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Armstrong and a Step Towards Real Tolerance and Understanding |
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Rana El-menshawi – AlJazeeraTalk - Cairo
 Karen Armstrong is a British author. She is one of the most prominent figures in the field in religious writing. She began working as a Roman Catholic nun from 1962 to 1969 in the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. It was such an experience that she wrote in her autobiography Through the Narrow Gate. She then moved to study English at Oxford University. In 1999 she was awarded the Muslim Public Affairs Council Media Award.
From her well known works: A history of God, Buddha, The Battle for God, A History of Jerusalem, Islam: A Short Story and MUHAMMAD A Biography of the Prophet.
After Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses Armstrong was really ‘disturbed’, as she describes, to witness the great prejudice and hatred towards Muslims. To kill a man for writing a novel, was for the West a great shock, but on the other hand, the West seemed to ignore all the statements by various Islamic institutions (including Al-Azhar) that rejected Iran’s Fatwa of killing Salman. Not only that but the September 11 attacks made matters worse, which only conveyed to them the message of “we want nothing but the West’s blood”.
Consequently Armstrong wanted to shed a real light on Muhammad’s life as a man in pre-Islamic Arabia and as a prophet who suffered greatly to carry God’s message on earth. She wanted the West to read the true biography of such an amazing man. It rarely happens that a Western writes authentic biography of Muhammad (PBUP) addressing his own people. First people were scared to publish the book because they thought Muslims would be angry that a non-Muslim is writing a biography of Muhammad, but to Armstrong’s surprise, the book was very well received and supported by Muslims.
 In MUHAMMAD A Biography of the Prophet, Armstrong talks about the lights and prosperities Islam brought to Al-Andalus (Spain). She uncovers the real goals of the Crusaders stating the facts that it was the West who first started all the hatred towards the Muslims and not vice versa, and all the prejudices the Europeans wrote about Muhammad (PBUH) and Islam. She later gives a very deep insight over Muhammad’s life as a child, as a young man and as an adult before and after receiving Allah’s message.
What’s very attractive in Armstrong’s book is that she puts her opinions of Muhammad’s actions and life in between the lines. Her opinions are based on proofs and are sharp and direct responses against Western claims that portray Muhammad as a cruel, aggressive man, who was just in pursuit of physical desires.
*This book review was written after reading the complete and original book of: MUHAMMAD A Biography of the Prophet by Karen Armstrong. All information, dates, history are from the book.
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It is so interesting that non-Moslem has dared to write book on our propher Mohammed PBUH; this can make our prohpet's story seem more credible mong the Westerners.
Thnks a lot for the review. I just hoped to see the dte of publication included. Thanks.