes with compassion and brutal honesty explaining to his mother and father why he left Islam in this 'atheist confessional'.Providing direct and piercing arguments, Wadi uncovers why we think we need religion, Islam's flaws as a religion, and why God likely does not exist.Join Wadi on a journey of discovery, challenging commonly held beliefs such as: Why religions are so popular The Quran's credibility Prophet Muhammad as a role model The Prophets' stories: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses & Jesus Religion's battle with science Women's rights The fear of Sharia law Gay Muslims Alcohol, cigarettes and sex in Islam Islamic Terrorism Censorship in Islam Islamization of the world Morality, spirituality and the meaning of life without religion and many more topics to provide you with the comprehensive collection of arguments against following ancient laws in a modern world.Citing historians, scientists and the Quran throughout, Atheism for Muslims is a compelling compilation of talking points about Islam, the existence of God, and our desire for a better future.Scroll to the top of the page and select the buy button to learn more
Download or read book In God s Path written by Robert G. Hoyland and published by Ancient Warfare and Civilizati. This book was released on 2015 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In just over a hundred years--from the death of Muhammad in 632 to the beginning of the Abbasid Caliphate in 750--the followers of the Prophet swept across the whole of the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain. Their armies threatened states as far afield as the Franks in Western Europe and the Tang Empire in China. The conquered territory was larger than the Roman Empire at its greatest expansion, and it was claimed for the Arabs in roughly half the time. How this collection of Arabian tribes was able to engulf so many empires, states, and armies in such a short period of time is a question that has perplexed historians for centuries. Most recent popular accounts have been based almost solely on the early Muslim sources, which were composed centuries later for the purpose of demonstrating that God had chosen the Arabs as his vehicle for spreading Islam throughout the world. In this ground-breaking new history, distinguished Middle East expert Robert G. Hoyland assimilates not only the rich biographical and geographical information of the early Muslim sources but also the many non-Arabic sources, contemporaneous or near-contemporaneous with the conquests. The story of the conquests traditionally begins with the revelation of Islam to Muhammad. In God's Path, however, begins with a broad picture of the Late Antique world prior to the Prophet's arrival, a world dominated by the two superpowers of Byzantium and Sasanian Persia, "the two eyes of the world." In between these empires, in western (Saudi) Arabia, emerged a distinct Arab identity, which helped weld its members into a formidable fighting force. The Arabs are the principal actors in this drama yet, as Hoyland shows, the peoples along the edges of Byzantium and Persia--the Khazars, Bulgars, Avars, and Turks--also played important roles in the remaking of the old world order. The new faith propagated by Muhammad and his successors made it possible for many of the conquered peoples to join the Arabs in creating the first Islamic Empire. Well-paced and accessible, In God's Path presents a pioneering new narrative of one the great transformational periods in all of history.
Download or read book The Insanity of God written by Nik Ripken and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2013 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An amazing story of a missionary couple's journey into the toughest places on earth is combined with stories about remarkable people of faith they encountered to challenge and inspire those curious about the sufficiency of God.
Download or read book Jihad Radicalism and the New Atheism written by Mohammad Hassan Khalil and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book compares the conflicting and consequential interpretations of jihad offered by mainstream Muslim scholars, violent Muslim radicals, and New Atheists.
