Book Alert!

I love reading.  It's one of those thing that got me through my awkward years (along with mascara and a good set of parents).  Reading is something super special and personal to me, so I don't often discuss books with others.  Weird personality flaw.

If you're interested in a book for this summer, please allow me to recommend something substantial. Not that I have something against reading Glamour Magazine or The Help or anything like that-- because those are on my nightstand at any given moment.  But that isn't what you need.  Let me explain.

The Middle East is huge.  It's always been there, clearly, but after 9/11 it came to the forefront of Amercans' every thought.  But what do you really know about the Middle East?  About Pakistan?  About Islam?  

I consider myself a fairly well informed person.  I graduated Elon at the top of my class.  I took Arabic under an extremely devout Muslim woman named Shereen.  Some of my best friends are now-- as they lovingly refer to themselves-- "brown."  But in reality, I have NO CLUE what is going on in the Middle East.  I don't know why certain groups hate each other.  I don't know which country supports who, and who likes America and who doesn't. I don't understand why my friend can't introduce her  boyfriend to her conservative Muslim parents. I don't even really know what just happened to make everyone so upset with the State Department (ok, ok, to my credit, I had finals and I am studying for the bar, so that makes me go into hermit/ no tv/ no internet mode). And it makes me kind of ignorant.  Which is embarrassing, and I acknowledge that I seem like an idiot. Why?  Because this is IMPORTANT.  It's CRUCIAL. Our world is changing, and growing smaller and smaller.  America isn't-- and can't be-- just an island of ignorant white people ignoring the struggles of other nations until it affects us. And based on some people I've talked to, we still are.

 

Which is why I recommend this book.  My fellow Richmond Law alum, Qasim Rashid, has poured his sweat and blood into writing this amazing piece of literature called "The Wrong Kind of Muslim: An Untold Story of Persecution & Perseverance."  While I haven't had the chance to read it yet (BAR REVIEW, people!  But it is on my Kindle) his 18/18 five-star reviews on Amazon and place on the best-seller's list in the Religion category can't be wrong.  Here is what Amazon says on it:

The Wrong Kind of Muslim is a call to unite those of all faiths and of no faith in the struggle for universal freedom of conscience. Since 9/11, terrorists in Pakistan have killed over 40,000—and counting. Often risking his life, Qasim Rashid journeys into the heart of that terrorism to unearth the untold story of those silenced by Taliban suicide bombings, secret police torture, and state sponsored religious persecution. Rashid exposes the horrifying truth about growing radicalism in Pakistan and its impact on Western security. But most importantly, Rashid uncovers the inspiring untold story of millions fighting back—and winning.

So go ahead-- try learning something this summer.  I promise you will come out on the other side knowing more, and feeling like you were productive this summer.