Friday Journal : 31st July 98 |
|
Book
Review : Daughters of Another Path
Experiences of American Women Choosing Islam
by Carol L. Anway
"Mom, I've converted to Islam," Jodi told her mother
Carol. Those were words that Carol dreaded to hear; she felt forsaken
by her daughter, and she plunged into such grief that she cried
most of the night. The next few years were difficult; it was a
time of adjustment for the whole family. Finally, Carol felt strong
enough to write about what had happened, and she wanted to know
how other American families had dealt with their daughter accepting
Islam, and what factors had influenced the daughter to accept Islam.
She sent out questionnaires to the daughters and the parents. The
responses she received, melded with her own story, form the basis
for this book. There is a wide variety of backgrounds represented
in "Daughters of Another Path," by Carol L. Anway. Some
of the daughters came from strict Christian backgrounds. Others'
families were Christian in name only, while some had no religious
influence from their parents and developed their own spiritual
leanings. In some cases the parents were accepting and tolerant
of their daughter's decision, while other families turned away
from their daughter, feeling angry and betrayed. Most families
fell somewhere in between these extremes.
The majority of Americans who become Muslim are women. This is
probably due to the fact that Muslim men come from their home country
to the U.S. to study, then meet and marry American women. The women
desire to learn more about the religion of their husband, and in
the process, choose Islam for themselves. 63% of the women in Carol
Anway's survey became Muslim some time after marrying a Muslim man.
But the women are careful to point out that their husbands did not
brainwash them in to accepting Islam. In some occasions, the men
were not practicing the religion, and it was their wife's interest
in Islam that brought them back into it. There is also an attempt
made to distance the cultural practices of certain Muslim countries
with the pure religion of Islam. The book portrays Islam and Muslims
in a positive light, balancing the negative view we get from the
news media. There is a discussion of basic Muslim beliefs and practices,
and a chapter where the daughters tell what they would like non-Muslims
to know about them and their religion. Another chapter is reserved
for the parents to speak on how they felt when they were first told,
versus how they feel now, and all the ways that the change has affected
their lives. The book also discusses how these Muslim women feel
about marriage and childrearing in Islam, and how their parents
fit into their lives. This book will make great reading for any
Muslim convert and her parents.
