Islamic Moses

 From my Goodreads review: Akyol provides a critical survey of history and scriptural interpretation for Islamic and Jewish relations (and Christian thrown in occasionally). After comparing and contrasting Q’uranic and Hebrew scripture depictions of Moses (Moshe), he moves on to the oscillating political and religious alliances/conflicts between Muhammed and his contemporary neighbors. The author then tracks these same hot-warm-cold relationships through the next centuries, through philosophical and economic collaborations, into our late 20th and early 21st century antagonism. While showing that for much of parallel and interwoven experiences through the centuries, Islam and Judaism coexisted and it wasn’t until the last hundred years, Islam seems to have adopted Christianity’s anti-Judaism based in conspiratorial and fantastic myths. (I won’t say anti-Semitic since Arabic is also a Semitic language.) The reasons: perhaps power hunger for a return to Ottoman Empire, misreading of Q’uranic passages; vengeance over Western-based slights or…. 

While I’m appreciative of the publisher for providing an advance copy, I was unable to read the Epilogue in which the author shares how to restore Islamic-Jewish friendships and peace. Akyol’s work here is important for anyone interested in this topic and a worthwhile companion to his analysis of Islamic and Christian perspectives of Jesus/Isa.