Humanizing Islam: A personal journey

Social Studies Review, Fall 2002 by Infantino, Cynthia Percak

Starter List of Arab/Islamic Fiction

Scattered Like Seeds, Shaw J. Dallal (Syracuse U., 1998). Arab-American Thafer Allan "tries to reconcile the pull of his Palestinian heritage with his ties to America." The reader experiences the frustration and anger of the Palestinian Diaspora, from a Beirut refugee camp to the "ghetto" of Kuwait. Revealing insights into the thought processes of the character, from a Palestinian-American author.

Habibi, Naomi Shihab Nye (Simon & Schuster, 1997). Beautifully-designed book for young adults, by a Palestinian-American, featuring a teenage girl, Liyana, who moves with her family from St. Louis to Jerusalem and develops a relationship with a Jewish boy.

Distant View of a Minaret, Alifa Rifaat, Egyptian (Heinemann, 1985). Understated short stories that capture the flavor of life for women in a Muslim society. The Map of Love, Ahdaf Soueif (Anchor, 2000). Fascinating multi-generational love story interwoven with history. The author is Egyptian but wrote the book in English.

In selecting books on the Islamic world, be aware of biased viewpoints. For example, I noticed a section on Islam in the fall/winter "religious books" issue of Publishers Weekly (July 29, 2002). Along with a listing for The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity by respected scholar Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr was the title Islam Unveiled: Disturbing Questions about the World's Fastest-Growing Faith. The blurb included the phrase "potentially ominous implications," which I find alarmist and not particularly helpful for the reader who wishes to broaden his/her horizons. As teachers and students become more "tuned into" Islamic culture, they will develop a more critical approach to what they read/hear/view. Ideally, stereotypical presentations will be evaluated

The Holy Qur'an

Readings from the Holy Qur'an and from the literature of Sufism are fundamental to an understanding of Islam; but is this practical? The Muslim friends I polled about this issue told me that Arabic is so central to the Qur'an that any translation is inadequate. In addition, the language is of a poetic quality; as No Louah put it, "a sea of metaphors." Reading random passages is also misleading, as Dr. Mohamed Saab told me, citing the word "infidels"; this section of the Qur'an corresponds to a specific historical context and does not refer to Christians and Jews. The phrase "people of the book" is used instead. For background on the Qur'an, please consult "The Qur'an: An Introduction," by Thomas Cleary, included in the Arab World Studies Notebook and reprinted from Cleary's translation, The Essential Koran: The Heart of Islam (Harper Collins, 1993). http://www.mepc.org/ public_asp/workshops/quranintro.asp

The impact and influence of teachers, as we know, cannot be underestimated. By investing some time and effort into learning about the Islamic world and exploring it with your students, you will give them information and knowledge that will help them develop informed opinions about world events. You will also create an appreciation for a "foreign" culture that is frequently misunderstood and misinterpreted. Many delightful discoveries await you!