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Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation

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I finished this book the week before CNN began to air their three night special entitled "God's Warriors." If you haven't made time to watch God's Warriors for the 6 hour duration, you should. If you haven't read Eboo Patel's book, Acts of Faith - The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation,you must.

Religious fundamentalism continues to be the spawning grounds for extremism that continues to ravage the soul of mankind. It is through the efforts of Eboo Patel and the InterFaith Youth Core (www.IFYC.org), that young adults from all faith persuasions are challenged to learn to live with one another, in collaborative harmony.

The book recounts Patel's personal struggle with forging and cherishing his Muslim identity and faith, as an American, and then launching the InterFaith Youth Core as his vehicle for creating pluralistic understanding within the next generation of young adults who will become the leaders of our world. This book is about how one man decided to become part of the international interfaith youth movement.

As Patel says, "In a world where the forces that seek to divide us are strong, I came to one conclusion: We have to save each other. It's the only way to save ourselves." P. 180

This book chronicles how Eboo Patel came to participate in the movement of religious pluralism. In his own words, "Movements re-create the world. A movement is a growing group of people who believe so deeply in a new possibility that they participate in making it a reality. They won't all meet. They won't even know everybody else's names. But somehow, they all have the feeling that people on the other side of the city or country or the world believe in the same idea, burn with the same passion, and are taking risks for the same dream." P. 181.

What's the meaning of this term "pluralism" from Patel's standpoint? He writes, "To see the other side, to defend another people, not despite your tradition but because of it, is the heart of pluralism." P. 179.

In a world threatened and fractured by the isolationist requirements of religious fundamentalism and extremism, pluralism possesses the essential antidote. In Patels' words:

"America is a nation that has constantly been rejuvenated by immigrants. For centuries, they have added new notes to the American song." P. 176.

"The waters of faith, says one scholar, are so clear that they pick up the colors of the rocks they flow over." P. 176

"Violence committed in the name of a religion is really violence emanating from the heart of a particular interpreter." P. 141.

"Apartheid in South Africa was a violation of the spiritual principles of human togetherness." P. 116.

In an interview with the Dalai Lama, he said: "Religions must dialogue, but even more, they must come together to serve others. Service is the most important. And common values, finding common values between different religions. And as you study the other religions, you must learn more about your own and believe more in your own." P. 96.

"I realized that it was precisely because of America's glaring imperfections that I should seek to participate in its progress, carve a place in its promise, and play a role in its possibility. And at its heart and at its best, America was about pluralism." P. 89.

A wonderful book. A guy I would like to meet. Consider joining Eboo and the Interfaith Youth Core at their convention in Chicago this fall entitled "Crossing The Faith Line" October 28th - 30th 2007

Bill Dahl
Author, Creator, Editor
http://www.ThePorpoiseDivingLife.com

As the Director of the Center for Global Engagement at Northwestern University, I am always on the look out for books that help young people make sense of their place in the world and their potential to create meaningful change.

What I felt the strongest connection to in Acts of Faith was Eboo's sense - which I felt throughout the book - that by exploring the intersection of one's own story and the legacy or history of the stories of which it is a part, each of us might better understand the potential of our own moment. Even more, each of us might be better able to access that potential and make it real.

What I believe Eboo has come across - in this book and with IFYC more widely - is nothing less than a deep truth of human nature - that not only does our sense of self impact our impact on the world, but that by working to strengthen, round out and challenge that sense of self, we better enable everyone to contribute their unique assets, potentials, and perspectives to improving our shared future.

What I've better come to understand after reading this is that what Patel calls "pluralism", the Center for Global Engagement calls "collaboration across borders," but it amounts to the same thing: a deep belief in the potential of the space we all share to make of this world all that it can be.

Highly recommended for the young social entrepreneur, volunteer, or humanitarian on your list!

I read this through in one sitting - couldn't put it down. In a time when the West is obsessed with Muslim integration & violent extremism, Patel provides sharp insight into the best solutions.

Acts of Faith is a unique, compelling, and important story that reframes the dialogue about youth and religion. Instead of the usual fare of games, friends, fundraisers, and trips that characterize too much religious youth work, Patel reminds us of the critical, urgent need to engage young people as change agents for creating a more civil and vibrant society.

Patel also reframes the debate about pluralism to show that bringing together young people from diverse religious traditions to engage in service together does not undermine their own religious identity, but actually (almost paradoxically) reinforces and deepens it. Everyone who cares about today's generation of young people--whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, something else, or none of the above--will be absorbed in Patel's story and challenged by his message.

This book is for anyone interested in understanding the world we live in today. Here is a beautifully written explanation of what seperates mainstream American Muslims from the extemists that dominate the news today. If voices like Mr.Patel's can be heard there would be less fear and apprehension and a greater understanding and appreciation of one of the fastest growing segments of the American population. His search for religious plurality rather than hatred is a must read. I hope it gets the attention it deserves!

This is a magnificent book. Many people identify major problems now facing humanity. Some people offer solutions. A few, take practical, positive steps to fix the problems. Eboo Patel is in the third category. He is building bridges from religious intolerance to understanding and acceptance. This easy-to-read, personal and heartwarming story should be read by all who care about the future of our planet and its people. Are you wishing for a good reason to feel hopeful? Read this book.

A beautifully written book-if you are an educator, youth leader, or someone who is at all interested in how religion can affect social change, you owe it to yourself to read this book. I couldn't put it down. Doesn't matter if you are a Christian, Muslim, Jew, Athiest, etc-read this book!

I have tended to be unimpressed with anything with the "interfaith" label. My limited experience with dialogues and meetings between those of different religious traditions hasn't been real impressive. Remaining unoffensive often seems to be the unstated point of these conversations. Additionally, the ecumenical tone is often condescending, as if those who affirm their religion's particularities have yet to be enlightened as have the interfaith advocates. Thankfully this bland elitism is nowhere to be found in Ebbo Patel's memoir, Acts of Faith, about his experience with the interfaith movement, including founding the Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core. In fact, by the end of the book I was ready to give the interfaith movement another chance.

Growing up in Chicago's western suburbs as the child of Indian immigrants who practiced Ismaili Islam gave Patel a unique perspective on the role of religion in society. Acts of Faith documents his suburban childhood, college years at the University of Illinois, graduate school at Oxford, and a variety of adventures around the world. The common thread throughout these recollections is the search for identity as one who doesn't fit the traditional American mold. American or Indian? Muslim by practice or culture? Scholar or activist? Cynic or optimist? Patel eventually came to claim his unique heritage along with the wisdom and experience from his varied and eclectic friendships.

As interesting as Patel's story is, Acts of Faith is finally about something larger than any one person's experience. The author believes that much of the religious violence in our day is due to the isolation and desperation experienced by young people around the world, of all religious traditions. He vividly describes how many terrorists are first recruited during their youth, when extremists take advantage of the desire to belong to a purposeful community. For Patel, the interfaith conversation isn't about lowest common denominator committee meetings with a lot of talk and no action but a movement that offers an alternative to violence and death.

Acts of Faith is that rare book that instructs and inspires while telling a page-turning story. But what I most appreciated is where Patel's story took him. Today he strongly advocates for interfaith conversation and service while simultaneously pushing for distinction among faiths. In other words, in order for a conversation to go somewhere, the participants have to actually believe what they are talking about regardless of whether they can agree on everything. According to Patel, the most effective co-laborers in the movement to counter religious extremists and terrorism are those of different faiths who know where they disagree and yet find shared conviction from which to work for the common good.

I recommend Acts of Faith to you whether or not the interfaith movement is of interest. In a time of continued polarity and separation, often by religion, Eboo Patel's story is a genuine sign of life.

I loved reading this book - couldn't put it down! I heard Eboo Patel speak at a Book Session in Chicago and he's really inspirational! I could relate to so many diff. things in his book. I've purchased several copies and distributed to friends and family! Great booK!

This is a brutally honest assessment by the author of himself and his surroundings. Often, it is difficult to recognize the person in the book in relation to the one in real life. This wasn't an issue here. What you read is what you get with Eboo.

He has articulated his spiritual/emotional journey well enough that it is easy to connect the dots. For example, on p.42, his sentiment about performing actions to keep him from "falling off the edge..." ties very well with his conclusion that in order to save ourselves, we have to save others. Most people don't get that.

Eboo's persistent and clear definition of pluralism is essential to public policy. At a recent lecture at University of Chicago, the Palestinian journalist, Rami Khouri, pointed out that the greatest deficiency in the radical political parties' rhetoric is that they don't have any understanding of public policy. Consequently, when people have bought into their nationalistic/political fervor and voted them into office, the best that these elected officials could do for the citizenry was to implement trivial, non-consequential policies such as single gender primary schools!! Thankfully, they subsequently get voted out and replaced with people with a more substantive platform and better qualifications for the office. Even in non-democratic countries, people aren't so naïve that they fail to recognize the difference between important policy issues dealing with the economy, national security, and human rights versus superficial, irrelevant and reactionary rules and regulations.

Finally, the author has captured and woven the core principles of Islam so elegantly and succinctly throughout his book, that the reader will inevitably absorb a clearer understanding of this beautiful religion - a journey for which the reader should feel grateful. More importantly, Eboo's subtle style of juxtaposing individuals and events from different religions is extremely effective in putting religions and their followers into perspective.