An Omission?
Reader comment on item: Islamists Police the Classroom [at the University of South Florida]

Submitted by ron thompson (United States), Jan 4, 2004 at 18:53

Perfectly good article, but I wonder why you don't use it as an opportunity to suggest, or at least mention, that any general course on the History of Islam at any university or college in the country should include the book, WHY I AM NOT A MUSLIM, which I know you are aware of. I recently read this book and find it wholly credible and convincing.
The book is also paradoxically positive about the the moslem peoples in general by bringing to my attention that through out Islam's early history, and in the last 150 yrs or so, there have been people, like the author, who could seriously and trenchantly criticize the religion and society they were born into. Before having this brought to my attention by the author, I wouldn't have thought
(narrow mindedness on my part) that any such individuals existed.
If you know any reasons why this book isn't better known, I'd like to hear them (possibly because it commits the hottible sin of somewhat criticizing the other two monotheisms? And because it is unabashedly a rationalist, secular, and irreligious volume?

ps - Are you related to Richard Pipes, who did such good service to this country, and Western civilization, in the Reagan administration?

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