Abubkar Asadulla. Islam VS. West: Fact or Fiction?

• Author: Kaifi, Belal A.
• Position: Book review

Abubkar Asadulla. Islam VS. West: Fact or Fiction? Bloomington, IN: Universe, 2008. 215 Pages. Hardcover $21.95.

Islam VS. West: Fact or Fiction by Abubkar Assadulla was passionately and astutely written in the post-9/11 era where many believe that Islam is at war with the West. The author provides a historical context for understanding where the animosity started and how it has developed in the last couple of centuries.

The author is able to address this issue from a historical, political, theological, philosophical, and psychological perspective. The book clearly illustrates the importance of both unity and understanding in order for there to be global peace. The author states, "Therefore, there is absolutely no disagreement that Islam is universal and eternal, and that the Qur'an is the Truth, but mankind is neither eternal nor infallible" (210), implying that Islam is not the enemy and that human beings are unpredictable.

Assadulla believes that cooperation, communication, and conciliation are some of the answers to this complex and ongoing dilemma. He asserts that mere contact is insufficient and all parties must be able to actively cooperate in order to overcome all differences. There needs to be a paradigm shift because many people focus on differences as opposed to similarities, especially during times of war. The author states, "It is important to begin by communicating concerns based upon evidence and research" (191) and believes that a more objective approach is needed to solve this issue. He further suggests, "When both active cooperation and communication fail, conciliation may provide an avenue for defusing tension and confrontation" (193). Conciliation is a plausible solution as long as all parties involved think about all of humanity as opposed to an elite group.

The seventh chapter addresses the golden age of Islam which is one of the key chapters due to its powerful tone and historical relevance. The author mentions scholars such as: "Jabir ibn Haiyan, al-Kindi, al-Khwarizimi, al-Farghani, al-Razi, al-Masudi, al-Tabari, Thabit ibn Qurra, al-Battani, Hunain ibn Ishaq, Abdul-i-Qasim, al-Farabi, Ibrahim ibn Sinan, al-Biruni, Ibn Sina, Ibn Yunus, al-Karhi, Abdul-i-Wafa, Ali, ibn Abbas, Ibn al-Jazzar, Ibn al-Haitham...