Jim Mccrudden

Islam Faq Jim Mccrudden

[From a review posted on the net.] The blurb on the back says "There are surprises in this book." No kidding. There are surprises on every page. This is the definitive ´everything you wanted to know about Muslims but were too afraid to ask´ book. And, actually, you´d do well to be afraid because some of the answers to the faqs are a bit scary. And surprising. And occasionally not an answer at all. Take this answer about whether or not pictures are forbidden by Islam for example. "Given the choice of sticking an icepick up your nose, or reconciling the points of view, go for the icepick. It´s all over in a second or two that way". In a lot of ways this is really a very funny book on a very serious subject and the tone, throughout, is conversational rather than conspiratorial. It´s extraordinarily readable. The author puts none of his own opinions in and this removes the sense that you are being driven to somebody´s point of view. The Question that I most Frequently Asked myself while reading Islam F. A. Q was "Where is the faqing index?" This would be a great reference book for schools etc but...no index. Where´s the stuff on Fatwa? Apostasy? Taliban? Jihad? All these are well covered but unless you dog ear the pages, you´ll be trawling back and forth trying to find what you want. It´s probably because I am a senior school teacher that I think like this, and in the back of my mind there is the thought that this author has come up with a brand new genre. The non-fiction book that is meant to be read for an overall picture, not bought for research. I guess the best way to read it is from the beginning. All the way through. Buy it but be prepared for surprises.