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New Book on American Muslims |
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A new book out this month from White Cloud Press is a witty look at the contemporary American Muslim community. The book, entitled "The Muslim Next Door: The Qur'an, the Media, and That Veil Thing," by Sumbul Ali-Karamali, has been released to rave reviews.
The author combines vivid anecdotes with factual information about the Muslim American community. Ali-Karamali not only candidly discusses mortifying and culturally dissonant moments from the locker room of her high school gym class, but also clearly articulates the basic tenets of Islam. She answers questions that have been frequently floated in the mainstream media like, "What about that veil thing?" and riffs on a somber Sunday school mosque teacher with a mixture of humor and respect that gives a voice to a large and influential community in the U.S.
"The Muslim Next Door" is an illuminating portrait of a U.S. ethnic community that, while seeming to occupy the national debate, has had infrequent opportunities to define itself on its own terms.
Posted on September 19, 2008
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