this is one book that i’ve usually seen recommended for readers interested in getting into historical fiction, or just wanting to learn about the “middle-east”. now that i’ve read it, i see it is well-recommended for a reason.

Tamim Ansary walks us through the world history viewed through the Islamic perspective, from the beginning of Islam to the peak of the Islamic empire to the 21st century. the stories of very real people and rulers are nothing short of fascinating. but also very sobering. the highs and lows of kings and leaders are explained briefly, but well enough to give us an understanding of hugely complex systems. it certainly couldn’t have been easy to fit everything in 500 pages.

World history is always the story of how “we” got to the here and now, so the shape of the narrative inherently depends on who we mean by “we” and what we mean by “here and now.”

Tamim Ansary, Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes

the focal points of history we learn depend on where we live. if you go to school in America or Europe, your knowledge and perspective on history would be different than someone brought up in India or China. i, for one, wasn’t aware of the complexity and the reach of the Islamic empire, though we do learn about the Mughal dynasty in India.

this book gives us the chance to expand our horizons, to learn about more societies and cities and influential figures whose teachings still reverberate across the world today. it’s not written like a textbook, but rather like a story that contains many branches. and the story is ongoing. in reading it like a story, you can become so absorbed, that you forget that these were real people whose actions and consequences (good or bad) we live with now.

the US imperialist regime has bombed Iran, just as it destabilized many other countries over the course of the last few decades alone, especially, in the middle-eastern nations. what is their problem? what is the their goal? and why is Israel so entitled to a land that is not theirs? people from the Jewish community also live in Iran, so do Christians. so now what’s the point? these are situations that have been a long time in the making. products of unchecked greed and need for control.

one point that i’ve seen many devil’s advocates raise is about industrialization and the advancements in modern science and technology. they believe that without the west, the world wouldn’t have these advancements as we do today. in this book, the author walks us through the possible reasons and counterpoints to address these arguments. there was a lot of knowledge born during those times, much before the western discoveries. also, without the resources of the global south (a lot of it stolen), these advancements would not be possible.

religious extremism is seen in people of religions such as Christianity and Hinduism. but due to widespread Islamophobia and media-propagated propaganda, Muslim people are the ones that get the most amount of bad rep. they are not even seen as humans and their societies are seen as backward and barbaric. it couldn’t be further from the truth, even common sense can tell you that. some of the most Islamophobic people are conservative, far-right religious Christian and Hindu extremists. they are the same people in different font.

The argument between Christian and Muslim “fundamentalists” comes down to: Is there only one God or is Jesus Christ our saviour? Again, that’s not a point-counterpoint; that’s two people talking to themselves in separate rooms.

Tamim Ansary, Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes

this book also explains how Muslim people and communities themselves can hold different beliefs for the same religion and practices. it demonstrates how religion and politics haven’t really been separate for them, though there have been secular proponents, both in older history and recent history. take, for example, emperor Akbar of the Mughal dynasty in India, who expanded his reign, was a patron of the arts, and learnt about religions, philosophy, abolished religion-based taxes. it’s just one example of one ruler of one area in one time period. there’s so much more, some of it progressive, some not.

i cannot say that reading this book will give you all the answers, because there are none. people in power just do things. but reading it gives an understanding, a starting point to gaze into the world with slightly learned eyes. it is never too late to change the course of history and maybe i’m simply too naive in believing that we can change things for the better this time. we must remember that the people in power are there because of us. they get their power and resources from us. we can stop participating in war-mongering and divisive ways. colonialism and capitalism cannot be decoupled, and thus, we must also stop participating in a culture that puts money above people. that means our allegiance is to each other and not to corporations. a lot of us have more privileges and influence than we realize. we’re far from being powerless.

like i mentioned, it’s a book for beginners, and it holds our hand as we unpack thousands of years. after reading this book, i’m inspired to learn more about the various people and cities mentioned. i think i want to read more about Baghdad and Tehran, two of the loveliest cities in the world.

Many religions say to their followers, “The world is corrupt, but you can escape it.” Islam said to its followers, “The world is corrupt, but you can change it.”

Tamim Ansary, Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes