Classics English Literature

Obedience to Authority

In the book, “Islamist”, Husain gives the reader an explanation on what pushed him into Islamic fundamentalism. The major issue that drove him into Islam was seclusion in the British Community. The factors that spurred on Husain’s seclusions were his parents being too stern to understand him. The racial and religious prejudice and the mixed heritage, which supported his confusion and rejection, played a major role in his conversion to Islam. Husain ended up being an Islamist after joining the Stephen Green School. In his book, Husain talks about the factors that accelerated teenage rebellion from moderate Islam into extremism. It is evident that Husain was recruited in Islam where he says that he adhered to the rules and regulations that guided Islam. This paper gives detailed information on the factors that pushed Husain into joining Islam and a description of the Islamist lifestyle.

After conversion, Husain embraced the Islamic culture where he took part in the Islamic teenage rebellion. The teenagers were against the formation of radical organizations such as the Hizbal- Tahrir, which emanated from the Socialist Party workers. They were also against the virtues of open-mindedness and pragmatism, which were the traits of the past generation. The Islamist organization Hizb was run though corrupted ideas of Islam. The members of this organization abandoned the Islamic teachings that were against their intentions. These members misinterpreted the teachings of Islam so that they could create a way to take part in the Jihad war. The existence of the Hizb organization, which consisted of Islamists, ruined the reputation of the Islamic religion.

In the book, “The Islamist”, Husain attempts to give reasons as to why Islamic doctrines of radicalization continued to saturate the UK Muslim communities in the 1980s. Ed Husain talks about the National Muslim Front, which he described as “bad and calm just like the other street gangs” (Husain, 39). The only difference was that the National Muslim Front did not involve drug abuse, alcoholism and sexuality. Husain through interpersonal, communication gives an explanation on how Islamic religious extremism has been able to go through vicissitudes. In the book, he gave an explanation on the communities, which were targeted by the Islamic Jihads. They included the United States and its allies such as Britain, France, Italy and Canada among others. The Islamists targeted these counties for they intended to convert the Arab/ Islamic world into democracies and meritocracies, which the Islamic community was against it. The Islamic community views meritocracies as a threat to its traditions since women would not be allowed into public spheres to take leadership roles.

Towards the end of the book, he learnt that if a person was born and under the Islamic faith, he/she belonged to it. This is because the Islamists did not change their traditions and the same preaching it acquired 2,000 years ago still exists. He also learnt how to be kind to ones parents. He asks, “How could people in the Hizb reject their parents so easily?” (Husain, 100). It is evident from the book that people in the Hizb rejected their parents so easily for it was run through corrupted ideas of Islamist organization. The people who belonged to the organization had left the Islamic teachings, which did not support the member’s intentions to interpret the Islamic believes making it easy for them to engage in the Jihad war. This is where the Wahhabis disagreed with the laws established by the older generation and started slaying the Sufis, Shias and other Muslims who did not support their organization.

Husain makes an assertion that the negativity associated with Islam was misguided because the actual culprits of the criminal activities associated with Islam were not the actual followers of real Islam. He argued that the perpetrators were led by political interests and material obsession, which had promoted the organizations ideologies to be regarded as of Islam. Despite the fact that he wanted to evade Islam, Ed suffered from brainwashing where his thinking was inclined towards the ideologies of Islamism. Hussein was recruited to Islam where he was given “tempting offers” by the Islamism opponents (Hussein 98). Ed realized that most of the Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia attracted the young people into Islamism by offering them gifts such as academic scholarships.

In his book, Husain says that prophet Mohammed had also experienced the loss of faith in dominant norms of society and religion. He added that it was for this reason that he retreated to the mountains of Mecca. From this statement, it is justifiable that Husain had to leave Islam in search for a religious affiliation that was in line wit his pursuit. He relates his abandonment of Islam to the prophet’s retreat to the mountains of Mecca because of his dissatisfaction with the ways of society.

In conclusion, Husain gives the reader information about the reasons that drove him into being an Islamic Fundamentalist. It is illustrated in his book that he was influenced by his classmates and the school leaders from Stephen Green School who were members of Islam. It was through attractive offers that he received from the school leadership that led him into becoming an Islam. From the book, it is evident that he led a life similar to that led by the young generation where they formed a movement that was against the Islamic religion and culture.

Towards the end of the book, Ed regrets the fact that he had became a part of Islam for he says that the violent acts of Islamist were not inline with Islamic teachings. This was not because Islam was a bad religion but its reputation had been ruined by the Hizb organization, which comprised of teenagers who misinterpreted the Islamic teachings. Afterwards, Husain rejected fundamentalism teachings returning to his normal life and family (Husain, 300).

Works Cited

Husain, Ed. The Islamist: Why I joined radical Islam in Britain, what I saw inside and why I left. London, LX: Penguin, 2007.