Customer Reviews

The Muslim Next Door: The Qur'an, the Media, and That Veil Thing

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Sumbul Ali-Karamali has written a prayer, and modestly called it a book. It is "The Muslim Next Door: The Qur'an, the Media, and that Veil Thing."

I don't care who you are or what faith tradition you follow, this book is necessary. I use the word necessary because it's the only one that fits. Really. This book should be required reading in America. Ms. Ali-Karamali has written gently, and repectfully, with humor, and also with an authoritative scholarly voice. I can't remember the last time I carried a book around with me the way I have carried this book. Part of the power of this book for me has been in the experience of carrying it with me and encountering the interest and puzzlement of other people simply in reaction to the title. Always with the "Why are you reading that?" as a kind of subtext. I have enjoyed carrying the book with me as a social experiment, and as a way to enter into the suggested topics for discussion in the back of the book. This book will stay with me a long time.

I read a previous review of the book that said something like it was a quick read. I would say, instead, that this book is very approachable while maintaining its scholarly integrity. It provides citations, easily notated by chapter, an historical chronology, and recommendations for further reading. It should be taught. How lucky would be the students of the author herself. She should tour. Seriously. At the least, this book should be required reading in curricula around the country.

I have gone over my copy carefully and have dog earred and post-it marked and highlighted and underscored. I have read the chapters in order and returned to them again. I have sat thinking deeply about the questions for discussion at the end of the book. I am hoping that others are reading this book carefully and respectfully as well- with an open heart to the author's personal experience, and with due respect given to her curriculum vitae.

I am hoping, selfishly, that the author will tour with this book and lecture. I hope that the author will be invited to universities and high schools across the country. I hope that the author will be invited to churches, synagogues and community centers. I hope that the author will be the key note speaker at a long line of interfaith dialogue dinners. I hope that this is a "first" book with more to come.

As a Jewish Spiritual Director, I was looking carefully at each chapter of this book to see if I might find a bone to pick with the author or reason why I could not wholeheartedly recommend this book. There are theological differences, of course, but that was a given since this is not a book about my faith tradition. Readers have to remember what they're reading! I found only tiny nits to pick that arose from my own knee-jerk worries about anti-Semitism on the rise in America. I worried that some reference to a particular group of "Zionists" and Jewish Defense League might be misunderstood by common readers as representative of the opinions and activities of all Jews. But, the author was respectful to Jews and to Judaism and to Christianity as well. I will return to this book many more times in my life I have no doubt. I will recommend this book without reservation and will give this book as a gift to our local library and URGE all of you to immediately get a copy from Amazon or to order it through your local bookseller. In fact, this book should be required reading for all candidates for political office in the U.S. and certainly anyone sent as an emissary on behalf of the U.S. into Middle East. I learned a lot from this book, was reminded of more, and encouraged to delve deeper into the recommendations for further reading. Thank you for this good work.

I found the book to be honest and well-researched. This author is the genuine article: a thorough scholar and a gifted writer. Throughout, I kept thinking that this American Muslim woman is a real patriot. Her writing is enhanced with love and hope and bravery and pride in the American ideal; specifically an a nation of tolerance for religious diversity. I found myself nodding in agreement at every turn of the page. When I got to the last page, I found that my notion of this book being a combination of religious, political and social educational tool, a personal memoir, and prayer for peace to be summed up in the most beautiful final paragraph. I hope the author will forgive me for reprinting it here:

"I live inside my religion because it is sensible, simple, and it teaches good things like forgiveness, generosity, tolerance, and compassion. I live in America because I believe it can be a nation of many faiths, As people of all religions have urged, it is time for genuine understanding and dialogue, not media hysteria and anti-Islamic racism. If we can separate the daily distortions from the reality, perhaps we can break out of that medieval framework of domination and hostility. Instead of working toward a "clash of civilizations," perhaps we can avoid a "clash of ignorances."

This just reads to me like prayer....like a prayer for all of us. Isn't it? For my part if we redact "anti-Islamic" ...that sentence would read ...it is time for genuine understanding and dialogue, not media hysteria and racism.

Amen.

-"For those who have come to know God, the whole world is prayer mat" -Bawa Muhaiyaddeen

As a public middle school teacher I had searched for accessible information on Islam for my students since 1993. In light of American media bias and the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, my intent as a teacher of ancient cultures has been to illustrate the shared history, cultures, personalities, and beliefs of the three great monotheistic religions. Prior to 9/11, there were no books written for general public consumption or as student resources. There were erudite PhD treatises available online, but nothing that could be used in a secondary classroom. Following 9/11, many books were written in an attempt to explain Islam and Muslims to the Western world. Again, I found many of the texts to be either dry historical overviews or agenda-ridden commentaries on faith.

Finally, a book appeared that was, literally, the answer to my search. Sumbul Ali-Karamali's book, "The Muslim Next Door:the Qur'an, the Media, and that Veil Thing", provides a clear, comprehensive and often entertaining explanation of the religion of Islam and the life of a practicing Muslim. I give full credit to her for adding critical depth and breadth to my, and my students', understanding of Islam and what it shares with Judaism and Christianity.The longest chapter in the book is dedicated to women's status in Islam, providing a powerful counterbalance to media coverage of Saudi Arabia and the Taliban's treatment of women. Ms Ali-Karamali's impeccable academic and professional credentials, as well as her knowledge of Arabic, allows her to identify and correct many misconceptions and misinterpretations of the Qur'an. Her informal writing style, with personal anecdotes to which young people and adults can equally relate, illuminates complex aspects in a clear, understandable way. Not only is this book an invaluable educational tool and a primer for building understanding among different cultures and religions, it will have a profound personal impact on anyone who reads it.

So many books on Islam, you say? Well this one stands out as ultimately readable -- even funny at times -- with profound and touching insight about what it is to be a Muslim HERE and TODAY. Ms. Al-Karamali relies not just on her own experience as a Muslim raised in Southern California but as an educated Islamic scholar to shed light on what is not-so-mysterious and certainly not-to-be-feared about Islam and those who practice it. These topics are complicated and can often be inaccessible, but this book manages to be an enjoyable read while leaving you with a genuine better understanding of our Muslim neighbors.

This book has opened my eyes a great deal about Muslims as I had no real basis of understanding prior to reading this. What most people think of Muslims as a whole is not true, just basic stereotypes that have amassed since 9/11. Anyone who has an open mind to learning more about any religion or people should read something like this. I also liked this because it came from a woman's perspective.

Sumbul is practicing the true meaning of 'jihad'. She is 'striving hard' to reveal the truth of the Qur'an. SO much distorted media is misleading Americans to the wrong conclusion as to the true intent of Islam. I thank Sumbul for her efforts in helping us understand the beauty of her religion without attempting to convert us. I invite everyone to consider their prejudices or preconceptions both before and after reading this book. Educate yourselves with this book! Thank you Sumbul!

I genuinely recommend this book!!! It is an unusual and remarkable blend of educational scholarship and story-telling. I loved the author's engaging anecdotes about her personal experiences as a young Muslim female growing up in the United States. Her stories kept my interest level high while at the same time informing me about many aspects of Islam I knew nothing about! The book answered many questions about Islam that I felt too hesitant to ask directly of any of my Muslim acquaintances for fear of revealing my ignorance or offending them by my misconceptions or prejudices. I also feel immensely grateful to the author for openly touching upon subject matter that has been unsettling to me as a female (for example, the Qur'an's description of heaven and the concept of "houri"). I admire her tremendous honesty. This book takes our nation one BIG step forward in the much-needed global effort towards dialogue, tolerance, and compassion. I highly recommend it!!!

My husband, who holds a Ph.D. in Psychological Studies in Education from Stanford University, and I both have read Sumbul Ali-Karamali's book The Muslim Next Door. We recommend it to other readers as a volume that does an excellent job in providing information about the Muslim faith that will help all of us who hold stereotypes about Muslims to break down those stereotypes. Of the 1.6 billion Muslims throughout the world, only a very tiny fraction are terrorists. Yet, since 9/11 there has been a tendency in this country to be wary of Muslims because they just might be terrorists. This apprehension is understandable, but it is not based in fact. Sumbul Ari-Karamali's book presents facts about the Muslim faith and how she has lived it in America that contradict the notion that many Muslims are terrorists. It becomes clear to the reader of this book that American Muslims are no different than other Americans. They practice a faith that is peace-loving, and they are law-abiding supporters of the American Constitution just like the rest of us.

I was an undergradute at UCLA when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. In the ensuing months I was very deeply troubled when I saw my classmates forced to leave school and move to Relocation Centers for no other reason than that they were of Japanese ancestry. It was a total violation of their Constitutional rights and of the values on which those Constitutional rights are based. The stain that those actions put on our nation I feel as deeply today as I did then.

During the 1980's and '90's there was a growing sense of fear and hostility throughout this nation toward people from the Middle East. With the attack of 9/11 these feelings shifted to focus largely on Muslims wherever they lived. Some Americans who had given little thought to Muslims and Islam began to feel deeply threatened by anyone who embraced that faith.

When I saw Ali-Karamali's book in a local bookstore I knew immediately that I wanted to read it. I am not a Muslim but I already knew the fundamentals of that religion, because I have tried to understand the basics of major world religions. I am enormounsly glad that I did read it and have repeatedly recommended it to others.

Her book is very carefully researched and documented. Her experiences as a Muslim growing up in America, the nature and breadth of her education and her talent as a writer have left her wonderfuly qualified for the task she set for herself. She explains to her readers what the Koran endorses and importantly, what it rejects as to how one should live one's life as a Muslim, about warfare, about religious practices and, in her longest chapter, the rights of women. She does this with a light touch and with a wonderful way of reminding you, from time to time, how completely American she is. She acknoledges that there are verses in the Koran that trouble her. I hope that Christian readers of her book will recognize that there are plenty of verses in the Bible that a modern day Christian should find very troubling.

If you want to know what the Koran has to say about issues concerning Muslims as these are talked about in America today, if you want to get closer to the experience of growing up Muslim in a non-Muslim culture, if you are at all open to rethinking fears and hostilities you may hold towerd Muslims and Islam, I strongly urge you to read this book.

Sumbul Ali-Karamali's The Muslim Next Door is the perfect book to learn about Islam and how this faith is practiced by an American wife, mother, and lawyer. She dispels many misconceptions about Islam today and also thoughtfully demonstrates how these misconceptions have come about. After reading the book myself I read it to my teenage sons because I felt their education as human beings in our world today would have been incomplete without the information and ideas contained in this book. I enjoyed and learned so much from this book that I used it as a book club book where it was very well received and provided a lot of stimulating discussion. Because people often fear what is different or unknown and because of that fear can act inhumanely (Japanese internment camps during WWII for example) The Muslim Next Door does the important work of increasing understanding. My hope is that this book reaches a wide audience so that when we make decisions as human beings and voters about Islam it will be from a place of knowledge and understanding and not fear and ignorance.

Islam has unusual customs when viewed from a Judeo-Christian standpoint, but they are not that dissimilar when you boil it down. "The Muslim Next Door: The Qur'an, the Media, and that Veil Thing" is a guide to understanding the American Muslim in today's chaotic world. Stating how Islam relates to the common American, the origins of Islam, the sects of Islam, why quotes from the Qur'an seem to contradict one another, and so much more. To anyone who wants to casually understand American Muslims and avoid cultural blunders, "The Muslim Next Door" is a fine read offering much enlightenment.