Category Archives: Obscurantism

This is a guest post by Amjad Khan

The Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA), which is in fact a front for Salafists and Islamists to promote bigotry dressed as dogma, has also produced a response to the now infamous Tom Holland documentary ‘Islam –The Untold Story’. It is, however, poorly constructed, highly personal and completely misses the point.

There is something quite depressing about the way Muslim activists type respond to anything Islam related that isn’t a glowing tribute to the wonder and beauty of it. Objectivity and rational reasoning based on standard methodology used by historians just isn’t welcome and those who try will be accused of setting out to fabricate lies and deliberately deceive.

It’s almost as if the believing mind simply does not allow for the possibility for there being other interpretations and hence anyone who produces one must be of unsound character and mind. Progress is such an environment is both difficult and perilous.

This is a guest post by Amjad Khan

Last week, Channel 4 broadcast a documentary entitled ‘Islam – the Untold Story’ which was presented by the renowned historian Tom Holland. Holland, who has also written extensively on the subject, attempted to piece together the early history of Islam using available historical resources rather than simply relying on Muslim accounts which, in any case, were produced many decades after events they speak about.

Since Holland came to a number of conclusions which, let’s say, strayed from the orthodox view of Muslim history as relayed by Muslims, he and Channel 4 have managed to attract the wrath of the defenders of the faith. This was inevitable, predictable and quite sad.

However, the press release from the ever reactionary ‘Ramadhan Foundation’ was a real treat. Not only was it semi-literate and nonsensical, it also contained serious errors, something it tried to accuse the documentary makers of. Here it is in full: