Customer Reviews

Living Islam Out Loud: American Muslim Women Speak

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Living Islam Out Loud is an extraordinary collection of coming of age stories of American Muslim Women. The stories are intense, inspiring and powerful. This book provides an intimate and honest look how out-dated cultural and religious values have an enormous impact on the self image and life choices of young women. The women in this book illustrate the courage it takes to stand out on their own and find a personal relationship with God outside of the limitations of oppression and sexism. This book is an ideal representation of many American born Muslim Women and the obstacles we must overcome to find our place in Islam. Living Islam Out Loud is a remarkable vehicle for individual and international change in the Islamic world.

I wanted to find out how Muslim women in the USA live their religion. For me, therefore, I didn't want to only hear from Muslim feminists rallying for their cause. I wanted to also hear from American Muslim women who were satisfied with the way they lived their religion here in the USA and what they liked about their religion and why Christianity didn't seem fitting for them. I didn't get that. And many of the chapters simply seemed like "rah, rah, let's change this and that!" It was like going to a political rally for one side. I didn't feel like I learned a heck of a lot.

This is a groundbreaking compilation of stories by American women. These beautifully written essays break down stereotypes. I particularly enjoyed Y. Fazili's chapter about falling in love.

I thoroughly enjoyed Living Islam Outloud: American Muslim Women Speak. As a non-Muslim, I appreciated the perspectives of the contributors to the book. Too often Americans view Muslims in a negative, one-dimensional manner and categorize Islam as a "foreign" faith. It was gratifying to hear the stories of these women. Their perspectives help to debunk myths about Islam and show the multi-dimensional aspects of their lives. Their testimonies prove that Muslims are part of the fabric of American society.

Drawn from the first generation of American Muslim women who have identified as being both American and Muslim comes a guide which gathers their diverse voices under one cover in order to present their views of how they live Islam within in a predominately Christian country. Reflections on God, religion, secularism and friendships both within and outside the faith provide unique first-person reflections on how Islam is lived in daily life. Living Islam Out Loud is simply a 'must' for anyone who would understand how these Muslim women practice their traditional faith within the social and cultural context of the every changing, secular, modern, non-Islamic world of America.

I am not Muslim but I enjoy learning about religions different from my own. I thought I already knew a lot about Islam but this book taught me some new things. It is a book written by various influential muslim women telling their stories. The stories are separated into sections based on what they are discussing. I especially liked the essays on love, marriage and sexuality. I learned reasons why some Muslim women wear hijab and some don't. There are many reasons actually, all of which make sense to me. I don't know which choice I would make if I were Muslim. I learned that Islam does NOT allow their men to beat their wives as many mistakenly believe. I learned that Muslim women can get a divorce. I learned how hard it is to be Muslim and Homosexual. I learned the difference between American Muslims and Muslims in their home countries. I learned alot that I didn't know and this book made me want to interview Muslim women here in Canada to hear about their lives.

This book isn't very representative of most Muslim women in America or the issues they face and consider important. I've been a Muslim since I was 10 and have lived in two different cities. Of all the Muslim women I have met, none really cared about being an imam, including Muslim women raised in the US all their lives (that's a majority of the Muslim women I know). None have ever wanted to lead a mixed gender salat. We realize that some brothers do have a rather patriarchial understanding of Islam but we try to change from within the framework of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. That's why we're Muslim. We believe that the Qur'an and Sunnah should be our ultimate guide. Too many of the women in the book seemed to have an utter disregard for the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Fornication is wrong according to the Qur'an and Sunnah and there is no way to justify it as a Muslim. Homosexuality is wrong according to the Qur'an and Sunnah and there is no way to justify it as a Muslim. Hijab is mandated in Qur'an and Sunnah and it is mandated for Muslim women to marry Muslim men in the Qur'an and Sunnah. Somehow the essayists of this book missed these points.

In addition, I didn't find any of their suggestions (which weren't many) to be revolutionary. Asra Nomani says their need to be more women on the board of directors of masjids as if there aren't any masjids in America where there are women on the board. My mother has been on the board of her masjid for quite some time. In addition, she chairs two other committees. Most of the women who my mother has befriended also hold leadership positions and are working, professional women.

Many of the essays seemed like whiny tirades about mistreatment and abuse that may or may not have been the result of a warped interpretation of Islam. Frankly, many of their issues can be seen in any culture, Islamic or not.

This book was definitely an eye opener on how Islam is practiced in America. I found it interesting how many of the authors drew points on the strong parallels between how Islam is practiced in other countries based on their respective cultural practices. This parallel is something that I think needs to be brought forth more often, especially with the youth of America who are struggling to find their identiity with their conservative Islamic beliefs in one hand and their "free-living" western culture in the other. There were some aspects of the book that I didn't agree with, but I say to each his/her own. At the end of the day, you do what is best for you. Only God is the true judge.

This book is very inspiring and motivational in its depictions of several Muslim American women activists and feminists and the obstacles they've had to overcome in voicing opinions that are often unheard or, worse, intentionally ignored by chauvinistic Muslims. I'm glad they came out with a book like this, especially one that is more reflective of the progressive outlook which many Muslims (myself included) would like to see more of.

However, I do think readers should be aware much of the content described in the book probably isn't reflective of the opinions held by most Muslim American women. As another reviewer noted, most of the women in the book are activists working for a change in their communities in the face of what they see as oppressive or patriarchal attitudes. The positions taken by some on women prayer leaders in mixed congregations, segregation in mosques, sexuality and homosexuality, and even women in leadership roles are not issues many religious Muslim American women see as a 'problem' or anti-female and in need of reinterpretation. Many would most likely disagree with these authors' solutions, as I'm sure some of them might probably disagree on certain issues amongst themselves.

Hopefully with more honest and open-minded literature by Muslims like this book, Muslim men and women alike will at least be better aware of the 'reality' of Islam in America which we must deal with, whether one agrees with others' viewpoints or not. Hearing everyone's voice is the most important idea to take from this book.

This is a collection of essays from a liberal feminist point of view, a side of Islam that isn't normally represented in mainstream media. The women represented are mostly involved in change, whether it be of their religion or society around them (as liberals often are).

This is an important book for those who think all Muslims think the same way to read. Whether you agree with what the women say or not--and I imagine many people will not--at the very least it can show you that there are different views of Islam just like there are of Christianity and Judeism. Just like Christian liberals who think the church must change for its own good, these liberals talk a lot about how their love for Islam makes them want to shape it for the modern age. You don't have to agree with them, but you can feel their devotion to their religion and have to admire their strength.

Living Islam Out Loud is a challenge to pretty much everything--from conservative Islam to the prejudice facing Muslims from mainstream America. Love it or hate it, you can't ignore it, and that is a place to start from.