One thing Tariq Ali is not the master of is sympathetic , understanding , sensitive erotic literature imbued with poetic touching romantic feeling.The sex scenes are like a tour of the local greengrocer , we have mangoes a ripe , melons a plenty and other fruits of various roundness and elongation popping in out and out at the most inopportune times.It seems to be a case of inability to stop digging even when the cringeworthy embarrassments of plumed itemisation of every conceivable fauna has been brought to the stale-metaphor capitalistic commoditised market stall.
Tariq Ali is the master of the quip , charismatic orator , documentary maker , eloquent critic of ill-advised imperialist projects and , despite being a committed communist , that intellectual luxury of sons and daughters of post-colonial parents who can give their offspring the best education that feudal money can buy , a staunch ardent defender of Islam and the Muslims.
A quote from the comments is worth quoting in full , from an M.A. Zaidi
Taris (sic) Ali's quintet series is a telling response to anyone accusing muslims as having no culture and civilization. The series is a sincere attempt by Tariq to convey the magnitude of the contribution made by muslims in the past 1400 years; which has so easily been forgotten. It was the insightful writings of muslim scholars that inspired Europe to greater heights and helped it transgress towards the Renaissance.
Sultan in Palermo revisits the Middle Ages, this time in Sicily, an island conquered by the Aghlabids in the 10th century then reconqured by the Normans in 1092. It takes as its main characters two major historical figures, Sultan Rujeri of Siqillya - or, as he is otherwise known, King Roger II of Sicily, and his protégé, Muhammad al-Idrisi, a cartographer. The book is set at a time where the sultan is at the end of his life and is maneuvering through politics insecuring the throne for his future generations. In a cavalier compromise the sultan had accepted the demands of the barons to persecute General Phillip (sympathetic to the muslims) on trumped up treason. The equilibrium on the muslim-christian nexus gets shifted. A peaceful society so far; is embroiled in tension and is gripped with the anxiety of persecution. In this atmosphere al-Idrisi seems torn between his affiliation with the king and his people.
I felt that "The Sultan of Palermo" failed to meet the penetrating and encompassing story of the earlier three novels. The disturbing fact is that in the perverse environment; where destiny is at the cross roads. Al-Idrisi was expected to be sagacious; exhibiting maturity; intellect and in-tune with his people. Instead he is a disdainful aphrodisiac enamored with the art of love than politics. On the eve of the execution of General Phillip; his gravest concern is whether to spend the night with his wife or his sister in law. There are more bedroom heroics than courtroom guile.
As stated , Tariq Ali is a passionate defenders of Muslims from Anti-Islamic attacks in the West from both the Left and Right.The lecture below is an example of the tireless work he has done in many forums in the UK and abroad.
On the issue of Islam , Tariq Ali does display a little ignorance of the difference in reform and reformation.Reform is when inalienable values adapt to changing technologies and modes of communication , trade and systems of governance.Reformation , on the other hand , is something that cannot happen in Islam , and why proponents of this concept are showing a lack of researched understanding on this profound essential , can only happen in religions that have Clergy and Church hierarchies.It is a little disconcerting that Comedian Stewart Lee has a greater understanding on this essential than does the slightly mis-informed Ali , for example in the video below he states Muslims pray four times a day when it is five.But , more so, he states the two periods Islam could have Reformed , namely Iberia and Ottoman seem at odd with the view Islam does not have a clergy and therefore the Leaders of the Empires were beholden to the "Church".The Ottoman empire was characterised by its devolved approach to governance and it even had devolved legal courts for various religions within its borders.Ottoman collapse was its failed experiment at macro-capitalist management ( which forced it into policies that changed the dynamic from devolved to centralisation , and were fought by all religions and communities alike), not any notion of Islam holding progress back.
And for good measure here is Stewart Lee with his clearer , less ideological blinkered , well crystallised view on Islam.Apart from the humour the pertinent points to look out for begin at 2m19sec and 7m37sec.
Bizarrely , Tariq Ali looks to a form of Arab Nationalism , just when Arabs view this experiment as an humiliating disasterous failure from Nasser , to Assad and the PLO as a solution for the region.
This informative interview by the Socialist Review gives a good insight into Alis appreciation of Islamic contribution , but also his blackspot for current solutions and a pining for "Nationalism" that confuses the Left as to whether they should support Assad , in that he cant be as bad as the forces that will replace him.It also colours his views on other Muslim social Justice movements in the region which would win large landslides in genuine democratic elections were held.
One theme that Tariq wants to tackle is the failure of secular nationalism in the Arab world to offer solutions to problems of poverty, underdevelopment and Western military and economic power. On the basis of the first four, we eagerly await this final chapter.
If you are interested in a genuine high level academic debate on Reform that can be carried out in Islam the video below has two heavyweight Islamic Scholars , Tariq Ramadan and Hamza Yusuf who inform of the perameters the debate can take and the possibilities.
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