We will discuss Tamim Ansary’s Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes at our meeting on Wednesday, March 25th at 4:15p.m. in the GAHS library. Please post questions, comments, concerns, criticism, and the like on this blog prior to, during, or after our meeting (before April 1st if you want grade-replacement credit). All questions and responses should indicate an active reading of the text and function to move the conversation forward. (Note: surface-level or obvious questions and responses will not count as participation for grade replacement.)
Those of you unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts may participate in the discussion below by posting a discussion question and offering a detailed response, or by responding to two questions already posted. The note above applies here as well, so heed it!
Tamim Ansary’s “Destiny Disrupted” provided an incredible view of world history through an Islamic lens. Besides what I had learned a few years ago in World History I, I knew very little of Islamic history, but it was broadening to be able to understand how influential Islam has been in the shaping of the world. Throughout the book, I found myself recognizing parallels of certain themes that occur throughout history and across the world. I have always liked history, but this book helped show me how the pieces fit together in the puzzle. For example, the “body of scholars” under Omar’s khalifate was of course different but reminded me of the concept of the President’s Cabinet members (p. 50). Other concepts, like “waving a bloody shirt” and “religious revival” can both be found in US History textbooks as well (p. 60, 252). I specifically noted a prevailing theme of 1920’s America that seemed to be persisting as well in the Islamic world: the struggle between traditional vs. modern ideas (p. 304). Ansary connected these fragments of themes into a fluid structure that connected all parts of the world to one another logically. I feel that I am now far more equipped to understand present-day issues and identify such themes in current world affairs.
While I did really enjoy this book, I am certainly not used to reading this type of book–I prefer fiction. Do you think that reading a non-fiction book is more effective to convey themes such as those expressed in “Destiny Disrupted,” or do fictional books hold the ability to express these themes to the same effect? I feel that non-fiction does so more directly, but fiction can accomplish such a feat, implicitly stated; but fiction can sometimes be more powerful as it can be easier to read as opposed to a dense but well-written book like “Destiny Disrupted.”
When I was reading Destiny Disrupted, the first thought that went through my mind was, “why don’t I know more about this?” The issues in the Middle East and Islam in general are such prevalent topics in the modern world, but, especially after reading the novel, I realized that I hardly knew anything about the fundamental beliefs. I fully supported Tamim Ansary’s assertion that, “Here are two enormous worlds side by side; what’s remarkable is how little notice they have taken of each other.” As a high school student, I truly feel that I have hardly taken notice of the Islamic faith. Though I had heard of several of the more famous Muslims, such as Sayyid Qutb and Jamaluddin-i-Afghan, as well as the schism between the Sunnis and Shiites, it was vastly interesting to learn more about the Islamic world in a colloquial and casual way. I enjoyed the way that Ansary wrote his novel on a deep rooted topic, yet had it be understandable and connectable to the audience in a way that was engaging, despite the seemingly historical and boring topic. Overall, I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would, and I really appreciated being able to gain a deeper understanding to the Islamic culture, why it is different than America, and why that should not be as much of an issue as it is today.
Before reading this book, I had a very small knowledge of Islamic culture; I had only ever learned about four main facts needed to pass a history SOL. When I saw the title of the novel, I honestly dreaded the book choice because it sounded like it was going to be hundreds of pages on straight historical facts; however, I was pleasantly surprised after the first couple of sections because the author, Ansary, proved my initial judgments wrong. Ansary used many rhetorical devices that made her information new interesting, such as hyperboles, personification, and a perfect amount of rhetorical questions. In my opinion, the author sometimes expresses some bias in her book, but because she gives such powerful, credible information, this book is that much more effective. My favorite lesson I walked away with after reading is how uneducated, even ignorant, Americans can be towards Islams- many don’t know much about their culture, and many accuse/stereotype unconditionally, especially in regard to crimes. I walked away with a higher appreciation for people of other cultures after reading this, especially for minorities, and I think that was Ansary’s true purpose.
Because we typically learn about history through the “European narrative,” I found myself fascinated by Tamin Ansary’s “Destiny Distrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes.” After reading this, it has become clear that we are being taught from a limited perspective, and that where we come from helps shape our views, thoughts, and actions. I feel that, in America, there is a stigma attached to what Ansary calls “the Middle World” and the religion of Islam. There is also a widespread lack of knowledge about both of these things. But that is Ansary’s purpose in writing this book, to educate and inform his audience by telling history through a different perspective. Ansary allows his readers to connect the European narrative with the Islamic narrative by offering both sides of each story with the chapters “Meanwhile in Europe” and “West Comes East.” He has to do this because eventually, the European and Islamic worlds intersect and as we see in the latter chapters, Western society begins to permeate and alter Islamic civilization. And maybe that is when “destiny” is “disrupted.” This book recounts the rise and fall of Islamic civilization, which, in contrast to Western society, was and is still driven by religion. My favorite thing about this book was reading about the origins of Islam and how the religion shaped an entire civilization of people. Ansary says that Islam originated not only as a religion but as a “social project” and a “political entity.” I think that the element of community in Islam is what makes it so different from Christianity, which is more about individual salvation than a community of believers. By reading this book, I learned that this difference is what shaped the destinies of Europe and the Middle World. Because Christianity in Europe was individualized by the Reformation, Western society was able to develop and progress towards modernity faster than Islamic society. Because Islamic civilization was immersed in fundamental religious ideas of community, development was slower and often caused controversy. Because of this book, I think I have gained much more insight on Islamic culture and society. Learning through different perspectives can help us learn more about the world as a whole, so our views become less provincial and limited.
When I read the title of this book, the first thing I thought was “Great. A history textbook.” I just knew that I wasn’t going to be interested in this book one bit. But I was very wrong, and I now realize that you can’t judge a book by its cover. In our school system, students learn about of faiths, cultures, and religion, but we never go in depth about any of them, which makes me mad because I’ve always wanted to learn about other faiths and this book did a wonderful job in teaching me about the Islamic empire, culture, and beliefs. I would love to see a change in our school system, because America is a melting pot, but we don’t study in school who/what creates our melting pot. I feel like before I read this book I only saw the world through a tunnel and after reading this book I see the world in a more open way. The many engaging facts that filled each page allowed me to continue reading this book. I went from being extrinsically motivated by the extra credit to intrinsically motivated, because this book was really a page turner. Coming from a person who doesn’t take a lot of interest in political history, Tamim Ansary does an incredibly good job in grabbing my attention while reading this book. I strongly believe that everyone should broaden their horizon and start exploring faiths and cultures outside of their own.
Your first point is so interesting to me because I made almost the exact same one- I really was completely uninterested when I first saw the title of this nine weeks book selection because I thought it was just another history assignment. Like you though, I was pleasantly surprised.
Honestly I first thought that you talking about school was on an irrelevant tangent, but after reading more I started thinking and agree that culture should be emphasized more in school. In my opinion, if we learned more about other cultures, there wouldn’t be as much conflict in the world. Learning about other countries and ethnicities is extremely vital to our education system, then more ignorance and stereotypes would be eliminated.
I found this book very interesting because I had never considered the different perspectives on history. This book was really a beacon of light that really enlightened me as an American. In our education systems, we focus on how it happened from an American perspective and only touch on other perspectives if makes an impact on our perspective. For example, when discussing the time right before World War II, we touch on the fact that Germany is upset for being blamed for World War I. But in my opinion, other perspectives always make an impact on America. Do you believe that the wars that have occurred in history could have been prevented if all countries developed a better understanding of different parts of the world?
That’s a really interesting question! I definitely think that some global conflicts could have been prevented with more understanding of different cultures and societies. I especially think this is the case with genocides. While the most obvious genocide example is the Holocaust, there have been several others committed in other countries, including Sudan, Rwanda, and Congo. These crimes are one group pitted against another, with the goal of eliminating the minority. However, perhaps if these minorities were more understood, these could have been prevented. For familiarity, if Hitler had worked to understand the Jewish faith and belief system, perhaps he would have been more understanding, and the whole Holocaust (or at least the enormity of it) could have been prevented. As far as wars go, I often feel like there are issues that are far more deep seated between certain countries that could potentially not be solved by deep understanding. However, as far as internal conflict goes, I certainly believe that more effort to communicate and connect with those different than us could make for an overall more peaceful world.
Destiny Disrupted by Tamim Ansary was an incredibly eye opening book. I am definitely thankful that I read it because it allowed me to look at world history from a different angle. Throughout the book, Ansary refers to the events that are a part of the Muslim community as an “alternative world history unto itself…”, revealing that the history learned in the United States contrasts from that in Syria or Iraq (xviii). The book helped to explain the different reasons for conflicts occurring in the middle east today. For example, the Sunnis and the Shi’i are reported as having conflicting beliefs and creating a schism in Islam as early as 11 AH. The problems prevalent in modern times really do stem from the issues that started as Islam was first beginning. Destiny Disrupted has helped me to gain a more insightful view on current events and develop a better understanding of the Islamic Faith.
Throughout Destiny Disrupted, I began to feel more and more as though I knew nothing of other cultures and religions. I had never heard anything on the history of Islam or about their public and private practices. Tamim Ansary did a great job of teaching American’s about something of which we know little. Do you find American’s to be less culturally diverse or accepting than other nations? Why?
I totally agree with you! Before I read this book, I had very little knowledge on the Islamic culture. Ansary did a great job teaching what few Americans know. For me, it was cool to read this book, because growing up in a Christian family, I knew very little about any other religions. To answer your question, I think it depends on where in America you are from. Many areas in the mid-west will most likely be less culturally diverse when compared to cities. Most cities have several different cultures.
In my opinion, there isn’t a perfect “yes” or “no” answer to this question. First of all, I agree with Katelyn that it depends on where in America you are from. Someone who lives in a more rural area with little diversity will know less about Islam than someone who lives in a crowded city with a largely divergent population. I also believe that it depends on an individual’s experiences involving Islamic culture. If someone has never been exposed to the religion through close friends, neighbors, or family members, they will be much less knowledgeable than someone who has personally been exposed to Islam in one way or another. Regarding the acceptance of Islamic culture by Americans, I believe that most do not welcome it with open arms because of the current events that portray the religion in a negative way. Many Americans will absorb what the news is telling them and generalize/stereotype anyone involved in that group of people.
Tamim Ansary does a wonderful job showing/telling his audience the history of Islamic civilization and the way it has evolved to become the way it is today. His book does not serve the sole purpose of highlighting his intelligence and his knowledge in the political science field. Instead of criticizing Islamic history, he analyzes it and helps the reader understand why the foreign policies of the country are the way they are today. I got to see the other side of the Christian/Muslim debate that I have never been able to understand before this book. I really like how he outlined the origins of the Muslim religion and how he taught the origins of the religion more in depth than just a brief, paragraph or two, summary. I was also in awe of how well he explained the divide in the Muslim world between the Sunnis and Shiites. I’m very disappointed in America and its educational system after reading this book. In our history classes, we learn about Christianity so in depth. For example, in AP Euro, not only did we learn about Christianity, but we learned about many of the reform-minded denominations and how they came to be as well as who “created” them and the effects the new denominations had on the community. On the contrary, I have yet to learn about Islamic culture and religion as well as its origins as in-depth as I have been taught Christianity.
Having never studied Islam, it was interesting for me to learn about the life of Mohamed and the events that took place after this death in Tamim Ansary’s Destiny Disrupted. This early history is important because it explains why there is an ongoing conflict between Sunni and Shi’i Muslims to this day. It was also interesting to learn about how Islam spread into North Africa and Spain as well as into Iran and India, then via trade merchants into Indonesia.
The title of the book, Destiny Disrupted, is relevant in that the author relates that “In the sixteenth century of our era, a visitor from Mars might well have supposed that the human world was on the verge of becoming Muslim.”(page 198). Ansary goes on to explain that many of the advances that Muslim scientists and scholars made at this time did not advance because the author felt their Eastern society was unraveling.
As opposed to a novel that you would pick up and read in your leisure time, this a history book, and therefore took some extra time to work through. It does do a good job of helping someone understand the history of Islam, which is valuable.
(The post above is a response to Abby Lucas)
How has “Destiny Disrupted,” affected your views about world history from what you have been taught in the American school system.
It makes me so angry that we have only been taught Christianity “in-depth”! And even the curriculum regarding Christianity is limited! I’ve known for a long time that if I wanted to know more history, i was going to have to go and get it myself. However, I never thought that something this big would be left out of the core-curriculum of public schools throughout the nation.
This book encourages me to want to read about other faiths and cultures. I’m more interested in learning about different places besides America after reading this book. Our American school system doesn’t really allow students to learn about faith and religion in depth, as Mason states above. I realize that if I want to explore more, I must find the resources to do so on my own. In school, especially public schools, we learn material based off of the Standard of Learning and this doesn’t allow study to freely study or explore the world.
This book made me think a lot about my 8th grade history class which was really the time when we “learned” about world religions. However, as Mason and Diaya pointed out, our public schools do not adequately teach these different cultures. Our instruction of Christianity was was immensely incomplete. He basically said they believe in the Old and New Testament and that Jesus came and died on the cross to save them from their sins and was the son of God, and that was it. It was infuriating how understated this and many other religions are in today’s society! Teachers are afraid to dive in to the content for fear of being accused of preaching the religions. Similarly, the explanation I received of Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism were equally inadequate. Furthermore, we did not even mention the beliefs of Mormons. However, unlike many public schools, my teacher did go very in depth with our learning of the Muslim religion and traditions. That being said, it was interesting to hear Tamim Ansary retell history from that perspective rather than our European and American mindset. It really opened my eyes to see how vastly different other cultures can study historical events.
“Destiny Disrupted” has radicalized the views of world history I had from my schooling. I feel that adequate coverage of the history of the Islamic world is somewhat absent from our history curriculum. In spite of this, I found the book extremely eye-opening and enlightening, as I was suddenly able to view world history from a much broader perspective equipped with knowledge of the origins of a prevailing religion and its various territorial permutations. I also feel that experiencing these details further let me get past the simple understanding of facts and dig deeper into the actual motives, effects, and ethics of each figure’s actions. For example, I was particularly struck by one leader, Chengez Khan, who was extremely cruel and violent with his prisoners and in his military strategy, and then I contrasted his actions with later figures, like Atatürk, whose ethics were markedly less violent but still imposing on his citizens, allowing me to draw further parallels between historical time periods and consider ethics and the role they play in shaping our history (p. 160, 302).
After completing my reading of “Destiny Disrupted”, by Tamin Asnsary, I feel as my blinders have been removed and my perspective has been widened. The lack of Muslim culture in our home, of America, is strong and I was astonished to see how little I knew about other cultures. It is refreshing to view history through the eyes of another nation because what children are taught in American schools differs. For example, in war, the “good guys” are very different as the crimes that all countries commit come to light. These details that are left out of American history, and the history of our allies, lessons are key details that are forgot to that we might teach our young that America is more innocent that it is depicted. As a reader, with the assistance of Asnary, am able to see through the eyes of the people most wrongly accused in world conflicts today. It was helpful to read a book so relevant. The detail and imagery of the Muslim heroes was beautify described and I encourage others to read this enlightening novel. The strongest piece of this novel is that it is not solely opinionated, but backed with facts and dates that the reader previously should have knowledge of. With this writing, my opinions, politically and social have become less bias.
I agree with your response to the novel! I found it very interesting learn the founding and historical context of the Islamic Empire from a new perspective, that differs from the views of a traditional history textbook. I found the book to be a fast read due to Ansary’s use of vivid detail and imagery!
Using this metaphor of your “blinders being removed” was exactly how I felt!. I came to the realization that what one’s looking at completely depends on the lens through which they are looking. As juniors, we are all taking a class in which we learn AMERICAN history. But America does not even begin to cover the realm of history in this world. Ansaray’s description and vividness once again kept me locked in and somewhat interested in a topic that usually bores me to tears- history.
After reading Destiny Disrupted, I was left in a state of aww. In my seventeen years of living, I truly never paid close attention to the outside world. Ansary presented a vivid picture of world history through the eyes of the Muslim nation. He told a story that flowed deeper than what is presented and studied and in American textbooks. The reader is able to grasp some understanding of the Muslim world from the time of Muhammad through the crushing defeat of the Six Day War and beyond. His excellent analysis provides the reader with an insightful understanding of how the world and its people were shaped by events. Every paragraph was filled with new fascinating facts. Learning about the Shiite-Sunni Schism, theology, the beautiful cities and empires of the Islamic world was thrilling and enjoyable. Throughout the book I encountered familiar characters that I have either studied or heard of, such as Genghis Khan and Syed Jamaluddin-i-Afghan. However, I was impressed as to how Ansary told their stories as part of a whole. Ansary is right when he talks about how history books can’t possibly contain every aspect of history, but events are chosen according to a certain arc of history. “[History] is not a chronological list of every damn thing that ever happened … it’s the arc that counts.” I believe this is an excellent read for all who want to learn more about the history of the Islamic world, but moreover it enables a person to establish their own opinion about political debates and conflicts happening in American society. It is understood how the Western and Eastern Civilizations are at constant disagreement about world history. One can only make an assumption about the history of each other, but there will always be a large divide in context. Ansary said it best “The conflict wracking the modern world is not, I think, best understood as a ‘clash of civilizations.’ … It’s better understood as the friction generated by two mismatched world histories intersecting.”
I fully agree with this rebuttal to thus novel. The readers’ opinion is broadened for the better after reading and gaining a new perspective.
I definitely had limited knowledge on the history behind the Islamic faith prior to reading this novel, and it has encouraged me to look at current events from a different perspective. After reading this I believe that more people should study the history of the world from the point of those in the middle east. The units regarding Islam are typically ignored in school or are brushed over quickly without going into much detail. Through more in depth education of Islam in schools, the problem of ignorance regarding other cultures could be resolved.
I agree. This book really made me take what I had learned in World History 1 and apply it to the Muslim’s history.The author’s purpose was to inform people about this version of history, sure, but to really emphasize the fact that a person’s religion greatly influences their world view. The book really opened my eyes to the flaws in the way we are taught about these religions. I wish when we learned about all them more completely and that they were not rushed through so quickly. In order to fully understand the world we live in we have to be able to see things from other people’s points of view, and since religion is such a huge part of that, we should be learning more wholly the varying religious beliefs and the historical context of what has impacted them.
I agree. Reading this novel was fascinating since I live on the other side of the world through a different perspective. Ansaray, an Afghan-American, effectively kept the history fast, so I never got bored. He used things understandable to non-Islamic readers to communicate Muslim history. For example, he used the example of a saint dying to help Christian readers understand what the death of Mohammed was like. Gaining a different perspective, and more knowledge almost altered the way I look on the world and history. I definitely enjoyed reading this, though, because it never slowed down; this book flew through history.
After seventeen years of being alive, I’ve learned little to nothing about Islamic culture. I have not had any experiences with Islam or those who follow the religion, nor have I been educated in any other religion besides Christianity. The fact that our country (which has been called a “melting pot” for many years now) is not taking the education of different religions seriously makes me very frustrated and angry. The significance and power behind the quote “[History] is not a chronological list of every damn thing that has ever happened . . . it’s the arc that counts” (in regard to Islam) cannot be seen or comprehended by most Americans because they don’t have that chronological list in their minds; they cannot appreciate the arc of history if they know nothing that has happened in the past. Because of the large amount of Americans who are ignorant of Islamic culture and generalize it based solely on current events, I believe that the different religions represented in our country should be taught to students in a more thorough and unbiased manner.
In terms of my personal lack of knowledge of Islamic culture, Ansary’s writing has greatly encouraged me to learn more about other religions and develop my own views, rather than letting the news and popular opinion encompass my opinion of them. Learning about the history of Islam and how the issues prevalent today originated from those in the past gave me a completely different perspective of the religion, as well as those who follow it. Overall, I think that reading Destiny Disrupted is extremely beneficial, not only because it educates the reader on a religion they may know little about, but because it stimulates and makes the reader excited about learning the history of other religions.
Being from a Christian background, I never had much exposure to the beliefs and views of other religions. In Destiny Disrupted, Tamim Ansary did a marvelous job of simply explaining the religion of Islam while also going into great depth on major events in the history. One of these events was The First Khalifa. In this section of the book, the author tells of the decision for a new leader after the unfortunate death of the Prophet Mohammed. It was assumed by many that Mohammed’s cousin, Abu, would naturally be the next in line to lead, but while Abu was cleaning and preparing Mohammed’s body for burial, the Muslims of Medina met and chose a new leader for their people; it wasn’t Abu. As the assumed heir, I can see how it must have been very difficult for Abu to accept the choice of the people in not electing him and continue to practice Islam. I strongly believe him to be one of the most devoted characters in the book because of this singular occurrence. Believing in his religion after he was let down by the followers made him an honorable and forgiving man, and my favorite character in the novel.
I found it interesting how this book is the first book i’ve read fully based on history unless it was a biography or textbook. Ansary has definitely established his book to be unique from the start considering you wouldn’t learn this ordinarily from the average history class, considering his interesting point of view. Ansary is straight forward with Islamic history to a point where recognizing the placements of map known places would be helpful like the names of geographical places that made it stumbling to read, along with Islamic references. However, there were still things that intrigued me as a reader with what Mohammad’s death really caused through the years and the separation of the Muslim World. One of the things I liked was when he combined imagery, personification, and rhetorical questions to state, “What happened between these two? Were they lovers once? Is there some history of abuse?” to describe the Western and Islamic worlds. I felt the tension and sense of ambiguity that really opened me to Ansary’s successfulness. The history of Islamic faith is a lot more different than I thought it was or what taught it was, with characters like Omar, Abu Baker, Othman and Ali becoming Mohammad’ successors which I did not know. The early years of the Islamic community is definitely something to look into by how Ansary exposes it. I just want to ask anyone out there if you guys think this history could be repeated?
this too was my first book, fully on history, and not just based on past events. It has encouraged me to become open minded to reading more history books, or foreign books in their English translation. There shouldn’t have been more references for his readers. I do not believe these should have been added because their exclusion encourages readers to conduct further research on their own.
In reply to both of you, I too read my first historical book (other than autobiographies) in this novel. Although I dreaded it at first based on judging the title, I was glad I decided to read it because it emphasized my perspective on a need for educating students more on other cultures. Also, I agreed that the vivid phrasing a word choices on the author’s behalf made the book more interesting, otherwise it would’ve been more boring (informative, yet not a beach read).
This was the first historical book I’ve read, however not the first I’ve tried to read. LOL. I was intrigued in Islamic history presented, but do agree that this wasn’t a beach read. Overall, through reading “Destiny Disrupted”, I’ve noticed that I’m pretty biased in history and the world, since everything I know is based on an American outlook.
This is also my first time reading a book fully centered around history. I was hesitant because I’ve always been bad at history which lead to me not liking the subject, however I thoroughly enjoyed this book. To answer your question, I believe, to an extent, that history could be repeated. I fully agree with Mark Twain in that “history doesn’t repeat itself but it does rhyme.” Which means that history isn’t duplicated down to a tee, but rather just similar. For example, World War I was supposedly “the war to end all wars,” but two decades later came World War II. Even just a few years ago, our country went through what was called “The Great Recession,” which parallels with the Great Depression which occurred nearly eight decades ago.
I feel that the author of Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes can be described as a risk-taker. A reason why I say that is because the entire book is told about a part of history from the point of view that few people are familiar with. History books tend to tell the story from the winner’s/majority’s perspective. During the time period that this story takes place, the Muslim view point was and still is today, a view point that few people know about. Tamim Ansary, knew about this, and used that to his advantage to write a detailed account for his novel.
Can you elaborate on the reason you believe the author took a risk in writing this book? Yes, the book is told through the view point of an unfamiliar part of history. However, Tamin Ansary never really offers his own opinions. He is just providing collective and organized information in the format of a story. I don’t see how this is a risk. All of his information seems to originate from valid sources. He isn’t drawing it all up from his head. If you look in the very back of the book at the notes and bibliography sections, you can see how many sources he used. This book took a ton of research and analysis. Ansary wanted his book to be as informative and valid as possible.
Being a risk-taker is not a negative thing. I believe that the author of Destiny Disrupted is a risk-taker is Ansary chose to write from the perspective of the minority. Many writers and historians tend to write from the point-of-view from the majority. Personally, I never said that Tamin Ansary’s book contained opinions. What I did say and believe is that is takes courage to publish a novel from a unfamiliar viewpoint. Also, being a risk-taker can be seen as a positive thing. It shows that Ansary is able to write about something that few people are willing to do. Ansary should be applauded for utilizing numerous of facts to write such an informative book.
Being a risk-taker is not a negative thing. I believe that the author of Destiny Disrupted is a risk-taker because Ansary chose to write from the perspective of the minority. Many writers and historians tend to write from the point-of-view of the majority. Personally, I never said that Tamin Ansary’s book contained opinions. What I did say and believe is that it takes courage to publish a novel from a unfamiliar viewpoint. Also, being a risk-taker can be seen as a positive thing. It shows that Ansary is able to write about something that few people are willing to do. Ansary should be applauded for utilizing numerous of facts to write such an informative book.
I never said that being a risk-taker is a negative thing. I just don’t see how Ansary is actively being a risk taker in Destiny Disrupted. Can you give a specific example from the book? Also, I don’t consider having courage to be the same thing as taking risks. They go hand in hand, but its not the same thing. Anyway, I personally don’t see how the author is showing courage or taking risks throughout his book.
I’ve always enjoyed learning about the many different world religions, but had very little knowledge on the history and practices of the Islamic faith. Reading Tamin Ansary’s book, “Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes” was an engaging way to learn the key events in of Islamic history, ranging all the way from the Mohammed’s era to the twenty first century. I found the book practical to follow as the Anasary broke down the formation of the Islamic story into ten different stages, starting from “Ancient Times: Mesopotamia and Persia” and ending with “The Islamist Reaction.” While reading Ansary’s remarks on how there is a lack of depiction of the prominence of the Islamic empires in famous literature, such as Shakespeare, I was able to reflect on the Shakespeare I had studied in my high school English courses and how there was little detail of the Islamic presence in novels such as Othello and Romeo and Juliet. The part of the Islamic story I found to be the most interesting was the descriptive summary of how the Muslim community focused solely on building the “ideal community”, and how the goal was twisted when certain members of the community began passing laws to regulate how citizens must dress and behave. Another part of Islamic history I found to be remarkable was how many Muslim thinkers had already discovered many of the scientific advances that surfaced during the Protestant Reformation in Europe, as much as a century before European thinkers. As I read this section, I was able to reflect on the previous knowledge I had from World History on the Protestant Reformation. Within the news, the Middle East has always been portrayed to be a violent and difficult place to live. However, by informing his readers about the history of the Islamic States, Ansary allow his readers to view the Middle East in a new perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about world religions and the historical background of the way the Middle East is today.
I also found the discussion of great individual discoveries of Muslim scientists to be interesting. Ansary states that these advances never were able to take root and grow because the social order of the Muslim world was starting to decline because there was no separation of scientific thinking and religious thinking. In the West, however, there was separation of church and state which gave Western scholars the freedom to separate religion from advancing discoveries in science.