Aslan tells a story. Like many of history’s great stories, this is a tale of love and hate, peace and war, freedom and oppression. This is the story of Islam, from pre-Islamic Arabia through the life and teachings of Muhammad to the present day, and visions of the future. And Aslan is the perfect person to tell it. Born in Iran, he fled to America following Khomeini’s rise to power. As a liberal, progressive, but unapologetic Muslim, who denounces the twin tyrannies of religious ‘fundamentalism’ and Western Imperialism, he is able to bridge a seemingly insurmountable gulf of understanding. With great clarity, intellectual sophistication and incredible sensitivity, he shows Islam to the average Western reader, stripping away the myths and the barriers to understanding.

His sensitivity is one of the defining characteristics of this wonderful book. It is clear that he gives so much of himself to it. His are religious passions that I do not share, but that I can fully understand through his words. But despite this passion, he is able to take a step back and, for the most part, avoid judgements, remaining sensitive to a wealth of opinion and tradition. He traces the history and practices of Sunni, Shi’ah and Sufi Islam without a hint of the prejudices which have so tragically tainted Muslim history books. Indeed his acceptance of Sufism as a valid form of Islam itself shows his remarkable consideration in this historical account.

This is not, however, a history of events, and it is quite clear that, despite his sensitivity, Aslan has a voice and a message. Throughout, Aslan denounces Shariah law and the repression of women which, he argues, have no basis in the Quran, but rather in the perversions of leaders seeking to solidify their own power. In the closing chapters, Aslan goes further, launching attacks on the dominant Islamic theologians who advocate a literal, static and conservative interpretation of the Quran, the corrupt and decadent rule of the Saudi Royal Family, the Iranian theocracy and the reactionary ideologies of al Quaeda and the Taliban.

Perhaps this is dangerous territory, but Aslan is not afraid to enter it with the courage of his convictions. In the opening pages of the book he states quite clearly, “There are those who will call it apostasy, but that is not troubling. No one speaks for God - not even the prophets (who speak about God).” The book is not a renouncement of his faith. It is however, a declaration of which side of the ideological struggle Aslan stands on.

This struggle, Aslan argues, is not the clash of civilisations between Islam and the West. It is not even the “clash of monotheisms”. What literally exploded into our consciousness with the destruction of the twin towers represents an internal conflict within Islam, to which the West is but an observer. This may seem a radical proposal, especially since it is made so late in the book, but it is well developed and linked solidly with the themes discussed throughout. Likening this conflict, for ease of our understanding, to those within Christianity during the Reformation, he shows that two radically different interpretations of Islam, reformist and reactionary, are locked in battle with one another. Crucially, the next chapter of his book, of the history of Islam, will be written by the victor.

‘No God But God’ contains so much that it is hard to do justice to it in this short review. It is at once a history, a narrative, a defence of Islam and a call for the victory of liberalising democratising voices within the religion. As such, this extremely well written book has so much to offer so many people, from theologians to theocrats, from sympathetic ears, to the harshest of Islam’s Western critics. It is certainly deserving of its short listing for The Guardian First Book award, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

If the pen can prove mightier than the sword, I am truly glad that Reza Aslan wields one.

As comfortable with a megaphone as with a pen, Salman Shaheen is an active anti-war campaigner and political activist. Born in Norwich in 1984, and having lived in Suffolk since, he is currently studying social and political sciences at Jesus College, Cambridge. Salman’s interest in politics is often reflected in his passion for writing and recently he has been attempting to break into new styles, merging more traditional forms with punk, in musical collaborations which have been performed live to excellent reviews from the press. His first poem was published after he won the Suffolk County Council National Poetry Day competition in 2002. Since then he has had poetry published in several small anthologies, magazines and papers, and has also written a number of articles for left-wing newspapers, websites and journals. He is currently working on a novel and his dream is to make it as a successful author. Salman was a co-host, alongside Jon Snow, on the Channel 4 children's news series, First Edition, and also appeared as an extra in the recent film Vanity Fair - wearing a pink turban! Always a bit of a hippy, Salman enjoys spending his free time travelling to festivals, parties and protests. A firm believer that the pen truly is mightier than the sword, Salman writes in the hope that it can make a difference. To read a selection of Salman’s poetry on the Showcase section of this site, click here

© 2006 Laura Hird All rights reserved.