Review of The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf
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The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf is a very well-written, stream-of-consciousness novel which brings to life the tumultuous experiences of a Muslim family in 1970s Indiana. I really enjoyed reading this book and oftentimes forgot that it was a work of fiction. Although the characters and experiences were contrived, I imagine that similar, real-life instances have occurred in the past. However, I never really thought about what it must have been like for an immigrant family who practices an unfamiliar religion in America. I grew up in a large city and was almost immediately introduced to diversity in race, ethnicity, and religion.
One large similarity between my past and the story presented by Mohja Kahf is that I, at one point, felt that my religion was the correct one and all other methods were wrong. As I grew up, had my own quarrel with my religion and organized religions as a whole, but discovered my own identity with God, the world, and within myself. I feel that The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf can be related with the experiences of many people across the world, whether they are in a foreign land or not. The focus of the novel is on growing up and surrendering to a greater power by living a fulfilling life. Those themes are exemplified at the end of the story when the strong possibility of a deep relationship between Khadra and Hakim arises. At that moment when they reveal for each other that they “had a thing” for each other back in their childhood, that furthers the cycle of growing up. This time around, the growing is in the form of a tight, intimate relationship between childhood friends.
Marriage is also a big issue in this novel. Khadra’s first marriage seemed to be very spur of the moment and she really did not give the matter much thought. Khadra and Juma really never knew who they were marrying because they were young and, apparently foolish. Although Juma originally was charming, an eager husband, and a good friend, after a short while Khadra saw his true colors. He was very adamant in his religious and gender-role tendencies which was epitomized by using his husband’s right to forbid Khadra from riding her bike because, ultimately, it embarrassed him. It is hard to imagine how she must have felt when Juma would leave, sometimes for days on end, when he was upset. It was his irrational way of doing things which ultimately broke down Khadra.
There is another example of a not so perfect marriage: Abu Abdullah with his two separate wives. The first marriage, with Aunt Fatma, was based solely on love. She says that she has given him “pure gold” but he didn’t know how to handle that treasure and instead got another marriage. I believe he let her love “slip between his fingers” because he is such a generous person and strives to make everyone happy that he got carried away and neglected what truly mattered to him.
Then there are a lot of small things throughout the story that affected me. One was towards the end when Aunt Ayesha apologized for putting all their children though a rough time with many expectations over their heads. She admitted to not knowing what they were doing back then, but they were young and were too afraid to let the children slip away from their idea of Islam. One line which made me laugh was when Blue told Khadra about halal candy corn. She regaled her kindergarten tale of when she thought bugs were going to eat her insides out from eating candy corn because of the traces of pig in it. The humorous line is “And together they did eat of the candy corn. And it was good”. I like the way that one line can tie together Islam and Judaism together by taking halal food and applying it in an Old Testament manner.
“The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf” is a novel that challenges the reader’s ability to distinguish fiction from non-fiction. The emotions and relationships explored are so vivid that they seem almost impossible to have been contrived; rather the book fools readers into believing that they hold an autobiographical account in their hands, as fiction is rarely ever so human. Perhaps Mohja Kahf is successful is blurring this distinction since even though the specific incidences may have been from her imagination, the emotions and frustrations underlying them are true to the experiences of cultural and religious minorities, Muslims specifically, living in America.
As a first generation American of immigrant parents, I could most certainly relate to the different reactionary phases Khadra experienced while growing up in America. Although I am not Muslim, growing up in a “conservative” household placed me in many of the same scenarios Khadra went through. From trying to explain my religious beliefs to childhood classmates, to rebelling against the “norm” by heightening my Indian identity (reminiscent of, although perhaps not as extreme as, Khadra’s black hijab phase), to understanding that each person must find his or her own niche in order to achieve internal peace with the sort of “dual societies” we are exposed to as religious and cultural minorities. I especially appreciated the episode Kahf discussed about Khadra’s interactions with her cousin in Syria, who led a surprisingly “less Islamic” life as seen through her actions than her “American” cousin. This seems to be a trend in several Middle Eastern and Asian countries, where the youth are often leading their lives under selective Western influences. Meanwhile immigrants from these same countries seem to be raising their children just as they were raised, preserving the traditions and values they were exposed to, not explicitly realizing that their homelands have changed in the last two decades since they emigrated. Although this certainly instills important values, it also leaves children feeling like they cannot fit in either society and may reinforce misconceptions on either side.
Khadra’s trip to Syria was a distinct turning point in her life that came at an appropriate time. She arrived at Syria lost because of the disappointments she encountered in her life in terms of her personal life and religious beliefs (such as her failed marriage and her sudden exposure to different forms and interpretations of her religion). Teta however, connected Khadra with her past, a past during which she had defiantly set up a wall between herself and those who did not share her every belief. This allowed her to finally begin her healing process, which would lead to her find her equilibrium with God, society, and her identity.
A similar defining moment for Khadra was when she stopped wearing her hijab regularly. Although it was terribly awkward at first to be in public without her “old friend”, suddenly having the choice of whether or not to wear her hijab heightened her appreciation for it on the days she chose to wear it, as well as her sense of surroundings and the need for modesty in the way she carried herself on days without her hijab. For the first time in years, the decision of whether to wear a hijab was one she consciously made and thus had a greater impact on her, since it was no longer out of habit.
“The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf” revolves around the theme of Khadra’s growth and acceptance of a lifestyle that incorporates the values of her community and her religion that work for her on an individual level. It speaks to readers of different faiths and backgrounds and forces them to observe our society through Khadra’s experiences. This book was a great read that allowed readers to grow alongside Khadra.
--Ritika Samant
The Girl in The Tangerine Scarf is, in my opinion, one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Although the novel is fiction it cannot help but be ensued that many of the recollections draw from the authors past experiences. After all, good authors write what they know, and after reading this book it is very obvious that Mohja Kahf knows the life of a Muslim in America from its peaks to its pitfalls. There are many of both.
Growing up in Chicago, while very different socially than rural Indiana, it isn’t more than a two hour drive from Indianapolis. I have been to Indiana myself many times and briefly experienced Hoosier life. That’s why I wasn’t very shocked to read of the prejudice and racism that went on in Khadra’s high school. As we have discussed in class, each group of immigrants went through their own set of problems with assimilation, not that they should have to, because they shouldn’t. However I felt that a difference between many previous groups of immigrants and the Muslim characters in this book was that they make very little effort to try to assimilate into American culture. In fact they make it clear throughout the story that they don’t want to be Americans; they find Americans are dirty and have very little to nothing going for them as far as morals are concerned. A good example is a rant that Khadra’s mother goes on when the children were found after playing out side and were found to be dirty and wet. Pg. (67) “Do you think we are Americans? Do you think we have no limits? Do you think we leave our children wandering the streets?” Then she screams at the children that they are “Not Americans!”
I think this is the way many Americans and people who don’t know very much of the religion of Islam view Muslims. They believe that they are a people who are extremely faith based and who aren’t very interested in American ways. They believe many Muslim immigrants have a very low opinion of Americans in general, and believe most Americans are irresponsible by not watching their kids closely enough and being too liberal in morals. I think one thing that I have come to realize only in recent years, which this book helped to illustrate, is that the change in times and culture is slow, it takes time and boundaries need to be established and tested before cultures and faiths are able to coincide in mutual respect. Khadra takes this in with some amusement when she travels back to do her article and she sees the flyer for the Dawa center youth concert and the Hijab hip-hop group. I realize that older more conservative views may see it as a sort of enigma, and maybe it is a bit over the top, but it shows a step in a direction not necessarily toward losing culture or values but Khadra’s realization of a changing Islam in the west.
Mohja Kahf’s book Girl in the Tangerine Scarf is an interesting glimpse inside the life of a Muslim American girl. Khadra Shamy faces many challenges growing up in the Midwest. Racism, at the hands of white Americans which was fueled by events such as the Iran hostage crisis. When she was a young girl, her white neighbors would call her names such as raghead. This experience reinforced her feelings that being Muslim made her different from everyone else. Yet even within her own religious community, she struggled with differences in religious beliefs and values. Other Muslim families had beliefs that were not as strict as what she and her family practiced. For example while she and her female family members wore the hijab many of families in her community did not. Khadra also faced differences within her own family, including events like divorce and abortion. Khadra and her family differed in their beliefs regarding whether these events were appropriate. Finally and most interestingly the struggle Khadra faces in finding her own Muslim/American identity. Throughout the book Khadra faces all of these obstacles with great difficulty, however all of these problems she faced in the story shaped Khadra as a person. At the resolution of her story, she is able to acknowledge the growth she achieved through the struggles that she experienced throughout her life.
The story is written in the narrative form and at times is awkward to read, but the awkward construction is not too distracting. Due to the fact that the book deals with sex, and racism, the book should be read by older audiences. Overall, I enjoyed this book because it gave me a perspective on Muslim American life that I had not considered before. I found it insightful that the challenges she faced were not very different from the kinds of challenges that most children face growing up in America. The teasing, religious belief differences among community and family members, and cultural shifts between generations are all common in the American coming of age experience.
“The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf”, by Mohja Kahf tells the story of Khadra Shamy, a Syrian immigrant who moves to Indiana when she is very young and faces the issue of traditional Islam in somewhat intolerant middle-America. Set in the 1970’s, Khadra overcomes racism and sexism both in her close knit Muslim community and in greater Indiana as she ultimately finds herself as an empowered Muslim American woman.
The Shamy family (Wadjy, Ebtehaj, Eyad, Khadra, and later-born Jihad) move to Indiana from Syria to live at “The Crossroads of America” and work at the Dawah Center. A Dawah Center workers’ job is to, “go wherever in the country there were Muslims who wanted to learn Islam better, to teach it to their children, to build mosques, to help suffering Muslims in other countries, and to find solutions to the ways in which living in a kuffar land make practicing Islam hard. This was a noble jihad.” The Dawah Center provided a close (sometimes overbearing) community in which the lives of both the parents and children are focused around. Khadra and Eyad grow up isolated in school and from children in their neighborhood, though have various friendships with other Muslims. There are also brushes with violence and racism such as KKK threats and the rape-murder of a young Muslim woman (Zuhura) from their community.
Khadra grows up and is accepted at the University of Indiana, Bloomington where she commutes and studies medical technology under the watchful eye of her older brother Eyad. It is difficult for Khadra to balance a social life within the constraints of Islam and the rules of contact with men and what activities she can participate in. While still in college, Khadra marries a Muslim man named Juma and has a traditional Islamic wedding. Their marital bliss does not last long when Khadra and Juma start constantly fighting about how a married woman should act (Juma forbids her from riding her bike around campus). Their marriage eventually ends over a major dispute regarding abortion and the proper Muslim thing to do (what the Quran says versus when is islamically socially acceptable).
Through internal battles with herself image and her religious identity, Khadra drops out of school and flees to her homeland of Syria. She spends time with her beloved great-aunt Téta. Through the pilgrimage to her Arab homeland Khadra discovers herself and gains a deeper knowledge and respect of what Islam really means to her (with the help of a well-respected poet, a noble position in Islam). Upon her return home, Khadra’s new motives and new approach to Islam are questioned by family and friends, but she is now an adult and is control of her own life. She moves to Philadelphia and enrolls in the Art Institute to study photography. In the end, Khadra returns back to Indiana and comes to peace with her conformist Islamic upbringing and has a new perspective on her future.
Mohja Kahf, who came from Syria to the U.S. herself as a child, and is now an associate professor of comparative literature at the University of Arkansas, works at building an evolving character in Khadra, from a girl who felt safety and justification in sticking to Islamic rules and judging others to a confident woman who not solely identifies herself as Muslim, but progressively American as well. Khardra’s inner struggles regarding family and tradition give a deeper look into a conservative religious girl’s psyche when her values are challenged by the overwhelmingly consumerist, secular culture of the United States. This novel is effective in dislodging common current images of militant terrorist Muslims and their oppressed women. Through Khadra’s experiences under Islamic standards of family relations, dating, marriage, polygamy, reproductive rights, and journey through educational institutions and into the work force show people that Muslim women do have rights and although some common Islamic practices seem limiting to some in the west, Muslim cultural norms are not “right” or “wrong”, just different.
The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf by Mojha Kahf should be required reading for high school English classes throughout America. In an age of fear and misconceptions, it clears the air of stereotypes and hateful images that have come to be associated with Muslims. The novel helps give a human face to a group of people who often find themselves confined by the weight of other people's expectations and assumptions. However, and perhaps even more importantly, it redefines the possibilities of what it means to be Muslim for Muslims themselves, who are often most bound by their own perceptions of how to practice proper Islam.
The story of Khadra Shamy illustrates beautifully that Muslims are not veiled, subservient women blindly following a religion rife with ardent teachings of terror. Instead, they are the child on your handlebars, the adolescent struggling to fit in, the student next to you in college, and the woman crying with you over a failed marriage. Their religion, like any other, is not simply the definition of who they are. Khadra is not her religion: she is a sum of parts. Without Islam, she would not be the same person, but she is so much more than just that. Kahf makes Khadra relatable and likeable, terms that are, unfortunately, not often enough associated with Muslims.
The most amazing feature of the novel was Khadra's personal growth. It did not feel rush or contrived, but instead like the natural development of a young woman struggling to find her identity in the face of enormous religious pressure. Khadra initially recited the teachings of her faith with mechanistic precision, eagerly and earnestly reminding those around her of their nearness to halal/haram boundary. By the end of the story, she has progressed so far away from those days that she finds it hard to even remember them. However, despite her numerous incarnations as a practicing Muslim, it is nearly impossible to doubt her religious sincerity at any juncture. It is through this evolution that Kahf demonstrates her main point: there is no right way to follow Islam except for that which is right to you.
This novel was deeply moving and thought provoking. Besides being an entertaining read, it serves to educate readers about the cultures of others as well as their own prejudices and perceptions. With its subjects ranging from sex to death, Mohja Kahf has constructed a sturdy soapbox from which to shout the issues of Islam today.
The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf is a very enlightening, if not entertaining, novel. The novel gives its reader a comprehensive look at the world of Islam. The most important lessons of the novel involve the issues of racial tensions within Islam, the conflict between Muslims of different nationalities, relations between Muslims and those of other religions, and the spectrum of Islamic practices, from the conservative to the progressive.
The issue of race is a recurring part of this novel. At the start of the novel, when Khadra is a child, she is very close with her African-American Muslim neighbors, and harmony reigns. However, when the boundaries of racial tolerance are truly tested, and Khadra's brother Eyad hopes to take an African-American wife, their parents show their true feelings, making it clear that such a marriage would never be acceptable. By illustrating this situation, Mohja Kahf attempts to shed light on an issue that many Muslims deal with, the desire to establish much needed American Muslim unity among a racially diverse community.
Another division in the Muslim community that Mohja Kahf highlights is the difference between Muslims of different nationalities. The immigrants often found the American Muslims to be too progressive in their practices, forgoing hijab, dating, etc. It was Khadra's father's goal to bring these Muslims back to what he considered to be true Islam through his missionary excursions around the country. Also, Khadra's roommate, Bitsy, shows the tensions that exist between Arabs and Persians. A very plausible case, Bitsy's parents were killed by Islamic Revolutionaries in Iran. Another example of Kahf revealing international tensions is the case of the secular Turkish step-mother who does everything she can to break the religiosity of her step-daughter.
A major point of conflict in the novel was the difference between Muslims and people of other religions. Khadra encounters many people of different religions throughout the novel. The first encounter is with the mean Christians of Indiana who vandalize and terrorize the Muslims. They represent all that is wrong with the American heartland. The most devastating action taken by these bigots is the rape and murder of Khadra's friend Zuhura. By showing how evil some Americans can be to Muslims, Mohja Kahf is illustrating the real tensions that still run strong between Muslims and many Americans today. Next, Khadra meets her Mormon neighbors, who are surprisingly modest and kind for non-Muslims. Also, Khadra befriends an agnostic in her more progressive years, and the two debate many issues of religion.
Khadra herself represents many different forms of Islamic conservatism and progressivism throughout the novel. As a child, she is heavily influenced by her parents' strong conservative values. Upon being forced into becoming an American citizen, Khadra revolts against her parents and becomes ultra-conservative, wearing a black hijab and even going as far as to emulate the diet of the Prophet. Khadra eventually mellows out, and returns to mainstream Islam. Her marriage brings conflict between her religious views and the stricter and less-informed ones of her husband. After her divorce, Khadra questions much of her religion, and during her time in Syria, focuses more on spirituality than religion. In the end, Khadra comes to realize that many of the little divisive parts of religion do not matter.
By showing the numerous factors that separate Muslims from the rest of the world, and separate Muslims from each other, Mohja Kahf provides a clear picture of what many people find to be contentious issues in the Islamic world. However, in the conclusion of the story, she reveals that none of these differences are insurmountable. Khadra overcomes race in her budding romance with Hakim, overcomes international tensions by living with her Persian roommate, overcomes the differences with other religions by focusing on the core of belief, and defeats the differences between Muslim sects by bridging the gap between her conservative childhood and her progressive adulthood. This novel speaks about differences, but most of all emphasizes unity.
Lorraine Makone
The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf – Book Review
Posc. 410
The girl in the Tangerine Scarf by Mohja Kahf was a fascinating book, because it marked the transformation of a young woman within the faith of Islam. It was interesting to read about the challenges that Khadra, the main character in the story, went through and where in the faith they took her. What stood out to me about her experience as well is the fact that no matter how disenchanted she seemed to get within the faith, she never traveled outside of its folds – she simply explored various personalities of it. This to me demonstrated the strength of her upbringing that she could not fully disengage herself from; and although to more diligent and “faithful” Muslims she may appear as a serious stray, in my eyes she, at the close of the book seemed well on her way to being a more convicted and faith tested Muslim – who would be able to sort out religious rhetoric from true spiritual fulfillment. This book also constructs multiple stories about Muslim characters around Khadra that reveal other complexities of the Islamic experience in the U.S. The two themes that really stood to me, among many, were the complexities of “race” relations within the Islamic community, and the immigrant experience.
The tale of the tangerine scarf is one spotted with a lot of irony from start to finish. Some of the situations of irony that stood out to me the most were the following. The first was when Kahf opened the story with the harassment that Khadra received from some peers in the neighborhood because of her family’s “Muslimness”. But in the neighborhood that she lived in just before moving to Indiana, called Square One in the Rocky Mountains, she exhibited the same “teasing” streaks that she later suffered. Kahf explains that as soon as Khadra and her Spanish-speaking friend grasped the English language, they started making fun of the “new” Japanese kid on the block’s accent, who uttered sentences like, “I sreep in my loom.” Granted, Khadra in this case was a child, but there were various instances during which the irony of discrimination arose. Another instance that did not stem from Khadra herself, but from her parents, revealed an interesting case of racial/ethnic irony was when the discussion of “Black-Arab” relationships came up between Khadra and her friend Hakim – and was closed by the declination of Eyad’s marriage to Sudanese Maha Abdul-Kadir. The following is an excerpt from that episode, “[…] Syrian Arabs like her parents sure didn’t think black was beautiful. They pretended it was about language, not color […] Then, one day, Eyad worked up the never to enlist his parents’ help in asking for the hand of…Maha Abdul-Kadir…whose color was rich and dark […] His father stopped deboning the chicken, midbreast, and blurted, ‘But for heaven’s sake, she’s black as coal!’ Eyad seemed dazed […] The gulf between what they’d taught him and what was happening – and his not wanting to face that gulf even in light of what his father had just said – was overwhelming.” These situations resonated with me, because it evoked a cynicism that I often battle that leads me to think that though many groups face discrimination, among those same groups almost each discriminate against the “black man”. This is just some of the irony that I found in the episodes Kahf detailed.
Outside of the irony, another interesting racial dynamic that I observed in the book is when Brother Taher, an African American Muslim, snapped at Khadra’s father’s “citizenship khutba” after his solidifying the status of his family in the U.S. Probably speaking from misplaced anger he retorts, “[…] I’ve been American all my life. And I still don’t wave no flag […] You immigrant brothers come in yesterday, and suddenly you white…” This fascinated me because, Muslim solidarity notwithstanding, Brother Taher still saw in Khadra’s father or in his actions, what he as a black man could never achieve. And this is the ability to “pass”. Many Blacks feel that at the end of the day, even when the shared realms of religion or culture allow them to be accepted, their “blackness” prevents them from fully “passing”. This is because the reality of the “racial” equation in the U.S, Latin America, and other places in the world is “how much closer to white you can be…” As readers we know that indeed Khadra’s father understood the “racial” hierarchy (as displayed in his statements towards Eyad’s marriage interest), but he did not understand the underlying message of Brother Taher’s message, “Wajdy was uncomprehending.”
In the same episode that talked about the Shamy family’s citizenship experience, I found it very interesting to see how they felt towards the process. Khadra felt that she was betraying the oppressed Palestinian peoples, and her “Muslimness” in a sense, by swearing to honor all of the things that were required of her father and family during the swear-in process. As mentioned in the text, “To her, taking citizenship felt like giving up, giving in.” This revealed a duality of experience that many immigrants may go through, perhaps not always with the same bitterness that plagued adolescent Khadra, having to choose to be American citizens and inhabitants (or striving to be) because of the benefits that the U.S gives. While, simultaneously trying to preserve their cultures, religions, and “otherness”, and trying to justify doing so. On a lighter note it was really funny to read about the way in which the Shamy’s communicated with their relatives in Syria. The narrator shares, “Such communication, however was rare and extremely expensive […] You had to talk real loud on and overseas call. And you took the phone call standing on edge.” This entertaining episode reminded me of times in my home, when indeed during only those rare and important occasions, my mother, brothers, and I spoke on the phone to relatives “back home”. The phone calls were often unclear, or despite the clarity of your hearing them, they can hardly hear you – hence, the required shouting, and my wondering what the neighbors above us in our apartment building thought of all the noise in “foreign languages”. It was a very heartwarming and nostalgic part to read.
The range of experiences of this book spans far beyond the racial and immigrant experience. Mohja Kahf talks about Islamic dating, eating, marriage, divorce, politics, womanhood, and so much more. Through the simplicity of her diction, her keen humor, and ability to build a interesting tale she brings some Muslims to reminisce or reflect on what it means to be Muslim and/or Arab in the U.S, and reveals the same for those who are neither. It is not a short book, but the intrigue of Kahf’s tale, makes it a fast and fulfilling read.
Mohja Kahf’s book, “The Girl the Tangerine Scarf” presents an interesting view of a Muslim girl growing up in the US and the challenges that she faces along with her family and community.
I enjoyed this book a great deal and thought it had a very captivating story and provided a nice break in the monotony of reading more scholarly literature for other classes. Kahf’s use of switching between Khadra’s past and present worked very well in telling her story. One point of criticism though, is that I found some of the sentence structure to be awkward in some spots, but the overall message was not detracted from. However, I did like the inclusion of events around the world and from that time period in the story and I found it very interesting to see the impact and reaction that those events had upon Khadra and her family.
One of the issues that Khadra faces is whether or not she is an American, illustrated in the scene where Khadra’s mother tells her through tears that they are not Americans. I found this scene interesting for two reasons. The first is that by saying they are not Americans her mother was implying that they were not there to stay, despite being Syrian dissidents and probably “personae non gratae” under the current Syrian government. I think that this sort of implies that they were just visiting the US and had hoped to return one day to Syria. This view provides an interesting dichotomy to other people who have immigrated to the US seeking to become Americans, leaving the “old country” and starting life over, probably not planning on returning. The second thing I found interesting was that despite Khadra being informed that she was not an American, growing up Khadra faces many challenges assimilating into a culture that she has been told she is not part of. Khadra’s experiences in school really exemplify this challenge, since in high school especially her wearing of the hijab is challenged by others.
The book also provides an interesting look at American culture from an outsider’s perspective. While in many books, it is the American in the other country who is shocked and confused by the customs of a foreign culture, in this book that look is reversed- it is a foreigner in American culture that is shocked and confused. This was exemplified a number of times, but the one I found most interesting was the reaction of Khadra to finding out that American’s use toilet paper and not water in the bathroom. It’s always interesting when books find ways to incorporate the customs of different cultures.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought it provided great insight into the challenges that immigrants to the US face. While the book started off somewhat slow, I was very pleased with the ending.
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The girl in the tangerine scarf
by Mojah Kahf.
I thought that this book was interesting. I felt connected to the story in some cases. For example, I remember when coming to the US the first things my parents worried about was learning Islam, keeping our tradition, culture and the family attached. Other things came along like watching out for pork food when eating lunch at school, and having to always ask if it has pork or not, just to be on the safe side. Khadra’s parents had the same issue when they arrived to Indiana and told their kids to always ask before eating. Other similarities between my family and Khadra’s family are teaching us how to read and recite the Quran, and putting us in Islamic Sunday school for Islamic education programs. My mom also made my aunt back home send us Arabic literature books to teach us how to write and read Arabic and to be familiar with Arab writers. Just like Khadra parents knew they could never catch up with their cousins, my parents knew that as well and we would get tired of reading and learning Arabic but my parents would always constantly say to us, “Do you want your cousins back home to laugh at you because you do not know how to read or write Arabic?” This would give us the motivation to keep studying Arabic.
In this novel we see a light view of marriage from different experiences through Khadra and Fatam. Their experiences showed that even if you did not have arranged marriage and were in love there would always be problems, and they can be solved through compromises. For example, Abu Abdullah married two wives. His first wife was Fatam whom he married for love, not arrangement. But Abu Abdullah married again, to a woman named Tante Mirvat. When Fatma knew Abu Abdullah married a second wife she made a compromise to stay; but it was for the sake of the children, and not for him. Fatma sacrificed her pride and herself for her children. I see this type of compromise a lot. Another example is Khadra, a young woman who married Juma for neither arranged marriage nor love. For Khadra marriage was not her first priority, but finishing her education was. Khadra never understood her part as a wife who has obligations that she has to fulfill before anything else. Like for example Juma her husband repeatedly asked her what was for dinner which she had not prepared because she was too busy studying. What caused Khadra’s marriage to break was her insisting on riding a bike and having an abortion because she was not ready to have kids and wanted to finish her education. Khadra was not willing to change even though she knew that if she did it would make the marriage continue, “I don’t think I can stay with Juma without changing who I am. Who I essentially deep-down am.” It is hard to imagine Khadra was not willing to make any compromises even if that meant a divorce.
I can see why Khadra’s perspective for riding her bike in public was not haram, and it was normal and did not explicitly say in the Quran or the Sharia. But, her husband is more accustomed with the Arab tradition and values. Arab women generally when living in the Middle East do not ride bikes; it is very awkward seeing women riding a bike in the middle of the street. But for Khadra since she was young coming to America not knowing the culture or customs of Arabs. I’m not saying that women do not ride bikes at all they do but when a women riches her puberty and she is wearing Islamic thob you would not be able to actually sit on the bike and ride it. If you actually go to the Middle Eastern countries you would not see a single woman riding a bike. It is also because women feel embarrassed in front of men riding it. I do not think I have ever seen Muslim women riding a bike in America or in the Middle East. For me as a Muslim Arab living in America I was approached by our tradition, culture, customs, and values. I was always told by my parents to get respect from the others especially Arabs you have to give self respect to your religion, culture and tradition no matter if I agree or not. So in Khadra’s position I do not blame her but blame her parents who never approached about the tradition, culture, and customs and also reminded her that she is married, not young anymore riding a bike to campus.
Overall it was really interesting to read about an Arab American Muslim girl living in America and the challenges she faced with her family and within her community. For example adapting to a culture where you do not feel that you fit in. Especially when Khadra’s mother told her she is not an America. I actually did not find what Khadra’s mother said to her to be surprising just because I have heard it a lot from Arab families and other nationalities constantly saying to their kids that they are not Americans, to justify that American culture does not suit them and what Americans do they can not do.
The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf depicts the life of Khadra Shamy, a muslim girl from Syria who moves to the United States while still young. Immediately Khadra is faced with discrimination and this discrimination only compounds as the story unfolds. Throughout Khadra's life she is faced with many spiritual and societal problems that are common to muslim immigrants. These problems help Khadra identify herself as a muslim and define what Islam means to her. Likewise, the muslim household is described, Khadra lives with her mother, father, and siblings, and we begin to see how different it is to be raised in a muslim family. As time goes by and Khadra grows older life situations change and we begin to see the full spectrum of influence that Islam has in the life of a modern day, or rather 1970's era, woman.
Almost immediately when the book begins Khadra is placed in a situation where she is faced with racism. The book opens, setting a tone of struggle for the rest of the story to be played out in. Mohja Kahf attempts to lay a foundation and identity that these are the average actions committed against a muslim family migrating into a society where they are the minority. The actions committed against the Shamys consist of racial slurs, beer bottles thrown at their house, and even physical assualt. Their presence was even protested (pg. 42). Although what is suprising is the consistent reactions by the Shamys. Admist all these injustices very rarely does the family lash out in anger and seek retribution for what has been done against them. Mohja Kahf keeps the family doctrinally inline with the teachings of the Qur'an being sure not to present this "average" muslim family as hypocritical.
Throughout this book i felt as if i was being taught the lifestyles of a muslim family. I believe that Mahja Kahf's Shamy family is an ambassador of the muslim world to the American reader. I was presented with information on a broad range of action and emotion from cover to cover. This education i recieve varies from the detailed demonstration of proper prayer procedures (pg. 33), the differences between sunni and shia muslims (pg. 34), going to Haj (pg. 156-163), the differences in United States muslim laws and the Middle East law (pg 166-168), marriage relationships, and many others. The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf teaches its readers through story. It is a powerful force as the book attempts to relate to its readers, allowing them to identify with many of the characters and in turn, allowing the reader to identify themself with Islam. This book can become a very powerful force for muslims in America and Europe. By increasing American and European knowledge and even allow other minority groups to identify with muslims, the increasing bias against muslims, soley on the fact that they are muslims, may see a decrease.
While non muslim readers may find themself identifying with certain aspects that these characters posess, i belive young American muslims themselves can mirror many of the situations presented in The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf. With a liberal side of Islam being seen in the youth of muslim Americans this book allows the youth to relate to situations that may occur in their family life. Situations presented by Mohja Kahf include: social agression that occur in high school, racial tension amoungst different arab nationalities, college temptations such as alcohol, family relations, and marriage relations. All these issues are relatively volatile and have a big effect on not only muslim youth but most religious youth today.
When i concluded my reading of this book, i felt more educated about Islam from a personal aspect. Also, being raised in a religious home myself, i found myself relating to issues Khadra faced, both family and social relations. This book tells a story that many youth can relate to today while educating the future generation about a religion that is currently under fire. I believe that Mohja Kahf is attempting to educate a future society in attempts to break free from a mold that Islam is falling into globally, due to media events.
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The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf was very interesting book making it a fun and easy read. It’s about Khadra Shamy, who is the daughter of an immigrant family from Syria, and about her life growing up as a Muslim in a western world. Her family start’s to get involved with the Da’wah Center in Indianapolis, and has to constantly deal with racism and fitting in. Even though the book being fiction, it seems hard for me to believe that many of the issues, challenges, and other events from the book had not happened to Mohja Kahf in her life.
While reading this book I felt that in a way, I could relate to Khadra, her family and the community. Growing up as a minority in America, having a different religion, set of beliefs and morals, it became a challenge of what kind of life I should be living in this society to be able to fit along with everyone else. Made me remember certain things of our Hindu community, and how we’d go from place to place to try and have our religious functions, bringing together and building up a tighter community.
Seeing the constant changing and progression of the strictness Khadra was going through was interesting. First starting she was following Islam the way her parents and the Da’wah center had taught her, then beginning to go in a extra conservative phase. I believe that her going to Syria was a dramatic change in her life. She saw that the Muslim’s in Syria were more liberal and did not follow Islam as strictly as Khadra did, and that confused her as much as it did me, but I do not know any better. Returning from Syria and through interactions with other individuals, she finally realizes the diversity of how one could follow the religion and that there was more than that one sided view of Islam that she had been previously taught. Near the end of the book I believe that she comes to realize that Islam does not have to be or is not the only correct path for success and the one true religion. I also found it interesting near the end of the book, Khadra and Hakim were talking in the Da’wah Center, and Hakim had told Khadra that when they were younger, she was so caught up in what she knew and was taught about Islam, that she never realized whether if she was right or wrong and that her actions effected others.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I do feel that this book gave me a different perspective of Arab Muslim women growing up in the western world, and seeing the changes in Khadra's life and her adapting to the American lifestyle as a muslim.
Tyson Loverro
Dr. Khan
October 22, 2007
POSC
Review: Girl in the Orange Scarf
I truly enjoyed reading this novel by Mohja Kahf for numerous reasons. Although this book brought about concerns for me it still fundamentally reinforced my feelings that religion is one of the worst aspects of our created society. Although at times religion has brought conformity and comfort to millions of individuals, it also has taken more lives than any other cause in history.
Throughout the novel I felt as if the one thing that was handicapping the main character Khadra was her religion. It seemed that throughout the novel Khadra’s religion was holding her back from a life that she truly desired to have. Along with Khadra other members of her family were heavily involved with religion but also seemed to be hindered by the over whelming burden of acting in accordance with Islam.
In no way shape or form am I an atheist but this novel helped to further my belief that religion can harm the lives of individuals instead of helping them at times. One glaring example of this can be found in the numerous altercations that Khadra had to put up with throughout her life.
For example when Khadra was in school, two boys harassed her for wearing her head scarf and nothing was done about it. In many instances religion can causes individuals to be different from those around them and at times it can lead to those individuals being ostracized by society.
The worst example of how religion has seemed to hurt lives instead of helping can be found when Khadra’s cousin is raped and murdered. Although there is no direct correlation between her death and her religion the idea that she was different from the norm of society due to her religion becomes a strong reason to believe why she was murdered.
I truly believe that the right of faith is in every individuals hands, but the dogma of today’s religions have seemed to take away from individuals faith. After reading this book I have come to a conclusion of my own. Religion to me seems like a bunch of bull crap.
I believe that faith is where people must find their own way. In history religion has fundamentally separated people due to differences. I feel that if religion was not such a strong factor in society then many individuals would be able to get along much better and that society would be able to except people for what they were and not exploit people for their beliefs. I truly enjoyed reading this novel, but it only helped me to see that religion separates society as a whole and does not bring it together. Maybe I am completely wrong but I believe that society would be much better off with out the aspect of religion.
There were many interesting aspects covered in The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf by Mohja Kahf. Ones that particularly caught my attention were the constant reevaluation of Khadra’s beliefs, the emphasis on the difficulty of being Muslim in the United States, her experience with her aunt in Syria, and the struggle of having feminist views in Islam. Although the parts of the book talking about Khadra’s childhood were interesting, I think the most important parts were those where she struggles with her faith and feels the “truth” about her religion was hidden from her. I feel those parts were most important because although she was questioning certain things about her faith and would reevaluate how she felt about those things, she still had a strong faith in the end. By questioning certain aspects of Islam, her faith grew stronger and she was able to make a better connection with her religion. She seemed more connected to her religion after questioning her religion than when she was young and simply believed anything she was taught.
There was a strong emphasis on the struggle of being Muslim in the United States. The avoidance of being seen as an American and even “feeling” like an American was a constant undertone in the book, and I think it was one of the most interesting parts. It’s not often that one gets to read about such a strong negative view of America by someone who lives here. When Americans think about people moving to the United States, we often think that everyone is thrilled to be here and cannot wait to become engulfed in American culture. However, the book completely contrasted that idea, and because of that it was definitely an eye-opener.
One of my favorite parts of the book was when Khadra visited her aunt in Syria. I feel this was a very important part of the book and it stood out to me because I feel it was the beginning of her transformation into adulthood. I feel it was the first time she let herself just sit and think about everything going on in her life. I also liked reading about her visit to Mecca with her family because it gave an idea of what being Muslim somewhere besides the United States is like. It was very interesting to compare being Muslim in the United States to being Muslim in a different part of the world. For example, when Khadra found out she was not allowed to go the mosque, it was very confusing for her and it was one of the times she questioned why being a woman meant that she was not allowed to do something.
Khadra’s feminist ideas were an underlying theme in the book. I feel the experience she had when she was married to her husband was one of the most oppressive and confusing ones in the entire book. The idea that she was not allowed to ride her bicycle because her husband forbade it was also another point where Khadra began to think of things differently. But, I was happy when she realized she could not live with being forbidden to do something that she enjoyed simply because her husband forbid her to. That was one of my favorite things about the book- Khadra never gave up her feminist views, but also knew the importance of following certain Muslim traditions and practices. She would question her faith and certain aspects of it, but always came back to it in the end.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, and it was a nice change from the usual textbooks that are required in classes. Also, it was a very interesting book to read to gain more knowledge about Islam.
-Erin McVey
The Girl in The Tangerine Scarf is truly a piece of literally art. A brief synopsis of this novel does not do it justice but some of the basics are as follows. The main character in this book, Khadra Shammy, speaks about her hectic life as a Syrian immigrant around the 1970’s in Indianapolis, Indiana. As a Muslim immigrant, she and her family faced several challenges. This was most evident when Khandra’s parents raised her to be a respectful and conservative Muslim in a western civilization, with several “non-Islamic” customs. She wore a hijab and was ridiculed at school often. Secondly, the challenges of rape, racism and the death of Khandra’s best friend often created hardships in her life. These challenges and the way they are coped with often make one forget that this novel is in some way based on past and realistic examples. I could only imagine the pain and suffering one could go through from such sorrowful circumstances, but through faith and a realization of herself, Khandra prevails. I believe that this faith and realization of her-self ultimately came to its climax when she visited Syria. This trip can be described as a “cleansing” where she escaped from her past struggles in marriages and other personal disenchantments, while eventually realizing that the youth of Islam are not always as faithful as she previously though.
While reading this book, it is important to key into the author’s depiction of Muslim Americans. Mohja Kahf for the most part describes a specific Muslim. This specific Muslim is based on regional differences (mostly in the Midwest), certain time periods (1960’s- 1970’s) and even a certain type of Muslim. Something interesting is often the denial of these Muslims to conform to the American Culture. Although these immigrants should and by no means be forced to broaden their culture by conforming to social norms, one has to believe that this led to some of their adversities. It would also be interesting to compare the struggles of these Muslims to others that have an urban and city like atmosphere, especially during earlier and later time periods.
There are three key events in the book that should be examined and questioned. The first is the denial of bike riding by Khadra’s husband (Juma) and the second is her abortion and the third is the divorce from her husband. First of all, I absolutely disagree with Khadra’s husband’s decision to deny bike riding in public. What really has to be questioned here is the fact that her riding was not acceptable in public. Does this mean that if no one was around that it was acceptable? This decision by her husband was based on greed and personal satisfaction. What it comes down to is that Juma did not want to embarrassed, and this consequently led to his decision. Secondly, her abortion is a topic for great debated. Basically, Khandra had an abortion because she believed that her Islamic Studies were more important. For some reason this does not make any sense. If you are a scholar of Islam and a Muslim, wouldn’t you want to practice their beliefs? Briefly, abortion in the Muslim world is only considered acceptable for heath reasons. Consequently, under normal heather conditions abortion is considered purposeful killing. This means that abortion for the prevention of poverty, rape, and extra-marital union is forbidden. Since Khandra’s acceptance for abortion does not meet the criteria listed above, this abortion is unacceptable and cruel, but Khadra’s peers seem to react to it non-sadistically. Finally, her divorce was needed. This break of marriage allowed Khandra to become more spiritual then religious, which eventually allowed her to become open minded. As a result, Khandra eventually realizes that many of her old friends are too strict and single minded.
In Conclusion, The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf is a great read and can not be passed upon. If one is seeking a description of Muslim immigrants trials and tribulations in assimilating to American culture, this is the book to read.
Dan Harper
Poli-Sci 410
I found “The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf” to be an excellent book to help as a basic introductory to Islam for the average American. I found the story to be a really excellent means of expressing the idea of being comfortable with your faith and walking the razor-thin line of personal and public requirements of faith in a society that is not tailor-made for your beliefs. It can be difficult, almost obscenely at times, to live in a world where everyone and everything operates on a system that is different from yours and maintain your personal identity and spirituality.
Khadra is a very sympathetic and real character throughout the entirety of the book. I really enjoyed seeing her reactions and struggles with dealing with the various subgroups of Islam and how she is altered by them. That was perhaps the most enlightening part of the book for me. We tend to assume that “Islam” or “Muslims” are all one monolithic group who all think and believe the exact same. We assume we know what they look like, how all of them dress, and how they all will act due to a narrow field of characteristics we associate with the identity. The sheer variety within the Muslim community that was on display in the book added a really in-depth and personal feeling to the novel. The only minor complaint I had was that some of the characters seemed almost too cliché and were there to be foils to the other characters. Hakim the militant Black Muslim was a very valuable literary tool and helped bring to fruition the point about Sudanese-Arab relations and the views they each hold of each other. It is a relatively minor point, but it became a little unnerving when I could start to predict what he was going to do with about ninety percent accuracy after a little while.
I also thought it was humorous how Khadra went through several phases of her faith that reminded me a lot of growing up Catholic. I always like to say the reason I’m not Catholic is because I was raised Catholic. I recall a lot of similar phases Khadra goes through in the novel. The rebelling against her parents (Black Scarf), the doubt, the conflict of living two lives, and the ever present struggle of maintaining public faith without going overboard and alienating yourself from your community. Then the resulting years bouncing back from one extreme to the other until you finally fall back somewhere in the middle and calling it growth. Khadra starts out as a doe-eyed robot who recites her beliefs that she has been taught as a defense mechanism, but comes out of it a much more grown-up woman with a lifetime of experiences, both traumatic and happy, and eventually adopts a more fluid personal relationship with god.
I really enjoyed this novel overall, even though I was slightly irked about some of the characters, but that was mostly because I thought this was an autobiography going into it, but that personal jab aside it was a very entertaining novel that goes a lot deeper than most people care to go and it confronts reality head on I was more than a little shocked at a few of the atrocious events to befall Khadra throughout her life. I don’t think I would have made it past a couple years as her without cracking and going crazy. I think that is what makes her such a sympathetic character, she overcomes adversity in pretty much every form, life hits her with essentially every negative thing you could imagine from Marriage and friends to faith, yet she still has a pillar of support with those close to her and even though she emerges from the fire she is still singed and that helps all of us relate and to feel a real personal connection to her.
Islam is in the heart…
Or at least that is the thesis of Mohja Kahf in The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf. In her novel, Kahf summarizes practically every stereotype and position on Islam out there to lead us to the classic Western scholarship post-modern answer to Islam--that ever so redundantly emanates from the Ivory Tower—that indeed Islam is whatever you want it to be. While these sorts of works were entertaining in their early years of post-modernism, enough is enough. I believe a resounding yawn of “hackneyed” would simply not suffice this time. Of course if you do disagree with Kahf’s answer of Modernism/Sufism as the answer to those crazy “traditionalists’” following of the authentic Sunnah, you’re clearly disillusioned, simply just don’t get it and are still stuck in the “formalist” phase of rituals. Now that I’ve summarized Kahf’s historical fiction version of the Rand report “Civil Democratic Islam”(“I got it!, let’s make ‘em all sufis and modernists!”) …let me tell you why this novel is probably not worth your time.
Kahf begins the novel with various childhood memories of her “backward” orthodox Sunni parents. They believe that in Islam, woman’s first responsibility is to raise children, there’s only one kind of Islam (with various valid interpretations according to Qur’an and Sunnah), and that you actually have to “practice” Islam with “tedious” rituals like physically praying. Although, it is clear that Kahf feels the beauty of the ritual aspects of Islam, she feels that they are not necessary, as she gives up praying and tries to convince us that Islam is whatever you like. Unfortunately, proclaiming “God is not an asshole, alhamdullilah”… is not a valid mode of worship. This is the typical thought process from characters like Khadra when they’re forced to face the fact that Islam does have some rules. Ironically, the hijab, she does keep, even though it’s less important than prayer in the hierarchy. While Khaf does show us that good deeds are also acts of worship, like working to help people (like Khadra does), or even smiling at people, they are not a substitute for the formal prayers. This is just one example of Kahf’s attempt at re-constructing her own definition of Islam according to a modernist rationalizing of many issues, which unfortunately has many deviations. Kahf attempts to give her interpretation of Islam presumably more credit by walking us through a “black hijab” stage as a fundamentalist orthodox Muslim of sorts. She invariably “graduates” from this primitive, traditional stage of Islam onto modernist and sufi approaches giving us the typical post-modernist answer that even though there is no “Truth”, the author’s is the only rational “truth.”
There are occasional commendable moments in the novel like when practicing Muslims (like the parents) reveal an introspective comprehension of the principles of Islam. An example of this is when her parents show her that even though some things are followed exactly like prophet Muhammad’s (saws) actions, others are followed in example like his occasional ascetic, humble diet of dates. It was also good to see Khadra show how America’s norms are usually presented as “morally superior” and imposed on others through Khadra’s amusing encounter with Joy and the sushi bar. Another positive aspect to the novel is Kahf’s emphasis on establishing good relations with people of other faiths and not stereotyping, like her encounters with Blu, her jewish friend. It was very gratifying to see Kahf point out good qualities of people in other faiths and to dispel the myth of the stereotypical moral-less westerner while simultaneously clarifying the very un-islamic practices that take place in “Muslim” countries. This latter point was seen with the infamous quote of Muhammad Abdo that when he came to the West he saw Islam with no Muslims(the manners, justice, etc.), and when he went to the East, he saw Muslims, but no Islam(only rituals, no hard work, manners, spirituality, etc.) However, Kahf takes her universalism to extremes at times like when she suggests that God would accept someone’s prayers while they’re associating partners with him. While that would be nice, any clear communication and understanding between faiths must be established on truth, and not just trying to make each other feel good. There are many Muslim beliefs that are considered blasphemy by Christians and vice versa. This Truth must be faced for any real dialogue to take place. That is the danger of post-modern novels, especially at such times of misunderstanding as we live in today, that they can perpetuate the misunderstandings. So it really depends what you’re looking for. If you’re interested in reading another 3rd world character’s coming of age away from her backward culture (with occasional funny moments like when Khadra and a friend eat halal candy corn and proclaim “it was good”), then this book might be entertaining. But I would venture to say the false information that is perpetuated through novels such as these does more harm than good.
Kahf’s not so subliminal message to us is that we should all just go pick up a Yusuf Ali translation of the Qur’an and decide for ourselves what Islam should be. Of course we shouldn’t follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (saws) (including that of the first four caliphs), since it must have undoubtedly been corrupted by “the government of a dynasty that had mercilessly slaughtered the Prophet’s own grandson and most of his remaining kin” (Kahf 152). Therefore, we need to catch up and have our good old “protestant-ish” reform, like Christianity did. The excessive formalism, lack of attention paid to the spirtitual side of Islam in some Muslim countries, and lack of knowledge among many laymen is not an excuse to throw out the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad’s application of Islam. That is the only reason that traditional, orthodox Islam is correct, not because its just special, but rather because it actually follows the traditions, instead of looking for ways around them when they don’t fit personal preferences. Islam is not just a belief in the heart, but also utterances of the tongue, and actions of the limbs. Unlike Khaf would like us to believe, it is not more love than fear of God, it is rather that fear of God (through obeying Him and his messenger) is half the love, and the other half is hope for the mercy, love, and forgiveness of God in return. This is the position of Sunni Islam on God. Islam is no more exploiting Islam for political reasons and showing off (like in many Muslim countries as Kahf pointed out in her example of Saudia Arabia), then it is a formless clay you can mold as you please to your customization. It’s not Islam that needs to be reformed but rather the Muslims not following it. This is why the latest trend of attacking the Sunnah over the last 50-100 years through post-modern literature to construct a more ambiguous, pliable Islam will not succeed as long as Muslims cling very tightly to the Sunnah. It is only by doing this that Muslims in the West (and the slowly Westernizing countries in the Muslim world) will be able to hold onto their religion. This is why it is irrelevant to read this book, because it is a collage of fact and fiction that actively seeks to destroy the stable foundation of Islam as a definite concept. It is the same war post-modernism has waged on all religions claiming they have the Truth, because post-modernism does not accept that anyone can be Right and Wrong, unless it is whomever the author is writing against (like traditional interpretations of Islam in this case). This is the main reason for post-modernism’s endurance, is that it can make everyone happy with doing whatever they want to do. The “self”, as Kahf would call it, loves when it can do whatever it desires and still feel good about itself. This is why God stresses that he has preserved the Sunnah, and to follow the messenger so many times in the Qur’an, so people with appealing words don’t lead you astray. Of course all this spiritual stuff doesn’t make good business. In the end only materialistic, consumer-culture building ideals can be correct and propagated all over the world to feed the ravenous monster of capitalism one more load of buyers. That is one of the few reasons that anyone could make the mind-numbing comment that this is “an important book.” Rather most important books stopped being published over the last century, and all we have left is toady novices like Kahf fearfully trying to fit in with the crowd, clutching onto the ivory tower for dear life.
Mohammed, maybe sometimes you could consider perspectives that are not perfectly aligned with your own. A book is not automatically "irrelevant" because the protagonist doesn't subscribe to the reader's preexisting narrow definitions of acceptable moral conduct. Anyways, if this threat of "the ravenous monster of capitalism" and the cultural rape committed by post-modernism and the West (and by the way are you sure you're never equally guilty of "redundantly" spitting up a diatribe given to you, from perhaps a different ivory tower?) is as ominous as you say it is, then understanding this novel and its characters is of even greater importance for purposes of 'knowing the enemy'.
At first, Kahf's character traverses the homogenous and unaccepting middle America landscape with an internal impetus to follow Islam strictly (dismissing all her efforts as an imposition from her parents is unfair to the earnestness of her intentions). But she starts to see faults in her ummah and in the way of life her parents glorified in Muslim countries, while at the same time confronting inconsistencies between what she was told about Americans and what she experienced personally. She explores, considers, grapples with both her internal spirituality and structural spirituality, and yes, does some soul-searching on her own without consultation from any Islamic scholars more well-read in Sunnah then herself. But at least she considers other Muslim identities in America and how they are reconciled, without concluding that one Muslim is doing everything right and another is doing everything wrong.
Mohammed, on the other hand, refuses to acknowledge the potential dilemmas in a traditionalist interpretation of everything. Please stop imposing "valid modes of worship" on a book that makes no claims as a religious handbook for anyone other than Khadra.
And for the record, I don't think the book depicts the Shamy parents in a condescending manner or insists that we all adopt modernism. While the Tangerine Scarf isn't presented in seamless or altogether consistent prose, Kahf presents a wide spectrum of Muslim lifestyles adopted in America, with far less bias afforded to any particular solution. She illustrates pervasive stereotypes in a realistic way, first how people see them every day, and then by confronting them, whether ethnocentrism or fundamentalism or assimilationism.
Literature succeeds if it forces us to confront absolutes, acknowledging ambiguity and conflict in reality, and bringing forth questions and consideration. If you've already sorted out all the snags in cultural and moral relativism, and have a solution that satisfies every party in the world grappling with modernization and schisms between the East and West, yes, this book is a total waste of time. But unlike some readers, I don't have all the answers, so this book gave me some more to chew over.
In the interests of advancing a more nuanced proposal to the future of Islam, of which Mohja Kahf apparently fails irreparably, I'd like to close with the words of the previous blogger: "That is the only reason that traditional, orthodox Islam is correct, not because its just special, but rather because it actually follows the traditions, instead of looking for ways around them when they don’t fit personal preferences." Let's remove clauses and adverbs and get to the meat of this sentence (drumroll please):
"Traditional Islam is correct because it follows the traditions." Wow. Now I'm convinced - no further discussions or explorations or opinions are needed. I'll put my Yusuf Ali translation away, I won't be needing it anymore, thank you for that.
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"The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf," though clearly not a timeless classic, can be considered relevant and important not only because of the religious and cross-cultural themes it explores, but also (and I would argue most importantly) because it sets the stage for a revealing discussion--one which shows some of the problematic and morally inferior (yes, I said it ... and I’ll get back to it later) aspects of practiced traditional Islam without fear of blunt statement.
What’s particularly interesting and extremely refreshing about this novel is that it avoids the temptation of political correctness. Rather, Mohja Kahf shows that by filtering the minutia that seem to occupy the vast majority of the sphere of Islamic thought, Kahdra is able to return to a truly fulfilling Islamic existence—one that nurtures the soul rather than confine and blind it. This is a book that defies the narrow, limit-of-jurisprudential focus of institutional Islam and instead boldly imposes the principle question facing all Muslims: “What concessions must and must not be made to reconcile traditional Islam with the prevalence of the Western notion of modernity?”
Mohja Kahf’s novel confronts the problem of repressed socio-theological debate tirelessly. Few people, both in the camp of traditional Islam and in the camp of Western modernity, are willing to have an earnest discussion and call a spade a spade. I’ve always been a staunch proponent of taking a nuanced view of the world. Things often are colored in shades of gray. This having been said, the current climate in religious and political debate can sometimes take the other extreme. Sometimes it’s not an ugly baby swan awaiting its first molt; it’s a duck.
I should take a moment to affirm that I mean no disrespect to anyone implicated, and that it is my sincerest desire not to offend anyone. If my statements come off as distasteful or downright ignorant, I hope that I am given the benefit of the doubt—In my desire to discuss a touchy subject, may inadvertently overstate point or seem hateful. This is not the case. I have the most fundamental respect for Muslims and seek nothing more than to understand their issues. With that, I will continue…
What I like about this book is that it does not subscribe to the notion of moral relativism. Moral relativism, in my opinion (note the irony of that phrase!), leads to veritable roadblocks in religious and cultural debates. All too often, I hear people claim that the morality of an action depends on the values of the culture in which the action takes place, and frankly this is absurd. In many cases, an action or behavior is either right or wrong. I am NOT saying that cultures should be uniform—there can be several options of equal moral standing or a behavior with negligible moral impact. An example of the latter would include writing from left to right versus writing from right to left.
The values of a society can only be judged in terms of social norms. If a society exhibits an action in a significant proportion without a significant proportion of disapproval, it can be said that the society values said behavior. Thus, all that moral relativism cares for is consistency across social norms and practices. If this were the case, claiming that the act of punting small children over a fence is morally wrong would be a logical fallacy. Although it may be justifiable with some children (I’m kidding), I’m sure that the vast majority of human beings can comfortably assert that punting small children over a fence is objectively wrong, so clearly moral relativism is a logical fallacy. If you disagree, try replacing “punting small children over a fence” with “stabbing old women in the heart for fun” or “circumcising women to deprive them of sexual pleasure”
With moral relativism debunked, it is now possible to assert the moral superiority of certain cultures with regards to particular issues. Even more useful is the fact that this can be done without being culturally tolerant. For example, a society which circumcises its women is clearly morally inferior to our own with regards to the treatment of women. It’s a simple as that, yet for some reason, people want to sugar-coat it.
The term “cultural tolerance” also brings up another point. By definition, cultural tolerance means you do not value the associated behavior. If you do, you are culturally accepting. This nuance is an important one, because one who tolerates a foreign culture does not feel as though the behavior is appropriate in his cultural context, but understands that it may apply in the cultural context in which it arises. Thus, one who does not embrace, say, Ebonics, may very well tolerate it with, as he would understand that it is culturally significant and important to many black Americans.
Returning to the text of the novel, one of the points whose unapologetic delivery impressed me was Kahf criticism of the Queranic education of Muslim scholars and ordinaries. The chapter in which she takes an Islamic studies class is one that I found particularly interesting, mainly because it shows how woefully incomplete the education provided by Mosques and Islamic scholars are. The only thing the Dawah Center has managed to produce is a cult-like endorsement of one particular branch of Islam, while condescendingly dismissing widespread alternate views. Furthermore, it failed to give its students an understanding of the historical roots of Islam and a comprehensive view of Islam’s different forms and major interpretations. It was closer to indoctrination that general education. From personal experience, the same problem arises in Catholic catechism. Kahn effectively states that modern western higher-education institutions are simply superior in quality to their Muslim counterparts. This statement is sure to ruffle a few feathers, but it is not subject to moral relativism, so we can at least have a thorough academic discussion on the subject. If I, and Mohja Kahf are wrong, then so be it. But undeniable is the fact that Islamic institutions are woefully inadequate as they do not educate people about Islam, but instead produce Islamic scholars of a given denomination and emphasize dogma. Western institutions, on the other hand, produce an understanding of the very nature of Islam by breaking away from pedagogy more or less limited to memorization and recitation. Western institutions, Kahf shows, apply the core of the Islamic system to the sociological, political, philosophical (read: moral) context of the 21st century. Thus, the provide a student with a truly relevant faith.
“Have you ever heard the saying, He who knows himself, knows his Lord?”
Khadra shook her head. “Who said that Plato? Decartes?”
“The Prophet,” Professor Eschenbach said. (Kahf 235)
The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf captures the religious and spiritual journey of Khadra Shamy, a Muslim woman struggling to strike a balance between her Syrian heritage and her American enculturation. Khadra narrates the story from the voice of her changing self, as she matures from girl to woman and as she matures or awakens in her religion. This story provides a personalized look into the life of a Syrian/American Muslim woman growing up in the middle of rural Idaho and follows Khadra’s growth physically, psychologically, and spiritually. The author, Mohja Kahf, illustrates that difference is just a perspective and that the ‘other’ is just a superficial lens. By examining main issues from different perspectives, Mohja Kahf shows the world as overlapping fields of gray, not simply as black or white, moral or immoral. For example, Khadra is immediately confronted with racism upon her arrival to the states. While her community faces many acts of discrimination, there is an inherent racism within Khadra’s household and to a larger extent, her Muslim community, between African American Muslims who are darker than Middle Eastern Muslims. The division between who is and who isn’t racist becomes blurred and ultimately irrelevant; Kahf does not point any fingers but only sheds light on the universality of the problem.
Khadra grows and learns like most children, with phases of rebellion and self-examination. While at the University of Indiana, she begins to practice a stricter, more traditional Islam, and begins wearing only black or dark colored hijabs. Khadra’s rebellious phase parallels many American teenagers who go through an angst ridden, black clothing phase. The most interesting aspects of the novel revolve around the western/Islamic perspectives of each other and the intermingling of Khadra’s muslim and American upbringing. The best examples of this intermingling of Islamic and American culture can be seen through the western pop culture music that keeps getting struck in Khadra’s head during momentous moments in her religious life, such as her hajj to Mecca with her family. “Khadra tried to keep the joyous talbiya in her mind and on her tongue: Here I am, O my Lord, Here I am! Labbaik, allahumma, labbaik! But she kept getting it crossed with Phil Collins in her head crooning, “I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lo-ord. . . I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lo-ord. . .” (Kahf 163). Khadra’s pilgrimage to Mecca was a turning point in her negative image of America and her glorification of Islamic culture. Her disillusionment falls apart after her clash with the Saudi police when she tries to attend morning payer in a Mosque by herself and her cousins who are trying to be like typical ‘American’ kids. She experiences, first hand, harsh realities about injustices and hypocrisy within the culture and religion that has always supported and guided her.
Khadra’s religious experience culminates with her moving back to Syrian and meeting the Sufi poet, who asks thought provoking questions. During that time, she feels the most free and enlightened and actually lets the wind naturally unveil herself while on a picnic with her aunts and the poet. Her unveiling was a liberating experience for her, in that it was a natural step in her self-growth. The book ends with her finally feeling comfortable with who she is and her Muslim American lifestyle. This book was interesting in that as Khadra grew, so did the novel in literary form and style. Also, it gave interesting insight into the traditions, ceremonies, and daily lives of Muslim Americans.
The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf, a novel by Mohja Kahf is a coming of age novel for a young Muslim girl striving to find her identity in a secular society. Khadra Shamy's experiences of coming to terms with life in the Hoosier culture of Indiana is a metaphor for the struggles of a young burgeoning Muslim community in America. As Khadra ages she finds the world is not necessarily as simple as her parents have made it and her Islamic values not always as appreciated by her contemporaries.
The issues Mohja Kahf forces her protagonist to address, are those that all young immigrants come across when moving from a conservative religious region to a liberal secular one. As Khadra finds that Islamic values vary from region to region and culture to culture, so too, does she come to examine her own values. As the Shamy’s strive to attain their own unique Islamic identity in Indiana, it’s interesting how her family first rejects and then to some extent embraces the environment that the United States provides for them. They come across horrid racism in the shape of an ignorant elderly man by the name of Orvil Hubbard. Khadra and the Shamy’s address issues such as the existing Black Muslim community in the shape of Zuhura whose differences are not always as easy to come to terms with as the Shamy’s would have preferred. The largest and most troublesome issues, which consume much of the novel, seem to be finding the balance between the inequality of traditional Arab culture and the seemingly excessive freedom and decadence of life in the United States.
The racist encounters of the Shamys and the Dawah center Muslims, which occur primarily in the 1970s, appear less and less as the novel progresses but their influence on the perceptions of Khadra and her family seem to remain as a constant. An Immigration and Naturalization Service raid, initiated by Dawah center’s nemesis Orvil Hubbard results in nothing but embarrassment for the Hoosier community. Orvil and his constant menacing all but disappears by the time he fades out of the novel, though the impact on Khadra’s life is clear as she expects him at every turn later in life.
The Black Muslim Community in America represents a class of Muslims, which Arabs immediately attempt to distance themselves as they find their identity. Khadra’s friend Zuhura, a Black Muslim, practices a form of Islam that has evolved over a number of years within the United States. Most black Muslims do not wear hijab, an unheard of and blasphemous act in the eyes of the Shamys and the Dawah Center Muslims. They are openly hostile of the American political establishment; a feeling that is not always shared by newly arrived Arabs that find the freedoms they enjoy in the United States to be more than accommodating. The vocal Black Muslim Community is an object of much disdain to Arab Muslims as they feel it is more a political separatist movement by lower class blacks rather than a religious awakening.
The ultimate issue that must be addressed by Khadra first appears in, of all places, Saudi Arabia. She finds the laws restrict her from the mosques, a place she has been raised her entire life attending, and feels compelled to for numerous reasons to attend. Saudi police manhandle her and drag her back to the home of her host in Mecca. Later that day she is forced to confront her Arab peers engaging in every form of debauchery she sees as sinful that could occur but in the land of the prophet rather than in the liberal setting of the United States. The irony and hypocrisy of it all is far more than Khadra had ever expected.
In the United States, Khadra finds she may practice Islam as conservatively as she may like, without real restriction. In the land of the prophet, she must do as centuries of tradition demand, while behind closed doors, the youth of Saudi Arabia engage in acts of debauchery, using drugs and drinking alcohol and throwing off hijab. The ultimate ending of this stream of consciousness novel is one in which Khadra accepts her life in America, as do most Muslims that immigrate to the United States.
I felt that this novel was lackluster, and not good. It was poorly written. I didn’t feel that Mohja Kahf was trying to have the entire audience sympathize with Khadra’s character. I wasn’t able to relate with the character, as some female readers would have been able to. It felt all too simplistic. Even the narration was too elementary, and too focused on her adolescence rather than her adulthood. I believe this was to lead the reader to make a conclusion for Khadra at the end of the novel, but fall short on the impact it would have if Khadra did not connect with Hakim. It was far too unrealistic and too much of a feel good story for my taste. Maybe I am a cynic, but this type of story and author has more of a following from females, her type of narration and style of writing reminds me of Latin American author Isabel Allende, her writing also attracts a large female audience.
I did find some of the tales that Khadra’s parents told to keep her from doing haram things, such as eating candy corn and keeping away from dogs. It reminds me of how my mother use to tell me to do things or the chupacabra will come and eat us.
These anecdotes are very universal, because we all could relate to the stories that are parents use to tell us to keep us out of trouble. I found it gratifying that throughout the story there was constant progression of maturity on Khadra’s behalf. It is a very simple coming to age story that is nothing different or special from any other book.
I don’t see why we had to read it for this class it was even frustrating that after reading it I was wondering to myself the importance of the book for the class and I couldn’t figure this out. I see some understanding in the novel comparing Muslims need to integrate to American Culture or that Muslims need to at least to be associated with America. Like I implied earlier this wasn’t a book I would like to read twice. There was no appeal for me and quite honestly I was only reading it one dimensionally.
There were various issues in “The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf” by Mohja Kahf that I feel were important for a Muslim girl, coming of age in America. With the idea of theology affecting the political lives of Muslim Americans, this book was very interesting and educational.
The first issue I would like to bring up is the idea of abortion. The Syrian immigrant Khadra Shamy married a man named Juma and got pregnant. She makes the decision not to keep the baby, though it is considered “haram” by her family, friends, and Juma. Because Khadra is well educated, she knows what the Qur’an says on the subject of abortion and tells Joy, “All the schools of thought allow it. The only thing they differ on is how long it’s allowed. Four weeks to four months” (225). Besides Joy, everybody else in the story is unsupportive of Khadra’s decision, they want her to keep the child and tell her that since her life is not in danger abortion is wrong. Fatma tells her “God doesn’t like you trying to prevent life” and alludes to the fact that God will punish her for aborting the baby (226). It is not that Khadra doesn’t want to have kids eventually and doesn’t like the idea of having a family. The problem is, Khadra has other plans for her life, she wants to continue with school and get an education, not drop everything to become a mother and care for her husband.
Her marriage ultimately fails, because in addition to the abortion they argue over Khadra’s independence. She wants to ride her bike and cares more about work and school than her responsibilities as a wife. This abortion example, and failed marriage, illustrates the difference in opinions that many Muslims have over social issues. Most Muslims who read the Qur’an with a strict interpretation would not allow gay marriages or abortions. I think Khadra is an example of a modern, religious girl who is surrounded by people who are reluctant to let her live the independent life she desires.
The second issue that displayed a striking rift between modern and strict Shariah abiding Muslims, was Khadra’s experience in Syria with veiling and unveiling herself. After being depressed with her failed marriage and becoming distant from her family after her abortion, Khadra decides to visit her aunt Teta in Syria, her homeland. The land seemed familiar to her, and she described being there as a dream. Her aunt told her stories about her family, her mother’s childhood and past, and all about her own experiences with love. I believe this helped heal Khadra’s heart and change her back into her old self. On Mount Qasyoon she realized her love for photography and met a famous Arabic poet. At the park on a warm day, under a “cherry-tree canopy” and safe “among friends” (Teta, Hayat, and the poet), she enjoyed cherries, ghraibeh cookies, and for the first time felt the sun on her naked skin (310). She felt her scarf fall off and realized she had cherry juice on her fingers and didn’t want to stain the scarf. From this point on, her shoulders become uncovered and she is filled with gratitude because she feels “the sunlight on her head was a gift from God” (309). I can’t imagine having to wait so many years before feeling the warmth of the sun of my body.
At this point in the book, Khadra is really developing into a woman with a relationship with God. Her scarf becomes a symbol of her devout religion, rather than the definition. She realizes later that “veiling and unveiling are part of the same process, the same cycle …both are necessary (309). She is able to walk around the city in clothes that define her body and she does alright. This spiritual experience in the park shows Khadra as a woman who loves God enough to obey him and is finally comfortable with her religion and herself. She realized that she had to include modesty in her behavior without the help of hijab. I think this challenge was a test of Khadra’s Islamic beliefs, which she triumphs and becomes a better woman as a result.
This story by Mohja Kahf was very interesting and all the characters are based on true people. I liked the book, after reading I learned a lot about Muslim people and the religion of Islam. I have no doubt that many Muslim immigrants growing up in the U.S. experience similar challenges in their daily lives. It is nice to know that Muslims could retain some of their “old world” identity in America, and still grow up in the U.S. as modern and independent scholars.
The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf
This novel was about a girl growing up torn between her heritage as a Syrian Muslim and her surroundings in Midwestern America. Since I have cousins who live in Saudi Arabia and visit here every summer, I can see some of this book in their lives. They constantly struggle with what they were taught to believe and how to behave compared to the liberties they have when they come to the United States. Partially for this reason is why the book is so vivid to me. It shows how much emotional turmoil a person can go through when pulled in different directions like Khadra is.
Another very important theme in this book is that of the equality of Muslims in American society. Throughout the book Khadra shows the readers the prejudices against those who are Muslim. Since September 11th, this is a very real concern for Islamic Americans in society. Prejudices exist from the point of Americans who see Muslims as a violent, anti-American people, when this is not true of the majority. Stereotyping all Muslims, wherever they live, into this only promotes racism and does nothing to fix the problem. It only encourages violence from those who fear Muslims and makes Muslims truly fear and hate Americans. As khadra’s mother shows in the book, there is a clear revulsion of their family becoming like Americans with their perception of the moral degradation they fear is so inherent to Americans. Racism works both ways and this book further shows how the fear of becoming the other person can work against solving problems. When Khadra meets the neighbor who is a Mormon, she finally sees the acceptance that some Americans are capable of, and what the entire society should aim for.
As was stated by another person, this book should be required reading for high school English classes. It clearly shows a different side to a growing portion of the American society. Stereotypes and prejudices are very common in the day and age and this book would help to dispel some of those. Khadra is more than just her Islamic religion. She is a girl, and American, a Muslim, an immigrant, and most of all, a human being. No one is simply one thing, they are the sums of their parts, and Khadra, or any Muslim for that matter, are no different. This is one of the best books I have ever read, and I found it hard to put it down. No one should miss reading this book.
Frank Bellamy
12-5-07, 11:11 AM
POSC410 book review
This is a review of The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization by Richard Bulliet.
The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization by Richard Bulliet is a fascinating book which gives great insight into the relationship between Christianity and Islam over the last millennium and a half. His case for the term “Islamo-Christian” is quite interesting. He is essentially arguing that western and Arabic civilization should be viewed as essentially one civilization or siblings. Certainly it is true that there are more similarities between Islam and Christianity and Judaism than between any of these three and the eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism and Taoism and Jainism. And Bulliet does illustrate some interesting historical comparisons.
What bothered me a bit from the beginning though is his assumption that western civilization is somehow Christian or Judeo-Christian or whatever, his association of the civilization with the religion that historically dominated it. Maybe this just shows my lack of historical education, but I don’t think of myself as part of any Christian civilization. I know western civilization certainly was Christian, but since when does that mean it is? Aren’t we good liberals supposed to be priding ourselves on diversity these days? And isn’t education generally and science education specifically inversely correlated with religiosity? Still, I do see his point, and it is an interesting one. Overall, Richard Bulliets The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization is a very interesting response to September 11th which gives great insight into Islam and history and such.
After reading “The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf,” my immediate response was not deep appreciation of the author and her story, but appreciation in the sense of “WOW, I wish I could scam people by poorly writing a book with a modicum of relevant content.”
I had the opportunity to live in Indiana for a bit and did experience racism myself, both because of my name and my skin color. Introduced as Muhammad Hussain initially resulted in snickering and questions to the effect of, “Are you related to Sadaam Hussein?” My typical response would be, “Yes.” It was entertaining to read about the various characters throughout the book, their dilemmas and perspectives on Islam. The racism evident throughout the book meshed very well with what life in Indiana really is like.
I do not agree with Mohammed’s notion that the novel was irrelevant, as it did have something to do with the difficulties American Muslims face throughout the country. Living on the somewhat liberal East Coast and going to a good University does not qualify as the American Muslim experience. In the mid-west, especially where I lived, Muslims were either physicians, dentists, professors and the occasional engineer; asides from these professions, the Muslim could not get hired in other fields. Students graduating from IU with degrees in business, education and other fields that generally land college graduates with decent or mediocre jobs were jobless, not because southern Indiana had no economy or schools, but because it was easier to hire a Tom, Joe or Patrick instead of a Muhammad, Abdullah or any other Islamic name.
Kahf’s struggle to understand and find her own sense of spirituality is something more applicable to the Muslim that is not necessarily read up on the most famous scholars and etc. I understand why some could find the novel a bit offensive, but the purpose was to show the honest ontological confirmation many go through when living in a country that is supposedly based on values and people antithetical to Islam. There is a profound struggle evident in the American-Muslim and losing battles are continuously seen at the mosque from those that perceive the world as if it was 1400 years ago to those that feel remorse for creating Jummah into an antecedent to a weekend of bar crawls and etc. There must be a middle ground and that is what people like Khadia are attempting to find.
Asides from that, the novel was poorly written and did not seem to transit well. Not only were there juvenile contradictions and rationality, but the book was dreadfully boring. I literally counted how many pages I could finish within a half an hour in order to calculate my “ETA” to the decorum of “good writing.” I should have read the other novel, but alas I did not.
-Muhammad Hussain
After reading “The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf,” my immediate response was not deep appreciation of the author and her story, but appreciation in the sense of “WOW, I wish I could scam people by poorly writing a book with a modicum of relevant content.”
I had the opportunity to live in Indiana for a bit and did experience racism myself, both because of my name and my skin color. Introduced as Muhammad Hussain initially resulted in snickering and questions to the effect of, “Are you related to Sadaam Hussein?” My typical response would be, “Yes.” It was entertaining to read about the various characters throughout the book, their dilemmas and perspectives on Islam. The racism evident throughout the book meshed very well with what life in Indiana really is like.
I do not agree with Mohammed’s notion that the novel was irrelevant, as it did have something to do with the difficulties American Muslims face throughout the country. Living on the somewhat liberal East Coast and going to a good University does not qualify as the American Muslim experience. In the mid-west, especially where I lived, Muslims were either physicians, dentists, professors and the occasional engineer; asides from these professions, the Muslim could not get hired in other fields. Students graduating from IU with degrees in business, education and other fields that generally land college graduates with decent or mediocre jobs were jobless, not because southern Indiana had no economy or schools, but because it was easier to hire a Tom, Joe or Patrick instead of a Muhammad, Abdullah or any other Islamic name.
Kahf’s struggle to understand and find her own sense of spirituality is something more applicable to the Muslim that is not necessarily read up on the most famous scholars and etc. I understand why some could find the novel a bit offensive, but the purpose was to show the honest ontological confirmation many go through when living in a country that is supposedly based on values and people antithetical to Islam. There is a profound struggle evident in the American-Muslim and losing battles are continuously seen at the mosque from those that perceive the world as if it was 1400 years ago to those that feel remorse for creating Jummah into an antecedent to a weekend of bar crawl