As I went through the concept text of the book on mohammedanism in detail again, in preparation for translating it into English, the feeling crept up on me that the text was missing something of vital importance. The readers of that website (verenoflood.nu) are for the most part people who are somewhat to very critical of the teachings of Muhammad. A large number of them are even atheists. With this book, however, I expressly want to reach other readers as well. Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, atheists, and yes even Muslims I want to encourage to look critically at the teachings of Muhammad especially on the basis of the content of the Qu’ran.
In the framework of study for earlier books and articles I wrote about the theory and practice of Islam, I also read some books and online texts in the past sixteen years, written by Muslims who were critical to very critical of aspects of Islam, but did not want to distance themselves from the teachings of Muhammad as such. These people, mostly women, were remarkably explicit about the reason: they didn’t want to hurt their parents, especially their mother.
Abrahamic Religions
However, I distanced myself from my parents’ religion when I was 13 or 14 years old. At an age when, in general, one cares less about one’s own parents’ feelings than adults do. The moment I looked again at the first paragraph of Part I of this book in progress, the first penny dropped. In that paragraph I emphasized that I –though atheist– judged Christianity quite differently despite similarities with the teachings of Muhammad. My own farewell to Christianity, however, did not follow an analysis of the Bible; and certainly not an analysis as thorough and critical as the one I had already carried out on the Qu’ran.
A ‘cultural catholic’ writing about ‘cultural muslims’
So one could label me as a ‘cultural Catholic’. And now, through this book, I am actually asking ‘cultural Muslims’ who read it, to critically examine the foundation of their religion. Such a request cannot possibly be well received if I do not also critically discuss the foundation of my parents’ religion. Critically and above all: just as explicitly.
After this penny dropped, I delved into the contents of the Bible and oriented myself towards Judaism.
Link to that complete preface of the book 49:49 prepublished on my Academia account.
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