The Islamic Enlightenment (Book)

The Islamic Enlightenment: The Struggle Between Faith and Reason, 1798 to Modern Times by Christopher Bellaigue (2017) – This is the book that everyone in the West needs to read if they want to begin to understand the Middle East.  A careful examination of the effects of the collision between the “modern world” and Islamic culture, beginning with Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt.  The author looks at what happens in the three centers of Islamic culture at the time, Egypt, Persia (Iran) and the Ottoman Empire (Turkey).  They will serve as the cultural laboratories for experiments in culture, science and government.

Only the Cold War has dominated world politics more than those of the Middle East in the last half century.  Knowledge of the history of that region remains infintisimal for most of us.  If some variation of the thought “Why do they hate us so much?” has wandered through your mind, this book is a good starting point in searching for the answer.

The history of the “western powers”, primarily Britain, France, Russia and later, the United States, meddling in the national lives of these countries provided the foundations of the anger that exists today.  The deeply rooted distrust and opposition in that region is exactly the world that the West created.

Bellaigue shows all sides of the question as he leads us through the often intertwined histories of all three nations.  Greedy, short-sighted political leaders and reactionary religious leaders are also ingredients in the volatile recipe that faces us today.

This history is fascinating and daunting.  But coming to understand it is a vital first step if we are to find a way forward, away from the mistakes of the past.

If I had a difficulty with the book, it is that it never seemed to find a center for the story telling.  With so many complex relationships, based on different cultural assumptions than the reader, made it challenging to absorb.  I never felt like I had a clear narrative string to follow along.  But the stories that he tells are so intriguing that it carried me along nevertheless.

Why You Will Like It – Important history told in a compelling fashion

Rating **** Recommended