Customer Reviews

War on Error: Real Stories of American Muslims

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I don't think I was able to breathe the whole time I read this book, which was okay, because I was able to read it all in almost just one sitting. The book was very involving and interesting, but I was nervous about reading another book claiming it was breaking stereotypes of American Muslims. Quite often, books of this sort only manage to hold onto the accepted "norm" of what both "typical" Muslims and non-Muslims think Islam should be and never begin to approach "outside of the box" writing. War on Error went inside, outside and around the proverbial box.

Melody Moezzi takes the reader on an unapologetic journey into an amalgamation of individual Muslims' spiritual and personal journeys and the author's experiences with those individuals. The result easily moves into the readers' conscious and drives one to consider how each story connects to one's own reality.

At the end, I kept having fantasies of War on Error as just Volume I of a series of profiles I could keep on reading for days. I expect this book to be just the beginning of a longer journey both for the author and the reader.

When I decided to read this book there were 6 reviews, all of them 5 stars, so my expectations were high. I was very disappointed. I found it hard to make it to the end. I wondered why my opinion would be so different from the others, so I looked at other reviews from these 6 reviewers. I found that for most of them, this was the only book they had reviewed. This leads me to suspect that most of the 6, if not all, know the author personally and the reviews are not fair and unbiased. That irritates me. Maybe I'm wrong, but if you have a personal relationship with the author or an interest in the success of the book, that should be disclosed in your review.

I expected this book to give me more insight and understanding of what it means to be an American Muslim, but I don't feel I understand much more than I did before I read the book. The book consisted of 12 interviews of people the author knew, or knew someone who knew them - and most of them were academics, writers or well off - so I didn't get the impression they were representative of the general American Muslim population. I would have preferred more interviews with a larger cross section of people. The book would have been better if there was more detail about the life of the people being interviewed. Instead there was too much narrative about how great the author believes they are, how great they think the author is, or the author's opinion or thoughts on whatever seems to come to her mind. I found most of this very boring.

Several times the author stressed that the discrimination toward women is not based in Islam religion, but she never explains how this started. For example when and why did it start that women were not allowed to pray with men? And if this is true, then why do so many Muslim countries appear to treat women as unequal or worse? An explanation of this might have added alot to my understanding.

Another thing that bothered me: several times the author emphasized that her religion is a peaceful religion and has no place for violence, intolerance and terrorism. But every time she makes these statements, she also has to throw in the "but" which always involved a negative comment on American foreign policy. Sorry, to me (and many others) that is a separate issue. It does not excuse terrorism. I was looking for greater understanding and these statements gave me the impression that at some level the author excuses these actions. For me, this reinforced one of the negative impressions many people have about Muslims and did nothing to breaking down stereo types and promote understanding.

In summary, I read this eager for greater understanding of Muslims in America (and through out the world). I wish I would have chosen a different book that would have provided that insight.

Update: I just finished reading Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah. Although it seemed to be written more for a teenager, I think it provided a better perspective of the issues of growing up Muslim in a white Christian country. It was set in Australia, but the issues addressed were the same as you would find in the US.

The author, an attorney, was motivated by the events of 9/11 to write a book of interviews clarifying who American Muslims are, what they believe and why. For non-Muslims, there are insights into the Muslim faith and the conflicts between being an American and ethnic roots. Whether these twelve Muslims are a representative sample or not is perhaps debatable, but the message is a powerful statement of courage, faith and compassion in the post-9/11 world of suspicion and the Patriot Act.

This book was received in exchange for an honest review.

I can only speak for non-Muslims, but speak to you I will: you need to read this book. Although I like to keep abreast of current affairs, I tend to shy away from lengthy, dry nonfiction titles crammed with facts, which is why i loved this read.

The premise of this book is simple: it is a series of short, biographical vignettes that showcase an incredibly diverse and interesting collection of Muslim-Americans. The purpose? The vignettes show us that the vast majority of Muslim-Americans are not terrorists but normal people, normal Americans, just like the vast majority of Christians are not snake-handlers (and I am not equating snake handlers to terrorists). The author does it, however, in a much more effective manner than the preaching I have seen before on this issue: through example, she shows us. She makes us feel. The purpose of the book is also to remind everyone that no matter what race, group, religion, gender, culture or ethnicity to which one belongs, we are all possessed of the same elemental humanity, and should be treated as such -- and should treat others as such.

I can't say enough to recommend this book. The writing is simple yet elegant, easy to read yet resonant. It moved me. Read it.

I'm generally wary of books dealing with religion as I find the writing too obtuse or the books themselves nothing more than thinly-veiled polemics. Yet I was drawn to Ms. Moezzi's book by the clever title and beautiful cover art and I'm glad I took the time to read it.

War on Error is a collection of 12 interviews with a variety of Muslims - from the non-practicing "cultural" Muslim to the hijab-wearing convert. The premise is simple - Islam is not a monolith - but yet unfortunately it's one that garners very little attention. As a Muslim myself, it saddens me that there exists a vast majority of people that need Ms. Moezzi's book to realize what to me is self-evident : Muslim-Americans are just like any other Americans. We do not think uniformly, we have varied experiences, sometimes we are nothing if not banal but ultimately (like the reviewer below me pointed out) we all share the same essential humanity and wish to lead peaceful lives. Ms. Moezzi elucidates this idea beautifully in her book. Her writing draws you in immediately - it's clear, engaging, and often witty. War on Error was a pleasure to read and I cannot recommend this book enough.

Most of the people writing in praise of this book are indeed the author's friends. I know that, because I know two of them and they have NEVER written any feedbacks on anything other than this book. I am not sure if the author asked them to do it or they did it on their own.

Now, my own feedback regarding this book. Here is the background. I lived under the rule of the Mullahs and I know what true Islam is like. True Islam is what was implemented in Afghanistan under the Talibans and in Iran under the Mullahs. Where were the author and her friends when innocent people were being killed on planes, busses and n buildings in the name of her religion? Where were all these peace loving Muslims? Why didn't (and still don't) express their anger against those acts? Talk is cheap. This book is a pathetic attempt to rescue the image of a religion which has given us nothing but hate, death, and destruction

To be honest, this book caught me by surprise: for its potential heavy subject matter, the author's style makes for a quick and absolutely engaging read.

WAR ON ERROR is a thoughtful meditation on what we all seem to forget when we watch quick coverage on the news these days -- that religion, in this case Islam, is highly personal. That there is a spectrum of devotees who you might never imagine would fall under your concept of "Muslim" (no matter how educated you consider yourself to be on the topic). As you turn the pages it's as if she takes you by the hand and introduces you to them one by one. Ultimately, it's insightful while not being preachy or patronizing -- or ever running the risk of boring you.

Writing page-turning nonfiction or having lines in your journalistic book that make a reader want to underline? -- *that* is a spectacular feat. Her ability to cover a sensitive topic thoughtfully and with such an engaging style means I'm keeping a close eye out for her next one.

This book is written by a courageous author with her own distinctive voice. It is unabashedly strong and assured as she unfolds a narrative of the lives of Muslims that are rarely ever told. Yet despite Moezzi's fiery commitment to her mission, she is also humble, quirky, funny, and endearingly flawed, making her storytelling more human and her dedication to activism more admirable. The stories she unravels so delicately all remain close to our hearts as the people she has interviewed each have unique stories of struggles, reconciliations, and battles. This book is a fantastic read and I can't recommend it enough.

War On Error, what an excellent and clever title. The book opens eyes to the reality that people are first of all human beings, and religion does not and should not contradict with their abilities, interests, qualifications, relationships, and culture. To me, the book stems from the author's heart. The misconceptions that she, and many other Muslims living in Western societies, have sought to speak out and disprove for years. I believe it is a very intelligent idea to write a book on true stories of twelve special and incredible Muslims. People who are American in many ways, but could be stigmatized by the society because of their religion. I see this book as a thesis that promotes inclusion in the multicultural society of America.

This collection of 12 interviews w/ sane, normal, peace-loving, intelligent people illustrates the absurdity of blaming an entire faith for the fanaticism of a few terrorists! Melody Moezzi is a gifted young writer w/a lyrical touch - her summaries at the end of each interview are the highlights of the book. The variety of American Muslims she interviews serves to emphasize the diversity within Islam - Muslims are not a monolithic block of robots unthinkingly following the fatwas of a few extremists, nor are they content to sit silently on the sidelines as their faith is maligned or misunderstood. Melody has given a voice to the moderates within her own faith - great job! The American Muslim Teenager's Handbook is another contribution to this growing genre of literature by concerned American Muslims seeking to rescue their faith from extremism of any kind - more literature will lead to less fear.