The second part of the book takes the reader around a mosque, with a demonstration of how Muslims prepare for prayer, mosque etiquette, and the various functions a mosque and imam perform in the community. I particularly liked the two-page spread displaying the different parts of the mosque, even if it is perhaps a little more spacious and well-equipped than some mosques you might walk into in the UK or France. I also enjoyed the scene introducing the imam’s young son doing cartwheels around the prayer space! The book ends with some pertinent verses from the Qur’an and sayings of the Prophet, peace be upon him.
Overall, I was impressed with this book. I think it brought to light some key assumptions that I am carrying around in my subconscious about having these discussions. The first is that my knee-jerk reaction to dismiss those claiming to explain misunderstandings about Islam comes largely from the fact that often such explanations are too simplistic, or are presented with an apologetic tone, sometimes doing more harm than good. The second is that, although I’m still hesitant to feel like I should have to explain myself or Islam on a regular basis, there is no doubt an important place for discussions and media that clarify Islam for those who are sincerely interested in learning. Such projects should be part of a wider educational infrastructure that doesn’t just focus on those surface issues highlighted in mainstream media, but also addresses the foundational beliefs and principles that put all other details into context and challenges the narrow ideological lens that is often imposed on these discussions in a Western setting. With all this in mind, I appreciate those who put the time, effort and research into producing high quality materials that address these issues and I think Dialogue is on the right track.
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