Book Review of Who Speaks for Islam

Book Review - Who Speaks for Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think by John Esposito and Dalia Mogahed


I'm an avid book reader especially on the topic of the religion that I belong to which is Islam. Sure, the majority of the books out there on the topic that are available at your local bookstores whether it be Barnes and Noble, Borders, or even the online bookstores like Amazon and what not, are written by what I like to call band wagon Islamophobes and opportunists who suddently become scholars and experts overnight simply for writing a terrible book on Islam.

Out of the cloud of misinformation on the topic, Professor John Esposito who is the founding director of Georgetown University's Prince Al Walid Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, and Dalia Mogahed who is the senior analyst and Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies as well as Executive Director of the Muslim West Facts Iniative, wrote an excellent work based on Gallup's World Poll findings on what exactly do everyday Muslims around the world think on various issues?

As most people in the West will be surprised to learn when reading this book is that the majority of Muslims in the world want the same basic rights, freedoms, and aspirations as they do.

In the introduction, the study revealed things that people who are not familiar with Muslims or Islam will find surprising:

* Muslims around the world do not see the West as a monolithic entity. They praise or criticize nations based on their politics not their culture or religion

* Despite the popular myth, the dream job for most Muslims is not fighting jihad but rather getting a better job!

* Muslims and Amnericans are equally likely to reject attacks on civilians as morally unjustified

* Those who condone terrorism are a very small minority and are no more likely to be religious than the rest of the population.

* Muslims around the world when asked what they liked about the West is its technology and democracy. Ironically, those are the two top responses that the Americans gave when asked the same question

* Muslims around the world when asked what they liked least about the West is its perceived moral decay and breakdown of traditional values, which is the same responses that Americans gave when asked the same question.

* Muslim women around the world want equal rights and religion in their societies.

* Muslims around the world suggest that if the West wants to improve relations with their societies is to moderate their views toward Muslims and respect the religious tradition of Islam.

* Majority of Muslims around the world DO NOT want their religious leaders to draft constitutions or rule the country BUT they do favor religious law as a source of legislation.


This book is a must for those who really want to know what the majority of Muslims around the world think. I recommend this especially for all those Americans out there who still think that Muslims around the world hate America for its freedom and democracy. I recommend them especially to read the chapter on "What Makes a Radical?"