BOOK REVIEW: MOTHERING A MUSLIM
Author: Nazia Erum
Number of Pages: 200 (E-book)
" I immediately called up the class teacher who had a two-word response, "It happens.""
Mothering A Muslim, is a book about the author’s search to understand the discrimination faced by Muslim children in their school. She has interviewed more than hundred families, and reported her findings in this book. She has named the schools which are involved in order to create awareness.
If your child, or any child is studying in an institution which does nothing about the fact that the students are being discriminated on the basis of religion, do you really want your child to study there and learn such values?
I myself am a Muslim but I have never faced issues like the ones mentioned in this book (although there have been some other issues) then why the sudden rise in Islamophobia in the past six years?
Erum, goes on to interview some more people who have faced discrimination from within the Islamic community showing how discrimination doesn't stop in any phase of life. This kind of discrimination is something I have faced a lot as well, and it really touched me, knowing that there are others who have been through that as well, the comments on being "too modern", for performing namaaz while wearing jeans, and many more.
She goes on to question the influence of the Middle-East culture on Indian Muslims. How there has been a drastic change since Indians starting visiting the gulf more and more, making them more conservative and incomprehensive of other religious people.
The elephant in the room is how does children learn about discrimination? Who taught them to be mean? Who told them it is alright to say things like they are a terrorist or not a good person or anything which would hurt the other child and lay the foundation of future discrimination? If we teach our children hatred, they will reciprocate it, if we teach our children kindness, they will reciprocate it, it is as simple as that. We need to be more inclusive of others and their opinions, we need to accept that not every person has the same thought process as you and having an argument with them about that is not the answer.
Side note: I would have preferred if this book was a bit longer.
My Verdict: 5/5
Buy the book: https://www.amazon.in/Mothering-Muslim-Nazia-Erum/dp/8193876717/ ( India)
https://amzn.to/32bJrsq (Other Countries)
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