For being a book on Muslim women written through the eyes of a non-Muslim, I truly enjoyed it.

The writer, a Jewish lady, embarked on a journey across the Middle East in search of the truth about Islamic practices. She aimed to distinguish which things were sanctioned by Islam and which ones were merely cultural.

She discusses these issues from the perspective of a Western lady who struggles to understand the why and how of certain things. However, she approaches these topics in a straightforward yet kind manner.

She repeatedly questions why imams, clerics, and clergymen don't speak out more against anti-Islamic practices such as honor killings and female genital mutilation, while still respecting the Islamic context for polygamy or veiling (issues she may not like but understands are religious in nature).

This book was written in the early 90's, and now that it is over 20 years old, it is easy for me, as a modern Muslim, to be excited about the changes that have occurred in the Islamic world since then.

We are indeed seeing more clerics speaking out against domestic violence, FGM, honor killings, and other such issues. We are witnessing more men and women getting involved in understanding how women were treated in the time of the Prophet and expanding their rights on earth to those that Allah already granted them.

We are also seeing more muftis and maulanas discussing the rights of women and minorities and how they can be restored. Additionally, more people are growing tired of fundamentalism and literalist interpretations. Alhamdullilah!

Read Harder 2017: Travel Memoir

This particular book, presented as a travel memoir, unfortunately turned out to be a disappointment. The narrative was rather disjointed, making it quite challenging to follow and keep track of which stories unfolded in which specific countries. It seemed as if the author failed to create a smooth and coherent flow in presenting the travel experiences.

However, on a positive note, I did manage to glean some valuable insights. In particular, I learned a great deal about the roles and place of women within the Islam faith. This aspect of the book was quite enlightening and provided a deeper understanding of the cultural and religious context.

Therefore, if one is looking to gain a better understanding of Islam itself, this book could potentially be a useful read. But it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive guide to understanding the various countries where people practice this faith. The focus here seems to be more on the religious and cultural aspects rather than on the specificities of the travel destinations.

This book is penned by Geraldine Brooks, the author of last year's Pulitzer winner "March".

It is based on her experiences as a reporter in the Middle East, where she strived to understand what it is like to be a Muslim woman in several different Islamic countries.

During her journey, she delved into the study of the Koran, thereby shedding some light on Mohammed's writings.

My book club read this book long before the current surge of interest in all things Islam.

I would highly recommend it for that very reason. Brooks has no political ulterior motives. Instead, she has a humanist agenda, simply attempting to understand what the allure is for women in Islam and what their lives entail.

Reading this book is like sitting down with a friend over a cup of coffee. It is very conversational, not didactic or off-putting at all.

Truly, I wholeheartedly recommend it.

As a Muslim woman, I was highly interested in reading this book to gain an understanding of how non-Muslim westerners perceive Muslim women.

However, I was a bit confused while reading it because most of the issues discussed, such as honor killings or the removal of the clitoris, were completely foreign to me. It is essential to make a distinction between culture and religion. I sense that the Middle Eastern region has very deep-rooted cultures that have become intertwined with Islam. Since they form the majority of the Muslim population, there is sometimes confusion.

The more I study Islam in its pure sense, the more I am drawn to it. Religion has been misused by humans since the dawn of mankind. This book should not be the basis for people to judge the lives of Muslim women or, even more so, the teachings of Islam regarding Muslim women. The book was written over ten years ago, so it is highly likely that there is a significant disparity between the lives of Muslim women then and now. This is why I find it difficult to believe some of the things I have read in the book and strongly, yet respectfully, disagree with the author's opinion. Nevertheless, the author must be commended for her attempt to discover things for herself.

4.5 ⭐️

Brave, insightful and heartbreaking. This description truly encapsulates the essence of what is being presented.

I deeply admired the author's bravery as a journalist operating in a very unsafe part of the world for a woman. It takes great courage to venture into such territories and report on the stories that need to be told. Moreover, her ability to be curious and empathetic is truly remarkable. She was able to understand and connect with the people she interviewed on a profound level.

However, I do wish we could have obtained more detailed dialogue with the women who are not necessarily activists, in the government, or in the education system. I wanted to hear from the regular people who live behind the scenes and understand how they really feel about their faith and the mistreatment of women. But it is possible that many of them refused to be involved because they feared for their lives. It is a difficult and precarious situation to be in, where one has to choose between their safety and freedom.

This highlights the importance of raising awareness about the challenges and struggles faced by women in these regions and working towards creating a more just and equal world for all.

This was an extremely interesting book!

It was published in 1995, and thus it is likely a bit outdated. One hopes that things have improved since then, but based on what one sees in the news, it seems that perhaps the situation has only worsened.

In this book, Geraldine Brooks, as an international reporter, travels throughout the Middle East. She befriends all kinds of women whose lives are influenced by Islamic laws, misogynistic men, and resurgent fundamentalism.

Even though at times she mentions dates that predate one's own birth, the situations remain relevant for understanding Islamic countries. They help explain why the people there behave the way they do and how they have distorted the Koran to suit their own interpretations.

This book was highly insightful and made one extremely grateful for the life one has.

It offers a valuable perspective on a region that is often in the spotlight and yet remains misunderstood by many.

This should be required reading, or at least strongly encouraged. The book was written in 1994. It is highly entertaining, filled with a great deal of research and facts. What makes it even more interesting is that the author interviewed and lived with the people she wrote about. I am going to buy a copy as soon as possible (I borrowed it from the library).

Brooks writes, “because this is the kind of sterile, segregated world that (fundamentalists) are calling for, right now, for their countries and for the entire Islamic world. None of these groups is saying, ‘Let’s recreate Turkey and separate church and state.’ Instead, what they want is Saudi-style, theocratically enforced repression of women, cloaked in vapid clichés about a woman’s place being the paradise of her home.”

There is no room for currently-fashionable relativism. “At some point, every religion, especially one that purports to encompass a complete way of life and system of government, has to be called to account for the kind of life it offers the people in the lands where it predominates,” Brooks writes, with 240 persuasive pages behind her. The arguments of cultural relativists, she says, boil down “to this ghastly and untenable position: a human right is what the local despot says it is.”

This book provides a unique perspective on important issues. It challenges our assumptions and makes us think deeply about the role of religion, culture, and human rights. The author's research and personal experiences add credibility to her arguments. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex issues facing the Islamic world and the role of fundamentalism.

I listened to this as an audio book.

It was an extremely interesting read, and I had been eager to explore this book for a considerable period of time.

During the process, although I learned a great deal, I faced difficulties with the numerous foreign names as there was no written text for me to refer back to.

The conclusion and afterword, which offer comments on women and Islam after 9/11, present some highly relevant points regarding the clash of knowledge and understanding between Islam and the West.

It also shows how this is unfolding in the broader world, highlighting the importance of bridging the gap in perception and promoting better mutual understanding.

This audio book experience not only provided valuable insights but also made me more aware of the challenges and opportunities in understanding different cultures and beliefs.

Overall, it was a thought-provoking and enriching experience that I would highly recommend to others interested in exploring this topic.

I randomly picked this book off my shelf on a whim, and to my surprise, I ended up devouring it within a day and a half.

The subject matter presented in the book is often complex and challenging, yet it has an irresistible charm that keeps the reader completely engrossed from start to finish.

I find myself longing to have a sit-down conversation with the author to discuss how the situation has evolved since the book was written.

It appears that in the United States, for every step forward, there seem to be several steps back, but these are only the stories that manage to make it to the news.

This remarkable book not only lifts the veil and reveals the hidden aspects but also delves deeper than the typical level of reporting we are accustomed to in our society, which is overly focused on sound bites.

Overall, it is a truly fascinating read that offers a unique perspective and valuable insights.

The article is superbly written, presenting a wealth of facts, demonstrating great research, and establishing deep connections with the lives of women in Islamic countries. We should command Geraldine for her remarkable bravery. Despite facing threats from fundamentalists, she had the courage to publish her research and observations.

Ever since my holidays in Morocco, I have been trying to gain a better understanding of what life in Islamic countries would mean for me as a woman. Reading this book has left me in a state of great shock and has made me extremely grateful for our "western culture." It is truly mind-blowing to realize the diverse and often challenging conditions in which people live around the world.

The book not only provides valuable insights into the experiences of women in Islamic countries but also serves as a reminder of the importance of cultural awareness and understanding. It forces us to question our own assumptions and biases and encourages us to look beyond our own familiar surroundings.

Overall, this is a thought-provoking and eye-opening read that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in learning more about different cultures and the experiences of women around the world.

**Title: Veil and the Search for Heavenly Relief**

In their minds, all women are dangerous. At the busy Cairo International Airport in the Islamic world, almost every interpretation of Islamic dress could be seen. The hijab in Cairo's bustling streets protects it. For them, it intervenes between my mind rather than my body.

There are two Islams. Islam is of two kinds: American Islam and the Prophet's Islam. In Turkey, American Islam is prevalent. In the Torig tribe, men wear the veil, not women. According to them, men and women are for each other's eyes and hearts, not just for the bed.

The hijab is a fashion. The owner of the Islamic fashion factory in Beirut said, "My Islam is a cultural revolution, a revolution of ideas." The hijab was the most visible sign of Islamic revival. The Shah of Iran was a puritan and opposed to the veil. Shabir Akhtar said, "The purpose of the veil is to create a real chaste culture where you don't need artificial stimulation from pornographic images." The hijab: to suppress male sexual desires, modesty: to make pure.

Ali Shariati said, "Western dress turns a woman's beauty into a purchasable commodity in the sex market." The hijab and revolution. Hamida said, "I wish I had never worn it. At the beginning, it was necessary to prove revolutionary ideas. But now we don't need to prove it. You can be revolutionary without a scarf and a coat." Generally, each sect chooses a religious thinker of some great authority and acts according to his fatwas.

The Iranian newspaper said, "The chador is a shield against Western behavior." For Zahra (daughter of Imam Khomeini), the chador was a second skin. In Islamic societies, generally, they do not demand the veil from men. In Islam, artificial insemination is prohibited. The duration of intercourse can range from a few minutes to a new year. In Islam, sexual perversion is unacceptable. According to Islamic laws, it is almost impossible to prove a charge based on testimony.

Progressive women. Al-Fanar said, "Bad women who were thinking of bringing change in the world's system." Islam dislikes divorce. The request of the beggar. After wearing the hijab on the request of the beggar, Sahr became worried. The girl's yes. The girl says yes to a relationship relying on her family, and the divorce case becomes difficult. Madness. On the other hand, marrying a complete stranger is dangerous and madness. Gol said, "When you are going to marry a person with whom you don't have love, then everything should be perfect." Many marriages have become bitter because of the lack of children.

My memories. Everyone has their own way of remembering their journey. Some people write diaries and some take pictures. I go to my bedroom and open my wardrobe: There my memories are hanging.

This is a step away from Brooks' novels being a factual and, at times brutal, account of women living in Islamic societies across the Middle East. The book, which was written in 1995, provides a detailed look into the lives of these women. It would be fascinating to have an update considering the wars that have occurred since then.

The book closely focuses on women and their experiences within the confines of seclusion. The author was able to live with various women for several weeks at a time, witnessing firsthand their restrictions on movement and expression. Interestingly, some women actively sought the veil and campaigned for it. In the Sudan, many women were recruited into the army, and the men had to adapt to taking orders from a woman.

As the book moves from country to country, it explores the different aspects of Islam and the political pressures on women. Brooks poses thought-provoking questions at the end of the book. She compares the situation of women in some Islamic countries to a hypothetical scenario where a Western ally has a population half black and half white, with the whites having complete control over the blacks. She questions why there is no uproar or trade sanctions in such cases, while countries like Saudi Arabia, which deprive half their population of basic rights, face no such consequences.

Brooks also emphasizes the need to treat 'honor' killings as murder in court and punish them accordingly. Young girls require greater protection from forced marriage and genital mutilation. Western governments need better laws to address these issues both within their own borders and for those seeking asylum to escape these practices. Currently, very few claims succeed. Brooks asks if the world would act differently if these things were done to men.

Overall, this is a hard-hitting yet easy-to-read book that sheds light on the often overlooked issues faced by women in Islamic societies.