Islam: Negotiating the Future
Author: Rashid Shaz
This is a post-9/11 book on Islam. Creative nations always turned their crisis hours into opportune moments. This book intends just to set the ball rolling in the right direction.
For centuries we Muslims have been accustomed to virtually living in the past. No doubt our past has been bright but now it has a deadening effect on us. Desperate to regain the lost glory of the bygone days, we often end up with the romanticization of the past. For many amongst us, the past has become the only abode of refuge. In the pages that follow, I have purposely tried to demolish that conventional abode; the romantic appeal of the past or fashioning it as an age of no challenge. We must face the stark realities not only of the present but also of the past. This alone can help us in learning from the past mistakes. Today, it is possible for us to pull down the most tyrant regimes or dismantle mighty empires. But once it comes to creating an alternative system it becomes increasingly difficult for us to decide which school of Islamic thought should prevail. This internal strife has been the root cause of our malaise which needs to be addressed with urgency and care.