Charles le Gai Eaton
Encyclopedia
Charles Le Gai Eaton (1 January 1921 – 26 February 2010) was born in Lausanne
, Switzerland and raised as an agnostic by his parents. He received his education at Charterhouse
and at King's College, Cambridge
. He worked for many years as a teacher and journalist in Jamaica
and Egypt
. He then joined the British Diplomatic Service.
Eaton converted to Islam in 1951. He served as a consultant to the Islamic Cultural Centre
in London
. In 1996 he served on a committee that drafted the constitution of the Muslim Council of Britain
He was however often critical of mainstream British Muslim opinion, and felt that Muslims themselves should have sorted out Saddam Hussain. Regarding the invasion of Iraq, in an interview with emel magazine
he said, "I am very torn either way and I cannot quite make up my mind what I think... He was our monster, it should have been for us to deal with him.” In the same article Eaton also called for the creation of a British Islamic identity, "it is time for the Muslims in Britain to settle down, to find their own way, to form a real community and to discover a specifically British way of living Islam... This is no curry-island.”
His books include Islam and the Destiny of Man (listed on Q News
' list of "10 books to take to university"), King of the Castle, and Remembering God. Many converts to Islam in the United Kingdom have been inspired by his books, which are also expositions of Islam for Western readers, secular or believing. He also frequently contributed articles to the quarterly journal on comparative religion and traditional studies, Studies in Comparative Religion
.
There is a short autobiography at Salaam Books.
His last book and autobiography A Bad Beginning and the Path to Islam was published by Archetype in January 2010.
He is the father of Leo Eaton, a director and producer of documentary films.
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, Switzerland and raised as an agnostic by his parents. He received his education at Charterhouse
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
and at King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
. He worked for many years as a teacher and journalist in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. He then joined the British Diplomatic Service.
Eaton converted to Islam in 1951. He served as a consultant to the Islamic Cultural Centre
Islamic Cultural Centre
The Islamic Cultural Centre is a centre for Muslims located in London, England, opened in 1944. It is part of the London Central Mosque, having been annexed...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In 1996 he served on a committee that drafted the constitution of the Muslim Council of Britain
Muslim Council of Britain
The Muslim Council of Britain is a self-appointed umbrella body for national, regional, local and specialist organisations and institutions from different ethnic and sectarian backgrounds within British Islamic society. It was established in 1997 to help Muslims, to increase education about the...
He was however often critical of mainstream British Muslim opinion, and felt that Muslims themselves should have sorted out Saddam Hussain. Regarding the invasion of Iraq, in an interview with emel magazine
Emel magazine
Emel is a British lifestyle magazine that celebrates contemporary British Muslim culture. The magazine's name comes from the letters "M" and "L", which stand for "Muslim Life", and also resembles the Arabic word for "hope". Sarah Joseph, a Muslim convert, is the founder and current editor...
he said, "I am very torn either way and I cannot quite make up my mind what I think... He was our monster, it should have been for us to deal with him.” In the same article Eaton also called for the creation of a British Islamic identity, "it is time for the Muslims in Britain to settle down, to find their own way, to form a real community and to discover a specifically British way of living Islam... This is no curry-island.”
His books include Islam and the Destiny of Man (listed on Q News
Q News
Q News was a British Muslim magazine published by Q-News Media Limited. It described itself as "Britain's leading Muslim magazine, providing independent analysis, critique and review of politics, culture and ideas."...
' list of "10 books to take to university"), King of the Castle, and Remembering God. Many converts to Islam in the United Kingdom have been inspired by his books, which are also expositions of Islam for Western readers, secular or believing. He also frequently contributed articles to the quarterly journal on comparative religion and traditional studies, Studies in Comparative Religion
Studies in Comparative Religion
Studies in Comparative Religion was a quarterly academic journal published from 1963–1987 that contained essays on the spiritual practices and religious symbolism of the world's religions. The journal was notable for the number of prominent Perennialists who contributed to it...
.
There is a short autobiography at Salaam Books.
His last book and autobiography A Bad Beginning and the Path to Islam was published by Archetype in January 2010.
He is the father of Leo Eaton, a director and producer of documentary films.