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A Muslim on the Bridge: On Being an Iraqi-Arab Muslim in the Twenty-First Century
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A memoir and meditation on faith, A Muslim on the Bridge: On Being an Iraqi-Arab Muslim in the Twenty-first Century tells a story of transformation and reflection as the author thoughtfully but pointedly deconstructs the widespread misconceptions about Islam, arguably the world’s most-misunderstood major religion. The son of a Shia father and a Sunni mother, Ali was born i
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Paperback, 289 pages
Published
November 19th 2013
by Signal 8 Press
(first published September 26th 2013)
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A Muslim on the Bridge is an honest account of the lives of many moderate Arabs facing the rise of radicalism in the region in the past century. As a Jordanian born for a christian family, I could relate to almost all of what Ali Shaker said in spite of him being an Iraqi Shia.
The book is written for a foreign audience, as an Arab, I found myself wanted to commend Ali and second him on everything he said. It is all right on the spot.
It is an easy and simple read, engaging and entertaining, and ...more
The book is written for a foreign audience, as an Arab, I found myself wanted to commend Ali and second him on everything he said. It is all right on the spot.
It is an easy and simple read, engaging and entertaining, and ...more
Never heard of this author until a friend posted an article by him (https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/13-0...) So it come to light that he wrote this book with an intriguing title and this book actually banned in the Middle East! Well, if you're keen to read it, get it through Kindle.
Kudos to him for writing a book written with such courage, diligent, honesty and sincerity; a perspective that so rare from the Muslim world that need to be heard. It seem to me by nature, the author is a curious cr ...more
Kudos to him for writing a book written with such courage, diligent, honesty and sincerity; a perspective that so rare from the Muslim world that need to be heard. It seem to me by nature, the author is a curious cr ...more
This is a fascinating look at a forty-something Muslim man originally from Iraq. Ali Shakir was raised in an open minded society in 1970s Iraq. When the war with Iran broke out, life there deteriorated, but as the author shows, the extremism wasn't so apparent back then. I enjoyed reading about the contrasts between the 1970s/80s and now. Each chapter is devoted to a different subject. I hadn't realized that halal eating regulations have grown stricter only recently. Ali Shakir writes with a dee
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If we close our eyes, trying to think of an Arab Muslim, our minds would most likely illustrate a stern-faced man with a long beard, a turban, eyes full of anger and a hoarse voice that makes his wife tremble with fear in her black burqa. Many years of exposure to media stereotypes of Muslim men and women have indeed created an image in our heads Westerners so solid, no clarification made by the moderate Muslim speakers can dream of shaking. All of a sudden, an Iraqi-Arab Muslim expat in his for
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Started on this a couple of days ago, wondering if I would find a further understanding of the contemporary Muslim world. In the light of current tragic events in Paris and the rest of the world, it is hard to know whether Shakir's book will provide any hope... So, having just finished the book - 4 stars for honesty and bravery. Additionally, I suppose I hadn't fully understood the degree to which apostasy (renunciation of one's faith) may be punishable in Muslim society ( ie significant threat
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Recently met the author so was intrigued to read his book. Would urge people to read, particularly those who lump all Muslims in together.
I am intrigued by religion, it fascinates me, not just western but all religion. To me so much of it reads the same and I once read somewhere that the different religions are different but the same, like the vital organs that make up a human body, it takes all the organs to keep the body alive, take away one and life ceases.
I admire the honesty of this work. ...more
I am intrigued by religion, it fascinates me, not just western but all religion. To me so much of it reads the same and I once read somewhere that the different religions are different but the same, like the vital organs that make up a human body, it takes all the organs to keep the body alive, take away one and life ceases.
I admire the honesty of this work. ...more
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Readers also enjoyed
Iraqi-born, New Zealand-based architect and author, his articles and essays—in Arabic and English—appeared in several newspapers and literary journals in the Arab world, England, the United States and New Zealand. Member of the New Zealand Society of Authors.
https://arcade.stanford.edu/blogs/use...
مهندس معماري ومؤلف عراقي نيوزلندي، نشر العديد من مقالات الرأي والنصوص الأدبية والمراجعات في العالم ال ...more
https://arcade.stanford.edu/blogs/use...
مهندس معماري ومؤلف عراقي نيوزلندي، نشر العديد من مقالات الرأي والنصوص الأدبية والمراجعات في العالم ال ...more
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