2 out of 4 stars
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The Curse of Moses and Mohammad is the third book of a series of four, written by Kalki Rameses, who was born in a farming community in India. While growing up as a Hindu, he did not have to follow a specific religious book. When the author emigrated to Canada, he married a Catholic woman and came to admire Jesus’ message of love and compassion. In this book, Rameses aims to show how the Torah and the Koran lack this benevolent message.
The central aspect of this non-fiction title is the author’s analysis of religious dogmas and holy books, especially the Koran. One of its core arguments is that the Koran propagates hate and violence against people of all other religious faiths, and it should be banned. The author urges non-Arab countries to rediscover their ancient religions and cultures. He strongly opposes the division of India that resulted in the creation of Pakistan, an Islamic republic whose name means land of the pure.
What I liked most about this book is that it is remarkably educational. Rameses describes Arab history in great detail. I knew very little about the Muslim faith and the Koran before reading it. The author thoroughly describes the life of Mohammad and how Islam got shaped by him. Rameses examines Mohammad’s African heritage and how he was a former slave. Many suras (chapters) from the Koran get presented and commented by the author throughout the book. I was surprised to learn that the Koran mentions Moses, Mary, and Jesus several times.
On the other hand, I disliked the somewhat aggressive manner in which the author expressed his controversial opinions. I’m sure his heart is in the right place, but some claims felt exaggerated. For instance, he believes that all free countries should pass laws banning the Koran and the construction of mosques. He also states that “the Torah and Moses are an insult to anything Jesus stood for.”
In closing, I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. The formatting of the Kindle edition needs improvement. There were numerous instances of sentences that got split in the middle, and these errors interrupted the flow. I also found many grammatical mishaps. Although most weren’t serious (unnecessary capitalizations), the sheer number of them distracted me. For this reason, and above all, for the overly aggressive tone, I’m deducting two stars from the rating. Still, open-minded readers interested in religion and seeking to understand Islam might like this book.
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The Curse of Moses and Mohammad, Book 3 of 4
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