|
|
 |
|
Detroit,
Michigan, USA
- October 4, 2007
"American Crescent" by Imam Qazwini published |
| |
| |
 |
|
The latest book published by Imam
Qazwini, "American Crescent", shall be released in stores
nationwide on October 9, 2007. Published by Random House, this
book is a memoir of Imam Qazwini in his struggle to preach Islam
in the United States. In this book Imam Qazwini "writes
not only to explain his faith to non-Muslims in an uplifting
way, but also to critique American culture"
as David Crumm said.
Title:
AMERICAN CRESCENT:
A Muslim Cleric on the Power of His Faith, the Struggle Against
Prejudice, and the Future of Islam and America
Book may be
purchased on the following websites at a
discounted price:
www.amazon.com,
www.bn.com,
www.booksense.com
Booklist Review
"Seemingly effortlessly, Qazwini packs
his dual-purpose narrative with so much
about Islam, Shia, Iraqi history,
Saddam’s revolting brutality, and Muslim
American politics that, more than any of
the fine recent introductions to Islam,
this is the book with which Americans
should start to learn about Islam and
Muslims."
"Qazwini,
head of the oldest and largest Shi’a
mosque in the United States, seeks to
bridge misunderstandings between
Americans and Muslims through his life
story and interpretations of various
Islamic worldviews.
The
author avers that acts by extremists,
the media’s thirst for spectacle and
historical geopolitical opportunism have
given Americans a dangerously skewed
notion of the everyday Muslim man and
woman, giving rise to suspicions of
Islam’s compatibility with democracy and
civil rights. To convey the experience
of being a devout Muslim today, Qazwini
offers his own journey as testament.
Though his life is not exactly
representational—son of a respected
imam, his family suffered intense
persecution under
Saddam Hussein and more than once
had to flee in the night from the
jackboot at the door—it is apt in
showing how Muslims, often on the move,
must redraw their cultural boundaries
with each shift. This is so even within
Muslim communities, where contending
schools have specific requirements and
ingrained prejudices. These personal
experiences have an engaging immediacy
that allows readers to see the world
through a practicing Muslim perspective,
where culture and religion are held
fast. His parallel story of Islam’s
evolution says some canny things about
the manipulation of faith to serve
vested power, but the strokes are too
broad to leave an indelible impression.
“Our women wear hijab [conservative
clothing] willingly and proudly” is the
kind of blanket statement that undercuts
his authority. But Qazwini makes a solid
case that Islamic institutions can
embrace democracy as easily as those of
Judaism and Christianity, that most
Muslim immigrants appreciate the United
States as the best of both worlds and
that Muslim participation in the
American political mainstream will
hasten cross-cultural awareness.
Scores
more hits than misses as an interfaith
dialogue seeking not converts but
understanding."
David Crumm
"His memoir is a "first," an
inspirational and pastoral book by
an American imam released by a major
publishing house. For that reason
alone, we all should purchase a copy
to encourage a diversity of
religious voices in mainstream
American media.
At the end, Qazwini includes an
appendix, answering 20 common
questions about Islam. He also
includes a glossary and chronology
of the faith, making the book useful
for non-Muslim discussion groups."
|
|
|
|
|
|
