Book Review of “American Muslims, The New Generation”

About the creator:

As she has talked about in the preface of her guide she is an American Muslim from immigrant Pakistani parents who has born in Chicago. She has designed up a title for herself “I am s self proclaimed Muslim feminist cowgirl….my spirit is a mix of American individualism, the American west, the Islam that I grew up with and apply, my loved ones code of ethics and the Feminism I think in.” She has posted one more guide “Why I am Muslim”.

She was a 25 years previous student finding out legislation at New York when this ebook published in 2000. She has written editorials for the Denver Publish, fiction for the Susquehanna Review. It seems she has mingled some of Islamic rules with the situation of residing in The usa to create a mild-minded feminist Muslim. From the evidences she provides in her reserve, she most likely claims her 5 everyday prayers and quick throughout Ramezan and will help charity but thinks just modest apparel is sufficient to preserve Hijab, or in judgment day she would not be responsible for not obeying a entire Halal diet regime.

She thinks that American Islam as it grows and evolves will present a model to Islam in the rest of the worlds: a purer Islam. “I believe American Islam is a purer type of Islam than is practiced in some Islamic nations.”
About the book

Hasan posted her book right before 9/11. Immediately after this party in an interview in Nationwide radio, she claimed that some of conservative Muslims have said her, “You can not be a Muslim and think that!” and she answered, “Indeed, I can!” In the interview, she did not mention what was her indicating of “that”, so a glance on her e-book would get an idea what “that” meant.

This e book is penned in 10 chapters, each individual handles a diverse difficulty. Generally talking, it is about the sects of Islam, Hijab, principals of Islam, military in Islam, media and Islam, feminism, reform, rising up in The usa, and politics.
This ebook is neither autobiography, despite the fact that in narrating the predicament of Muslims her activities are conspicuous, nor is it a historical clarification about enhancement of Islam, though it contains some track record from some troubles to get a thoroughly stranger American audience much more acquainted with Islam. In this respect, her encounters illustrate how it is like to be young Muslim and are living in The usa. For instance, when she prefers to say the waiter in a restaurant that she has allergy to pork, instead than say she keeps religious diet, she indicates that even at present it is someway odd for an American to experience unheard of problems, which he would contemplate as unnatural.

She tries to suitable some misconceptions in American minds. She makes an attempt to make People in america believe that that what a single Muslim does cannot be produced to all of Muslims. If a Muslim does terroristic steps it does not signify that all of them have belligerent ideology. She attempts to tell that the picture of oppressed Muslim gals in the minds of the American is not proper, in proving her declare she exemplifies herself as a feminine Muslim scholar with feministic suggestions who is dwelling freely.

In correcting Us residents mind, at times she can make an effort to optimist their mindset and transform what they had now believed. She says that Jihad does indicate a wrestle and generally “inner battle to improve one’s belief against corrupting and anti-Islamic forces” (p.49) According to her, this meaning is shown in Quran and everyday living of Prophet of Islam, so it is not a holy war towards all Individuals. It is clear that she herself struggles to soften Islamic principles to introduce them quite light.

She delivers a different topic to get a prevalent sense concerning People and Islamic rules and emphasizes similarities involving these two. She claims “Islam was established on the exact rules and strategies the United States was.” In her desire to integrate with a common faith she says that as “western tradition and Judeo-Christian ethic are described by a perception in one particular God, also the major belief of Islam” it is superior to take into account” Judeo-Christian-Islamic”
She describes the difference of becoming Muslim and dwelling in The usa in contrast to other nations around the world in this way “American Muslims don’t have the cultural guidance process most Muslims all about the world have. Each and every Islamic region has its very own set of Quranic interpretations, even a group of teachers that set all those interpretations, identified as the ulema. Right here in the Unites States, Muslims are mostly traveling blind, even though we do have a countrywide Fiqh Council, made by and consisting of some American Muslim leaders… Nevertheless, we need to build our individual assist methods to do with our new strategies to the Quran.” (P. 132)

About politics, she thinks that a key involvement in American politics is electing Muslim congressional consultant. And the reason why Muslims do not take element eagerly in politics in her view is “for the reason that they are disturbed by frustrating U.S. coverage versus Muslims, specially the implicit lack of assistance for Palestinians.” (P.152) Then she continues with the actions of Muslim establishments like AMA, MPAC and AMC not to go away a disappointing picture in this portion.

Criticism and analysis

In accordance to Hasan”… this e book is about other Muslims like me, who are living as American and Muslim and figuring out their spirit and id as we go alongside.” Her assert that her e-book is about approximately 6 million other Muslims who live in The usa and all are like her is suspected. I feel as there are so many interpretations, ideologies and lifestyles similar to Islam in the United States, it is a huge venture to consider that all of them believe like her or even live in the instances like hers, mainly because managing with minorities is distinct in various components of The us.

What I can say at 1st is that I consider that the title of this ebook, “American Muslims”, is not appropriate at all. Hasan is a youthful Girl who narrates her individual notion of Islam and so she is not permitted, to my perspective, to create what she thinks to all Muslims who are living in The united states.

The 2nd issue I observed is that as young and unexercised as she is, she are unable to photograph a right and multi dimension perspective of Islam. Her track record shows that she has no prophecy in studying Islam to judge if what American Muslims do is in accordance to Islam or not, even though it is noticeable that she has had a look at Quran at least. For illustration, she believes that Hijab (head masking) according to holy Quran and prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) is not important for women except in praying time. In her watch, it suffices for ladies just to gown modestly.

The other weak place I recognized was that her statements are quite standard, I suggest with no specifying the this means of her terminology (like “modestly” in gals attire or “feminism” in her concept) and on the other hand, she statements something with no offering proof and reference for that. When she narrates some sentence from Quran, she does not specify exactly where she has study it. For occasion, she mentions, “In reality, Islam is actually meant to be practiced and interpreted by every single individual and not handed down by a Pope-like determine. It suggests so in the Quran.”

Recommendation

So I feel what she has penned in her guide is just her place of view about Islam and are unable to be relied on. It is pretty individual, a fully own narrative. Even from the cover photo that is the image of the author it can be guessed how personalized it might be! As a result, whilst it is fascinating to know how a youthful Muslim girl thinks in the times right before 9/11, reading this reserve for a different Muslim who now knows about Islam and at the similar time may well be in disagreement with the author may be uninteresting.