The Oreo Book Club met at the home of Lakshman Sehgal to review his recommendation of Heretic by Aayan Hirsi. Much of the discussion revolved around the viability of the author’s recommendation of Muslim reformation toward abandoning that aspect of the Korans injunction of elimination unbelievers. We consider the brutality of medieval Christian brutality toward non-believers and its eventual direction through the Renaissance and Enlightenment toward a more tolerant mode. There was hope that, though years and with the help of more information on the internet, that Mid-Eastern Muslims will bend in that direction. In the short term, the book implied that brutality and rigid orthodoxy was what we had to look forward to for sometime to come. Her personal story and development from strict believer to a tolerant person was heroic and moving.
– Norton Schwartz
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