In One Islam, Many Muslim Worlds Raymond Baker addresses the main paradox of the Islamic world today: the fact of its emergence as a civilizational force strong enough to contend with the West, in the midst of its unprecedented material vulnerability.
Our current democratic capitalist system is close to imploding. This book is the first to reveal the secret financial system dominating capitalism today and shows how we can create accountability to restore our democracy. Over the last half century, capitalism has created the means for trillions of dollars, euros, pounds, and other stores of wealth to move invisibly—beyond the control of central bankers, law enforcement agents, and international institutions. With an entire financial secrecy system now dominating capitalist operations, riches move inexorably upward and accelerate economic inequality, directly obstructing and threatening democracy. In four parts, Invisible Trillions reveals how capitalism today functions outside the control of democracy and how we can link the two once again. Acknowledging the corruption and complacency of our institutions, Raymond W. Baker walks readers through covert financial operations, their instigators, and their impacts. He also argues for replacing financial secrecy with transparency via mechanisms such as mandated disclosure around corporate and financial entities and operations. This book takes the first step toward holding our systems accountable. After all, the very survival of the democratic capitalist system is at stake.
Justice rather than the jihad or "holy war" of the Western imagination defines the Islam of the Qur'an and explains the global appeal of Islam's quest for the righteous community. For centuries, Abu Dharr al Ghifari, the seventh-century companion of the Prophet Muhammad, has provided a human face for Islamic justice as the core value of the faith. In this study of justice in Islam, Raymond Baker focuses on the influence of Abu Dharr, and the work of major intellectuals who have contributed to the Islamic Awakening.