Being Muslim
Haroon Siddiqui
Groundwork Books: 160 pp., $15.95
THE first chapters in "Being Muslim" describe the "toxic mix" of
"xenophobia and Islamophobia" that has swept Europe and the
West since Sept. 11, which, author Haroon Siddiqui claims, has
divided the world: "One camp insisted that it was all about Islam.
The other claimed that it was about nineteen criminals."
Siddiqui explains the many ways in which the world's fears about
Islam have nothing to do with the actual religion, in theory or in
practice. Through interpretations of such words as "jihad" (here
defined as struggle, not war) and responding to accusations of
brutality (female genital mutilation or honor killings of women in
cases of sexual misconduct), he illustrates how political
perversions have tragically colored the world's perceptions and
treatment of the estimated 27 million Muslims living in Western
nations.
Most informative are the chapters that outline the simple daily
rituals, prayer protocols, festivals and pilgrimage.
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