Jihad of the Soul: Singlehood and the Search for Love in Muslim America
A bold look at a number of taboo subjects; cross-cultural/cross-racial romance, sex, religious/gender performance pressures, discomfort with Muslims of the opposite sex, etc.... El-Amin Naeem's book is original, highly engaging and extremely valuable. Before we can get a theoretical handle on what is going on in this very diverse community, we are going to need more ethnographies like Jihad of the Soul. --Dr. Carolyn Rouse, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Princeton UniversityTaking us deep into the thoughts and lives of young Muslim Americans, Zarinah El-Amin Naeem weaves together a powerful, refreshing, and intimate narrative, in their words, about the challenges they face in understanding their own souls, and in searching for their soul mate. The reader is bound to appreciate the gap that the book fills by way of redirecting our attention away from the current ill-conceived and socio-political driven scrutiny of Muslim youth towards a more humane, and human-centered examination of the youth as being unique, and special as they come of age in post 9-11 America. --Altaf Husain, Ph.D. Howard UniversityA landmark publication which discusses in a scholarly manner, contemporary challenges that single American Muslims face in regards to marriage. Definitely an eye opener for those who seek to promote healthy marriages within the American Muslim community. --Dawud Walid, Executive Director of Council on American Islamic Relations- Michigan