Living Islam Out Loud.(American Muslim Women Speak)(Book Review)

Living Islam Out Loud

American Muslim Women Speak

Edited by Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur

Beacon Press, 224 pages

This slim, intimate anthology of essays and poetry sets out to capture voices of "the first true generation of American Muslim women." Thoroughly contemporary and rather soulful at its core, the book covers a rich mix of experiences that range from Arab, African and South Asian to African American, from novelists and poets to human rights activists--all women between their early twenties and early forties who came of age in the U.S.

Together, asserts editor Saleema Abdul-Ghafur, their stories represent a glimpse into "the beginnings of American Muslim culture." Not only that, but the makings of social change can be read into many of the women's stories as they challenge sexism, mosque segregation, homophobia, post-9/11 racism and more.

The book neatly transcends the tired fixation with hijab and wastes little time responding to prevailing stereotypes and ignorance about Islam. (One author sums it up nicely: "Neocons can kiss my Islamic ass.") Instead, the best work here takes on knotty internal debates, contributing to an honest and nuanced dialogue about topics that have been difficult to broach more widely in today's climate of hyper-Islamophobia. As Sarah Eltantawi writes, "We live in a time when an unbeliever of Muslim heritage feels the need to call herself or himself a Muslim, in the way Sartre said, 'In the face of anti-Semitism, I am a Jew.'"