Muslim Voices and Lives in the Contemporary World

This book tells the stories of eleven remarkable people in the Islamic world, from a religious musician in Pakistan who sings the sufferings of the saints and hopes to bring reconciliation to his country, to the son of one of the greatest Shi'ite scholars of Iraq who was murdered trying to restore peace in his city. Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction....Pages 1-14 Front Matter....Pages 15-15 “The Seeing of Our Eyes:” An Albanian Sufi Baba (Balkan Sufi Leader in United States)....Pages 17-29 Fadma Lhacen: Healer of Women and Weaver of Textiles (Moroccan Berber Healer)....Pages 31-42 Master Singer of Pakistan: Baba Shafqat (Pakistani Religious Musician)....Pages 43-55 Esmat Khanum and a Life of Travail: “You Yourself Help Me, God” (Iranian Village Woman)....Pages 57-68 Front Matter....Pages 69-69 Emine: Muslim University Student in Berlin (Turkish Student in Germany)....Pages 71-83 The Intricacies of Being Senegal’s Lebanese Shi‘ite Sheikh (Lebanese Religious Leader in West Africa)....Pages 85-100 Son of an Ayatollah: Majid al-Khu’i (Iraqi Religious Leader in Great Britain)....Pages 101-111 Front Matter....Pages 113-113 The Irrepressible Salma (Afghan Aid Agency Manager)....Pages 115-124 Growing Up Muslim in America: Dr. Anisa Cook (African American Pediatrician)....Pages 125-136 A Javanese Muslim Life of Learning: Professor Dr. Haji Mohamad Koesnoe (Indonesian Legal Scholar)....Pages 137-148 A Hometown Artist of the World: Sabah Naim (Visual Artist in Egypt)....Pages 149-161 Back Matter....Pages 163-174 Muslim Voices and Lives in the Contemporary World tells the stories of eleven remarkable people in the Islamic world, with each account written by an American scholar who came to know that person well. From a religious musician in Pakistan who sings the sufferings of the saints and hopes to bring reconciliation to his country, to a visual artist from a traditional family in Egypt who wants her work to speak to the whole world, to the son of one of the greatest Shi'ite scholars of Iraq who was murdered trying to restore peace in his city, to an Afghan aid agency manager who works to help her people in unstable times, these stories counter some of the misconceptions of Muslim women and men that exist in the Western world. These lively and memorable accounts are distinguished by their immediacy, depth, variety, and breadth and are sure to resonate.--Résumé de l'éditeur