Source: France24.com
Dated: 09.01.15
Famed French author Michel Houellebecq has insisted that his novel “Submission”, which envisions a France ruled by a Muslim government, is not a racist scare story. Nevertheless the novel, which hits bookstores Wednesday, has sparked a media storm.
Categories: Europe, France, Islam: A Religion of Peace, Quran, The Muslim Times
Would there be the same controversy if an author wrote a futuristic novel (as this is written) about the resurrection of the Inquisition by the Roman Catholic Church and its take-over of Catholic predominate nations? No, I hardly think so…
Besides, Islam is not a race, so this book can’t be racist and the use of that term is a canard.
Furthermore, the novel speaks of cultural changes that could occur that aren’t necessarily Islamic in nature, but are those that were brought in by Muslims from the various locales where they originated from. Muslim cultural differences are as diverse as are their points of origin.
I can’t think of any group of people now that are, collectively, as ‘thin-skinned’ as Muslims are. This is the 21st century: All groups, be they religions, cultures or nations are open to critique. Muslims and Muslim cultures are not exempt from that, as much as they mostly insist they be.
I recommend that everyone read the review and discover what the book’s author said in the last paragraph about his reading of the Qur’an. I think you’ll be surprised.
Thank Robert Adams for this post. I wish you had reproduced a part of the last para of that book. Then we could understand better. Wish you all the best.
@ghulam sarwar; You are most welcome and I thank you for your kind words towards me. Yes, as you point out, I should have perhaps included the exerpt. The reason I didn’t, and I thought about doing so, is that I wanted all to read the article in its entirety. I thought that having read it, the reader would have a better understanding of the man, as I came to.
It is my opinion that the world needs much more ‘understanding’ between peoples. Fear’s basis is the unknown, particularly misunderstanding or misinterpreting the unknown.
For example, the author’s book premise could have been based on his misunderstanding of a possible future scenario – an unknown, as it were. Now, had the author read the Qur’an beforehand, his view, the book’s premise, could have been entirely different. But, he finally took the opportunity to try to ‘understand’ the subject he wrote of by, indeed, his reading, and his personal beliefs towards Muslims now have most probably been positively changed. Is that not a good thing?
It is also an example of trying to ‘understand’ the ‘other’, albeit after the fact. But, better late than never.
Peace to you all…