Being Muslim (Groundwork Guides)
Adult/High School—This balanced, concise book is an excellent resource for social studies or debate class. Siddiqui explores the current political, religious, and secular aspects of being a member of the world's fastest-growing religion. He challenges Western assumptions about Islam and assigns blame to both the West and Islamic fundamentalists for fanning the flames of Islamophobia. Although he tackles stereotypes, the author is not a Muslim apologist-he describes the tenets of the religion in objective, non-proselytizing prose, acknowledging the need for reforms while explaining that most oppression of women results from traditional cultural practices rather than Islamic teachings. Siddiqui acknowledges the desperate living conditions many Muslims endure in the developing world, emphasizing the need to address these circumstances instead of offering them as a valid excuse for violence. He describes what post-9/11 life has been like for Muslims in the United States, in Europe, and in Muslim countries. Sidebars illustrate Islamic contributions to popular culture (e.g., Muslim stand-up comics and hip-hop artists), and the index, notes, bibliography, and illustrative charts are all useful. The author's tone is conversational and engaging, and frequent breaks in the text make this small book very readable.—Sondra VanderPloeg, Tracy Memorial Library, New London, NHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.