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Religion and the Cruel Return of Gods is a scholarly attempt by Ezat Mossallanejad in arriving at an understanding of the causes, phenomenon, and the consequences of religious revivalism in contemporary times. The last three chapters telescope an incisive analysis of the fundamental reasons which engendered the so called ‘Arab Spring’ and the developments thereafter in the Arab world. Drawing upon a detailed analysis of twelve major religions, Ezat skilfully weaves together complex vortex of the prevalent violence, fanaticism, confusion, conflicts, beliefs and practices of our times. His approach is non-judgemental, holistic and interdisciplinary. He regards religion as a form of social consciousness, and presents a graphic account of the makings of international terror and torture, finally making a fervent plea for a tolerant humanism, and a world bereft of obscurantism. The book consists of thirteen separate yet interrelated chapters. It begins with an absorbing account of the theological and non-theological definitions of religion, and traverses the boundaries of two categories of religion – western prophetic religions and eastern religions, with a brief account of the geographical spread of the religious population across the globe. Ezat then provides interesting insight into the main features of religions: belief, the concept of holiness, identity, rituals and liturgy followed by an incise analysis of the doctrine of salvation, religious myths, codes of conduct, demonology, angelology, and miracle. Ever wondered on the origins of religion? Welcome to a thought provoking account of a pyramid of theories – theological, agnostic and atheistic. Thereafter he walks us through interesting developments in leading religions of the world: Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Baha’ism, Hinduism and Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Shintoism, Daosim and Confucianism. The high point of the book is the next seven chapters. Ezat has personally travelled through different parts of the globe and he provides an engrossing, first hand account of contemporary religious revivalism aka, the Cruel Return of Gods in the Moslem world, Africa, India, the Far East, Europe and the Americas. The proverbial icing on the cake is, the last three chapters; a thorough analysis of the co called Arab Spring and the prospect of the domination of Islamic fanaticism in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain. OBSERVATIONS OF A NOBEL LAUREATE AND A SCHOLAR ON THE BOOK ‘’During the period after WW II, and particularly in the 1960s, a truly optimistic intellectual cultural environment developed as improvements in education and welfare seemed to promise that society would at last come to its senses and avoid the conflicts brought about by the twinning of dogma, political or religious, with imperialistic ambitions – conflicts that have plagued the human race since the dawn of civilization. As we reached the end of the 20th Century and now start the 21st this dream has been well and truly shattered and it is now seen as impossibly Utopian. Ezat Mossallanejad, in his book "Religions and the Cruel Return of Gods" has employed an objective and philosophical approach to enable us to better understand why human violence can be justified by religious belief. He illustrates the ugly face of today’s religious revivalism and reveals the root causes and exemplifies all that is best in the struggle for secular human rights in fighting for our humanitarian freedoms. Ezat points the way towards peace, harmony, global enlightenment and the emancipation of our fellow human beings from all types of oppression by those who claim authority on the basis of mystical philosophy.’’

Professor Sir Harold Kroto; Nobel Laureate – Chemistry, 1996 Francis Eppes Professor of Chemistry,  The Florida State University. Educator and Enlightener, Secular Humanist, Scientist

‘’This extraordinary book is both a useful compendium of facts about the histories and beliefs of the major world religions and also a deeply disturbing account of the growing role of religions in the practices of national and international terror and torture. It is a clarion call to return to the practices of humanism and reason issued to all humankind.’’ Richard T. Hull contemporary Philosopher, Enlightener, Educator, and Executive Director of the Text and Academic Authors Association