Mental Bondage in the Name of God

REVIEW The concept of questioning authority is not new. However, the right to question authority is often accompanied with a hefty price. My acquaintance with the writer, Aidid Safar, has impressed upon me that Aidid eager to share his passionate views, driven by a burning personal desire to seek the truth amidst the confusion, which cloaks the Islamic, landscape. Islamic criticism in the context of this book seeks the death of dogma, leading to the birth of reality. To paraphrase Sherlock, ‘ If you remove what is impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the logical conclusion’. The language is layman, the logic is simple. Aidid’s writing aims to share and is not for aggrandizement nor fame. Aidid is a man who walks the walk and talks the talk. He firmly believes that Islam must have envisioned a better world than the one we live in today. Thus, the disparity between his vision of Islam and the reality of his brethren must be the fault of man. If you read past his forceful claims, you will see the reasoning behind his vehement stand and his intention to share the truths and untruths that he has uncovered; even if you may not agree with him or appreciate the repetition, which he uses to drive his point home. Aidid’s journey through semantics seeks to refine and define the current crop of teaching to arrive at a clearer conceptual truth of the Muslim faith. The catalyst driving his need to share his conclusions comes from the multitude of values and sects existing today in the one faith with one God and one Book. Aidid’s anonymity is due to the climate of anachronistic retaliation that has recently been endemic to the ‘more militant’ Muslim people who brook no dissent. While to many it may be unseemly to read a book where the author chooses to hide his identity, in this context, it is entirely understandable. This book is particularly suited to those who believe in the concept that the Qur’an is utmost authority, Muslim, or non-Muslim alike. It is derived from years of self-questioning and self-realisation and research driven by a simple need to understand the status quo. It assumes that from that point on, all things deriving from the Qur’an are correct and all that do not have a Qur’anic reference are fabrications. As the reviewer understands it - it is the Qur’an’s purpose to create a moral-social order. Aidid’s disappointment at the current system is catalysed by observing fellow Muslims who observe no restraint on amassing riches, do not consider their less fortunate fellow men, prey on the weak and helpless, and regard themselves ‘self-sufficient’ (mustaghni) i.e. a law unto themselves. He challenges them to ‘show cause’ and reminds them of their transgressions. But it is also evident that Aidid takes to task those who mislead the faithful and perpetuate the vicious circle. The reviewer makes these observations, not to contest the intrinsic value of this book, whose value lies in conveying the passion of the writer and his views. He writes to promote understanding and advocate action. That in itself is hard to find these days - in any kind of book. Allan Jafferson Phd. Germany.