Book Critique of “American Muslims, The New Era”

About the author:

As she has stated in the preface of her book she is an American Muslim from immigrant Pakistani parents who has born in Chicago. She has made 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 spouse and children code of ethics and the Feminism I believe that in.” She has published a different reserve “Why I am Muslim”.

She was a 25 years aged student finding out regulation at New York when this ebook printed in 2000. She has published editorials for the Denver Write-up, fiction for the Susquehanna Evaluation. It appears she has mingled some of Islamic rules with the situation of residing in The usa to generate a light-minded feminist Muslim. From the evidences she delivers in her e book, she probably says her 5 everyday prayers and rapid through Ramezan and assists charity but thinks just modest apparel is sufficient to help you save Hijab, or in judgment working day she would not be responsible for not obeying a entire Halal food plan.

She thinks that American Islam as it grows and evolves will supply a product to Islam in the rest of the worlds: a purer Islam. “I consider American Islam is a purer type of Islam than is practiced in some Islamic countries.”
About the e-book

Hasan printed her guide just before 9/11. After this event in an interview in National radio, she explained that some of conservative Muslims have mentioned her, “You are not able to be a Muslim and believe that!” and she answered, “Indeed, I can!” In the interview, she did not mention what was her that means of “that”, so a glance on her reserve would get an concept what “that” meant.

This reserve is penned in 10 chapters, every handles a unique issue. Generally talking, it is about the sects of Islam, Hijab, principals of Islam, navy in Islam, media and Islam, feminism, reform, escalating up in America, and politics.
This ebook is neither autobiography, though in narrating the condition of Muslims her experiences are conspicuous, nor is it a historical explanation about improvement of Islam, although it is made up of some history from some concerns to get a absolutely stranger American viewers far more common with Islam. In this regard, her activities illustrate how it is like to be younger Muslim and stay in The usa. For occasion, when she prefers to say the waiter in a restaurant that she has allergy to pork, fairly than say she keeps religious food plan, she indicates that even presently it is by some means odd for an American to face uncommon difficulties, which he would think about as unnatural.

She attempts to appropriate some misconceptions in American minds. She makes an attempt to make Americans believe that what 1 Muslim does cannot be generated to all of Muslims. If a Muslim does terroristic steps it does not necessarily mean that all of them have belligerent ideology. She attempts to inform that the picture of oppressed Muslim females in the minds of the American is not right, in proving her claim she exemplifies herself as a woman Muslim college student with feministic suggestions who is residing freely.

In correcting Individuals thoughts, sometimes she can make an exertion to optimist their angle and change what they had previously considered. She says that Jihad does mean a wrestle and generally “inner wrestle to reinforce one’s perception in opposition to corrupting and anti-Islamic forces” (p.49) In accordance to her, this that means is proven in Quran and lifestyle of Prophet of Islam, so it is not a holy war versus all People. It is evident that she herself struggles to soften Islamic principles to introduce them quite gentle.

She brings a further subject matter to get a prevalent perception concerning Individuals and Islamic concepts and emphasizes similarities involving these two. She claims “Islam was launched on the very same ideas and concepts the United States was.” In her want to integrate with a popular religion she states that as “western culture and Judeo-Christian ethic are defined by a belief in one God, also the big belief of Islam” it is superior to take into consideration” Judeo-Christian-Islamic”
She describes the distinction of being Muslim and dwelling in The united states in distinction to other international locations in this way “American Muslims don’t have the cultural aid process most Muslims all about the planet have. Each individual Islamic country has its very own established of Quranic interpretations, even a group of teachers that set those people interpretations, named the ulema. Below in the Unites States, Muslims are typically traveling blind, although we do have a countrywide Fiqh Council, produced by and consisting of some American Muslim leaders… However, we need to create our own help techniques to do with our new ways to the Quran.” (P. 132)

Relating to politics, she thinks that a key involvement in American politics is electing Muslim congressional consultant. And the motive why Muslims do not consider section eagerly in politics in her perspective is “due to the fact they are disturbed by overwhelming U.S. policy against Muslims, primarily the implicit lack of support for Palestinians.” (P.152) Then she proceeds with the pursuits of Muslim institutions like AMA, MPAC and AMC not to leave a disappointing image in this component.

Criticism and evaluation

According to Hasan”… this book is about other Muslims like me, who are living as American and Muslim and figuring out their spirit and identity as we go together.” Her assert that her guide is about virtually 6 million other Muslims who live in The usa and all are like her is suspected. I believe as there are so quite a few interpretations, ideologies and lifestyles relevant to Islam in the United States, it is a massive venture to believe that all of them feel like her or even are living in the instances like hers, due to the fact treating with minorities is distinctive in different areas of The usa.

What I can say at first is that I imagine that the title of this e book, “American Muslims”, is not suitable at all. Hasan is a young Woman who narrates her possess notion of Islam and so she is not permitted, to my look at, to produce what she thinks to all Muslims who are living in The united states.

The second position I observed is that as youthful and unexercised as she is, she are not able to photograph a correct and multi dimension perspective of Islam. Her background shows that she has no prophecy in learning Islam to judge if what American Muslims do is according to Islam or not, whilst it is obvious that she has experienced a look at Quran at the very least. For case in point, she believes that Hijab (head covering) according to holy Quran and prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) is not essential for women besides in praying time. In her see, it suffices for women just to costume modestly.

The other weak position I comprehended was that her statements are really general, I suggest without the need of specifying the that means of her terminology (like “modestly” in females attire or “feminism” in her strategy) and on the other hand, she claims a thing devoid of offering proof and reference for that. When she narrates some sentence from Quran, she does not specify in which she has browse it. For occasion, she mentions, “In truth of the matter, Islam is genuinely meant to be practiced and interpreted by each individual unique and not handed down by a Pope-like figure. It suggests so in the Quran.”

Recommendation

So I think what she has written in her e book is just her point of look at about Islam and can not be relied on. It is incredibly personalized, a entirely personalized narrative. Even from the deal with picture that is the image of the author it can be guessed how own it may possibly be! For that reason, whilst it is attention-grabbing to know how a youthful Muslim woman thinks in the times ahead of 9/11, looking through this book for an additional Muslim who previously understands about Islam and at the very same time could be in disagreement with the writer may well be boring.