Graham Fuller admits the title of his latest book and the thesis he puts forward in it is both "intriguing and provocative."
For the record, A World Without Islam isn't suggesting that things would be better if there were no such religion as Islam. He's also not disputing that Islam has had huge impacts on civilization as we know it.
What Fuller does suggest is the conflicts between the West, particularly the U.S., and the Middle East would still exist even if Islam didn't.
In A World Without Islam, Fuller examines major historical events and tensions, tries to remove Islam from the equation and then examines what's left.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a key example, he said. The Jews came to Palestine because they were persecuted by Christians in the West, and they took over land of people who wouldn't have appreciated it whether they had been Muslims, Christians or even Buddhists, Fuller said.
To see the conflict as a Muslim problem is "ridiculous," he said.
Because his hypothesis is intriguing and provocative, it's also "debatable," Fuller said.
Whistler residents are invited to discuss, ask questions and debate the topic at Fuller's presentation on Thursday (Sept. 9) at 7:30 p.m. at the Whistler Public Library. And the Squamish Public Library hosts Fuller on Thursday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m.
A World Without Islam, published in August, is Fuller's ninth book. A former CIA agent and senior political scientist at the Rand Corporation, Fuller relocated to Squamish about seven years ago.
He said the idea for A World Without Islam started taking shape through his work with both the CIA and Rand.
He was struck by how common it was for analysis of the Middle East to invariably come back to the question: "What's wrong with them?"
The other side of the equation is what are the implications of massive U.S. power, intervention, invasion and intrusion in the Middle East over time, Fuller said.
The book is about religion and power, and how all major world religions have been used for power, he said. Even the Crusades, while appearing to be a classic conflict between Islam and Christianity, was rooted in political, economic and social issues, he said.
Fuller also examines the grievances of the Muslim world in the book. He argues that the West needs to think about them in order to find ways to solve the conflict.
The habit of the West to think the basic problems in the Middle East stem from religion means potential solutions will also hinge on that assumption, he said. It's "convenient" to say Islam is the problem.
"It really lets you, the West, the U.S., off the hook entirely," Fuller said.
In reality, it's impossible to believe the power and interference of the U.S. has had no impact on the region.
While A World Without Islam certainly takes aim at the "disastrous" foreign policy in the U.S., said Fuller, Canada and other countries aren't off the hook.
Fuller hopes to influence Canadians to think about these issues and think about how Canada could play a more successful, independent role in the world. With the U.S. in "sharp decline there's room now for a very independent Canadian policy," he said.
There are even opportunities for Canada to work independently in Afghanistan and be welcomed there if it could get out from under the U.S. and NATO baggage.
"I do think that Canada can have an amazing role in the world as an independent force," Fuller said.
Take part in a talk, discussion and book signing with Graham Fuller at the Whistler Public Library on Thursday (Sept. 9) at 7:30 p.m., or at the Squamish Public Library Thursday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. Admission is a $10 donation to the Whistler Forum at the door.
