I accepted this opportunity to write a brief prologue to Dr. John Andrew Morrow’s Islamic Insights: Writings and Reviews because I consider it a valuable contribution to the critical study of Islam. As readers will undoubtedly acknowledge, the author of this cogent series of essays casts himself into the eye of the storm where he scrutinizes, with serenity and attention, all of the various phenomena, both positive and negative, which have surged from this powerful movement over the course of the centuries.

In exploring many controversial subjects, the author has approached his articles from a decidedly intellectual angle. In my opinion, there are two main types of thinkers: theoretical intellectuals, and practical intellectuals. The first type of intellectual is entirely theoretical. Although he is concerned with providing a body of critical ideas which will be of benefit to humanity through their application, the theoretical intellectual pays little to no attention to facts, daily life and evidentiary material, approaching ethical, moral, educational, and economic issues in an abstract way. The second type of intellectual, however, is the practical or functional intellectual who insists on linking his studies to existing social reality.

While we certainly do not wish to dismiss those intellectuals who focus exclusively on theoretical matters, in my view, the scholars who focus on application make the most important contribution to society. Since most intellectuals are either theoretical or practical, the rare combination of both qualities makes for an extraordinarily valuable individual. These balanced intellectuals are critical because our body of knowledge expands, not only from their analysis and application of ideas, but also through their mistakes and misdirection from which many important lessons can often be learned. When it comes to the realm of ideas, it is the effort or ijtihad that counts, and not necessarily the outcome. As a philosopher used to tell me, “The world advances as a result of aberrations.” There is some truth to that. As this is a prologue, and readers will be eager to engage with the author’s exposition, I shall limit myself to submitting mercifully short reflections.

For starters, and on the basis of the criteria I have already expounded upon, I would like to categorize Dr. John Andrew Morrow as both a theoretical and practical intellectual. As a rare representative of intellectual equilibrium, he theorizes, discerns, analyzes, catalogues, defines and determines on the basis of abstract principles without ever losing sight of the environment in which he and other personalities and concepts operate. Rather than remain in a purely philosophical mode, one which is detached from reality, Dr. Morrow clearly attempts to focus on issues which contribute to the common good and which clarify critical socio-historical issues. Far from floating on philosophical clouds or dragging himself in the dirt of populism, the author operates fluidly on an intellectual platform of profoundly balanced parameters. In short, Dr. Morrow is that rare scholar whose vision can bridge the demands of the practical intellectual with the sensitivity of the theoretical intellectual.

With unremitting courage which few possess, the author deals directly with issues. He does not engage in vague generalizations to avoid pointing fingers and naming names. In the parlance, he hits the nail right on the head and takes no prisoners. While maintaining the highest scholarly standards, he never hesitates to call things by their names and apply concrete details and description to objectionable ideas and individuals, something which is easily observable in chapters such as “What’s in an Arabic Name?” and “The Arabic Language: A Weapon against Islam?” With fearless resolution, he throws himself headfirst into an ocean of social, educational, linguistic, religious, political, ideological, and philosophical disputes, swimming prudently but with agility, without mental shackles of any kind that would sink him to the bottom of the sea.

It is equally important to point out that, unlike some authors, Dr. Morrow does not approach Muslim issues with fossilized stereotypes, prejudice or antiquated, rigid, ideas from centuries past. On the contrary, he presents issues in their entirety without consideration for Western or Eastern “political correctness,” irrespective of how they may be perceived by so-called “experts” and self-professed “authorities,” whether they wear ties or turbans. Dr. Morrow deals with every aspect of every issue seriously and meticulously. For the author, there is no place for vague definitions, capricious interpretations or platitudes. This is especially evident when he focuses on parts of the world which pretend, through some strange cognitive contortions, to seek to free themselves from the imprint of Islamic culture and civilization.

Similarly, when Dr. Morrow addresses political issues affecting the Islamic world, he does so with solid knowledge of the subject matter, free from sterile shackles, abstractions and pointless preconceptions. This intellectually open approach is clearly demonstrated in chapters such as “Strategic Compromise in Islam” and “Like Sheep without a Shepherd: The Lack of Leadership in Sunni Islam,” essays which are deeply grounded in the best of the Islamic intellectual tradition. Although the author writes with ease and expresses his thoughts lucidly, producing works of such quality is no easy feat as they require a rare combination of substance and style.

When we contemplate Islamic Insights: Writings and Reviews, we are confronted with a work in which multifaceted subjects do not devolve into banality or stereotypes. In this volume, the author addresses the most varied topics with the required depth and gravity without resorting to the idly complicated language of certain writers who seek to show-off their dubious erudition. When it comes to Morrow, his pen produces works of considerable scope with a simplicity which is accessible to the ordinary person. Unlike those who claim to be of “Muslim origin” on the basis of their ancestry, Morrow, as an academic, directs himself to a Western public in a Western language. As a person who has been immersed in the West since his childhood, he understands Western thought perfectly well. As a Westerner, the author is compelled or driven to use a certain methodology, as can be observed in the methodical and current integration of statistical studies, standards that many Muslims reject when dealing with key issues, preferring to stick with rigged or dated data. The author’s use of statistics is especially evident in chapters such as “Social Justice in Islam.”

It should also be highlighted that the author addresses, without stridency or emasculating cowardice, the well-known subject of “Islamic terrorism.” Although advocates claim objectivity, the “war against terror” is used as a battering-ram by many who seek to unscrupulously attack Islam. Although these critics are well-aware that Islam does not represent any real military danger to the Western world, they oppose it vehemently because they fear its social and spiritual message which threatens their economic and political interests.

Last, but certainly not least, Morrow categorically cuts down the cliché of Arab superiority over non-Arabs in relation to Islam, an oft-repeated idea which is accepted as truth for the mere fact that it has been underhandedly upheld, espoused, and encouraged, by individuals who are ignorant of the human condition and cultural and racial diversity. This concept, which is essentially racist and discriminatory, and is always expressed indirectly, has nothing to do with the teachings contained in the Muslim holy book. In fact, this idea is especially characteristic of individuals of Arab origin who, posing as scholars of Islam and men of learning, assert that they are the only ones authorized to interpret the Qur’an. Other individuals, who are non-Arabs, but whose ancestors have been Muslims for centuries, have also fallen into the same trap, believing that Arabs are some sort of “chosen people” and Arabic is “the language of Allah.”

This unproductive and limiting trait, which is typical of many self-proclaimed “Arab Muslims,” as if it were something to be proud of, has done a great deal of damage to Islam. Since the overwhelming majority of Muslims are non-Arabs, claims of “Arab superiority” and “racial pride” are especially annoying and offensive because, in reality, it reveals an Arab inferiority complex or tara as Amin Maalouf would say. These Arabs, who exhibit “air of superiority” when dealing with fellow Muslims, are quick to explain their “concept of inferiority” when dealing with non-Muslims. The situation is as alarming as it is distressing. While this group treats non-Arab Muslims with arrogance, contempt, and disdain, they pathetically humiliate themselves in the presence of non-Muslims from the West. As a result of his courageous authorship, Dr. John Andrew Morrow demonstrates clearly and deftly the un-Islamic nature of this mindset, not through hot air, but rather, through a work that is distinctly praiseworthy.

Whether one is interested in one or all of the subjects addressed by the author in this book, and whether or not one agrees or disagrees with the points of view of the author, the ability he exhibits in their development will not go unrecognized.

Héctor Manzolillo
Buenos Aires, Argentina