Horrific and eye-opening, In The Name Of God, takes me where I did
not want to go. The last time I read an Islamic title (Palace Walk, by Naguib
Mahfouz), I was spellbound, and it was no different here. Culturally
significant and timely, this novel frightened me perhaps as much as it should
have. It left me feeling weird, bad-weird, enlightened-and-scared-weird, and I’m
not sure if I should be happy about that or not. I don’t want to think of
myself as too conservative, but I would be extremely hesitant to have this book
taught in my classroom. However, I think the fact that it is so uncomfortable
is what makes it worth being taught in the classroom. Would students be ready
for it, is my question.
Nadia gives us a look down the
slippery slope from being a devout believer to a radical fundamentalist. It
could happen to anyone who believed hard enough in something, who was afraid,
and who was misdirected and led on by someone. It certainly doesn’t make its
message in support of becoming a suicide-bomber, but it is believable. The fact
that it’s believable is what makes it so chilling, the fact that it holds truth
is what makes it so unnerving.
I’m torn, I know the sort of
backlash that comes with a book like this, especially with the fear of ISIS
beating down the doors, and talking heads like Donald Trump spout nonsense
about banning all Muslims from entering the country until we “figure out what
the heck is going on.” America is more afraid of an attack on American soil now
than they were in 2007 when this book was originally released, and I only fear
the climate will get worse. Parents who do not know the contents of this book
will fear that we’re spreading Islamic propaganda, or that we’re sympathizing
with terrorism. That is not the case with this novel, and as uncomfortable as
it is to read, I think everyone probably should. Its warning message is too
important to overlook.
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