Muslim history has been under scanner since a really long clip. and as the world’s fasted turning faith. it has raised many guesss and geographic expeditions on its absorbing portrayal as a civilization in convulsion. Islam being a faith that goes beyond the tribal and racial boundaries is one of the planetary faiths of this universe and still it has much false beliefs go arounding around it.

Haroon Siddiqui in his effort to set much rumor to rest has tried to make a compendious and limpid image of the Islamic universe.

Harmonizing to him the universe at big is enduring from Islamophobia. and would be acquiring embroiled in obscureness twenty-four hours by twenty-four hours unless person comes frontward and explains what went incorrect with the world’s impression of this faith.

Bing an Indo-Canadian. and holding lived for many old ages in US. Siddiqui has been unfastened to the elements. of how after 9/11 the universe of a Muslim is all of a sudden happening itself vulnerable to many guesss sing its credibleness as a peaceable citizen.

As a reformer of human rights in an age of terrorist act and as an advocator of anti-war run he has called for the acknowledgment of Cold war sates such as Macedonia and Ukraine.

He edited the editorial page of Indo-Canadian Newspaper. Toronto Star Canada. and besides served as its foreign personal businesss analyst. The authorship of Being Muslim is one of those fighting Acts of the Apostless to which he is accustomed. throughout his journalistic and composing calling.

He has written this book with a wise authorization and exceeding penetrations. taking into consideration the current political. secular and socio-religious facets of Islam.

Without being excusatory or proselytising about the Muslim universe. this book is nonsubjective in its attack and is written without any overpluss or subjective empathy.

In a Muslim’s perceptual experience. Islam was contiguous with civilisations and beyond its boundary lines there were merely savages and heathens.

Siddiqui challenges the Islamic fundamentalists and the Western premises. both with equal elan. Sing the fact that he has ever been vocal and straightforward about his sentiments sing the Western universe. this book doesn’t come as surprise.

He writes this book with neutrality and an open-minded attack towards the typical “Islam Bashing” attitude of the universe at big.

Written in a conversational and an unsophisticated manner. it provides a profoundly insightful survey for anyone who wishes to unveil the shrouded enigma around this faith.

The rubric itself has a elusive intension of rebuke. albeit without animadversion.

He feels that ‘Being Muslim’ has been tough for the Muslims. and it has more or less go a inclination for them to maintain explicating themselves sing the phobic disorder environing this belief.

He feels that ‘Being Muslim’ has been tough for the Muslims. and it has more or less go a inclination for them to maintain explicating themselves sing the phobic disorder environing this faith.

He chose this rubric possibly to squelch the uncertainties that being Muslim has a certain splodge about it. that being Muslim is de facto a beginning of shame. That being Muslim is being accused of lese majesty or even terrorist act.

The 1. 4 billion Moslems around the universe are under changeless flak catcher for the 9/11 terrorist onslaughts and are treated with intuition and hatred. Whenever terrorist act happens. a Muslim has to explicate and turn out their trueness and peaceable attitude. Siddiqui feels that true freedom for a Muslim is to avoid such demand for accounts.

The book focuses on the construct of subjugation of adult females in Islam. He explains how the changing traditions and misunderstandings have subjected the adult females to the alleged oppressive intervention. He throws visible radiation on the facts that most of these subjugations are due to cultural patterns than the instructions of Islam.

The book Being Muslim is an effort at planetary fix of the contentions environing this faith. He has pressed upon the Muslims to look at themselves more candidly. and besides to the Western construct of Muslims being the backward and repressed society of people. and the fact that this faith is ill-famed for being progressively dead.

The book emphasizes the true Islamic credo and attempts to get rid of the deformed religion that is largely prevailing amongst its trusters and non-believers likewise.

He talks about the segregation of genders and the many out things in Islam.

Thesolitudeor thehijabworn by most Muslim adult females across the universe is besides seen as a mark of subjugation among the common people. The screen of the book itself has a concealed significance behind this construct.

It shows a immature Muslim miss who is have oning a hijab and has her back towards the readers. denoting the fact possibly that a Muslim woman’s universe is cryptic. puzzling and impenetrable to most of the Westerners. It besides has a immature Western misss whose face is towards the readers and is smiling usually at the Muslim miss. both presumed to be good friend. beyond the spiritual barriers.

They seem to portion chumminess. and an easy connectivity without paying much attending to the difference in their religion and civilizations. Possibly Siddiqui has this secret dream that has arisen out of his disenchantment from Muslims and Non Muslims both. towards this seemingly disruptive faith.

Most people from different states have their ain version and readings of their civilizations. but Islam is the lone faith. which experiences a nem con sinful perceptual experience about its dogmas.

Siddiqui is seeking to turn out that Islam is understood merely through germinating in it. and points out that as 1 goes through the surveies. one comes across the true significances and sensitivenesss of this faith. He believes that there are no speedy holes in understanding the construct of being Muslim. and tolerance and unfastened mindedness is the lone sure.

Siddiqui explains how the Muslim religion is non as inflexible. modification and dogmatic as it is alleged to be. Possibly ‘being’ a Muslim is different from ‘doing’ a Moslem thing that he tries to concentrate upon for the Muslim religion follower. For the xenophobic universe this book is an oculus opener.

Siddiqui feels that ignorance about the true instructions of Islam is possibly the foremost ground why it appears so unacceptable to many individuals. and the burden besides lies on many Moslems who do non understand their ain faith decently. and set a bad illustration by misapplying the instructions.

As a journalist. editorialist. sentiment and sketch page editor of Toronto Star. Siddiqui has faced many unfavorable judgments and ill will upon his sentiments.

Robert Fulford. a Toronto based journalist and broadcaster. accused Siddiqui of painting a soft image of the 3rd universe states. ( Toronto Life. June 2001 ) .

In a station entitled –‘Haroon Siddiqui blames West for all that ails Islam’ . he writes. “Muslim universe is in a crisis but we’ve had a manus in it. The dust from killing Fieldss far off. floating our manner. ” ( Star. Feb 26. 2006 ) .

He was inundated with hatred mails upon his sentiment and rebellious sentiments against the West.

“ Why are we surprised that Moslems are up in their arms” ? He quotes in the same paper. This quotation mark possibly justifies his determination to compose Being Muslim. Possibly he himself was up in his weaponries with the disapprobation that the Muslims were confronting in the West as an wake of 9/11 violent deaths. Having seen that the critics and the guardians. both are merely speaking without really listening to each other. he penned this book in the aftermath of all that he observed.

The fact that it is fundamentally written for school kids ; age 14 upwards ; is besides implicative of the ground that he wishes to catch them immature.

He takes up the undertaking of chase awaying untruths and misconceptions by authoring a book for school kids. which in itself is declarative of the fact that he is seeking to unclutter the miasma that in his sentiment the Western Media has created. with its intervention towards the Muslim and Islam. By talking to immature people through his books he has created a collage of lucidity and new vision.

In chapter 5. he says. “ Every Muslim must makeJihads( battle ) . Must do. In the actual significance of the word. they strive in the way of God by detecting the five necessities of Islam and by being good human beings” .

He used the instead explosive wordJihadsin a calculated manner. to drive the point that Jihad is ill-famed due to its misunderstanding instead than its significance.

Siddiqui assiduously focuses on the present times with mentions to Islamic history. but his effort is modern-day due to it being fresh in its attack. and lodging to the current turbulency in a Muslim universe.

Written in a clear and concise mode this slender volume is packed with penetrations and information about everything that is hypothesized about a Muslim.

With an attitude to include the Muslim community against Islamic fanatism instead than estrange them. this book drives the point along with an invitation to many critical positions.

Mentions

Ahmad. S. Akbar. Detecting Muslimism: Making Sense of Muslim History and Society ( New Delhi: Roli Books. 2003 )

Lewis. Bernard. What Went Wrong? ( Great Britain: Weidenfeld & A ; Nicholson. 2002 )

Siddiqui. Haroon. Being Muslim ( Canada: Groundwood Books. 2006 )