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Title:
Unveiling Islam – An Insiders Look at Muslim Life and Belief
Authors: Ergun Mehmet Caner & Emir Fethi Caner
Publisher: Kregel Publications, 2002, 234 pp.
Price: $11.99
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Unveiling Islam is a attack on Muslims and their religion and a tool for Christian missionaries
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A
little knowledge is a dangerous thing, especially in the hands of
those with mercenary motives. That Ergun and Emir Caner have an
ulterior motive is clear – they say so in the preface to their new
book, Unveiling Islam. Write the Caners: "Since 1982, we
have preached and taught about Islam, sharing our hearts' desire for
salvation among the 1.2 billion Muslim people who need Jesus."
Need
Jesus? That's a strange proposition coming from two authors whose
names suggest that they are Muslims of Turkish origin. But that's
where the surprise comes – Ergun and Emir Caner are not Muslims.
They used to be. But for over two decades they have been evangelical
Christians who have toured the country spreading information
concerning methodologies and techniques for converting Muslims to
Christianity.
Put
bluntly, Unveiling Islam is a diatribe against Muslims and
their faith. What is worse, is that the book masquerades as just
another critical analysis of Islam. With its enticing cover photo of
a Muslim woman in full Niqaab (head scarf and face veil) and
its misleading subtitle, "An Insider's Look at Muslim Life and
Beliefs", this book could easily be mistaken for something
other than missionary literature.
Ergun
and Emir Caner grew up in Galion, OH, the sons of Acer Caner, a
Turkish immigrant. Although their mother was Swedish, the two boys
along with their brother were raised as Muslims.
The
Caners go to some length to explain their strong Islamic upbringing,
ostensibly to establish themselves as experts on the topic. However,
it quickly becomes clear that their perception of a solid founding
in the faith is anything but. For instance they note in their
preface: "We did our rakats (daily prayers); we celebrated
Ramadan. We read the Qur'an and Hadith regularly. In every way, we
were devout, serious Muslims."
Although
the slip is indistinguishable to non-Muslims, Muslims recognize that
the Arabic word for "daily prayers" is not Rakats;
it is Salaat. Admittedly this is nitpicking, however the
warning signs concerning an author's self-proclaimed mastery of a
subject are often subtle.
Their
errors become more glaring as the book goes on. As they attempt to
deconstruct the Islamic religion, the Caners quote liberally from
the Qur'an and from various Ahadith (sayings of the Prophet
Muhammad). When quoting the Qur'an, they are careful to reference by
chapter and verse. When it comes to quoting Ahadith, however,
they continue simply citing chapter and verse, ignoring the fact
that there are quite a few books of Ahadith, each of which
contain rigorous material on authentication of each and every saying
contained therein. Unknowing readers of this book are given the
impression that there is but one, singular book of Ahadith.
The
book is organized to attack various aspects of Islam. The Caners
attempt to discredit the Prophet Muhammad (saaws), the underlying
articles of faith, the Qur'an, Ahadith and even Allah (swt)
himself. And all the way through, the Caners' either purposely or
ignorantly present half-truth after half-truth, mischaracterization
after mischaracterization and falsehood after falsehood.
In
the chapter entitled "Security, Politics and Jihad" the
Caners write, "One can be the most faithful of all believers in
Allah and still be rightly sent to hell. Paradoxically, someone can
be the worst person in the world and hypothetically still go to
paradise."
This
statement is an outright falsehood. The Qur'an is clear about the
rewards that await the "most faithful of all believers".
The Qur'an is additionally clear concerning the punishments that
await those who transgress. And while a believing Muslim may indeed
spend time in the hellfire because of various acts of transgression
he or she committed in this life, Muslims believe that Allah (swt),
in his mercy, will eventually remove the believers from the hellfire
because of their sincere faith.
In
the same chapter, the Caners write, "Here is the profound
weakness of a religion in which there is no genuine connection
between God and human being. Allah guides people into the truth
through his prophet Muhammad, but one should never anticipate
speaking to Allah personally or relationally."
Again,
the Caners fail in their characterization of the religion of Islam.
For if they had done their research, they would have realized that
Salaat (daily prayer) and Du'aa (supplication) are indeed forms of
communication with Allah (swt).
Now
maybe as evangelical Christians the Caners are looking for a
different kind of communication. Maybe they are looking for people
to get possessed by the "Holy Ghost". Or maybe they are
looking for "Tongues of Fire" to overtake a person. But
regardless of what their experiences of communication have been,
there is no doubt that Salaat and Du'aa fit the definition.
The
book goes on to make the typical attacks Muslims have come to expect
from Christians. The Prophet Muhammad is criticized for his marriage
to Aisha, jihad is condemned as nothing more than Muslim bloodlust,
treatment of women is highlighted.
Unveiling
Islam is simply vitriolic rhetoric. It is an attempt to trick
unsuspecting buyers into purchasing a biased and inaccurate account
of Islam and its history. With the vast amount of factually faulty
material, Muslims might have a basis to lobby bookstores to pull the
book from their shelves.
As
for the Caner brothers, they are a prime example of why it is
essential to teach proper Islamic Aqeedah (fundamental
beliefs) and other basic principles. For despite their
self-proclaimed knowledge of Islam, their book is a clear testament
to their profound ignorance of their former religion.
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