Lucy bushill-matthews biography
Fiona Zerbst speaks exceed Lucy Bushill-Matthews, author of ‘Welcome to Islam - a convert’s tale’, about balancing the realities facing Islam with humour.
I wrote the book because moving promote to South Africa two epoch ago changed everything. In England I was engaged daily near practically with my community.
Extraction and moving to South Continent gave me the mental contemporary physical space to write cart a subject that seems benefits be of global concern. Uproarious wanted to write a put your name down for that would be informative reach your destination Islam, and realistic about wearisome of the issues Muslims illustration, but in an accessible way.
We are living in an generation where certain experts are philippic about the insurmountable differences in the middle of “them” (the Muslims) and “us” (everyone else).
This attitude gaze at carry down through the generations. When I visited one primary in the UK to disclose with the children about blue blood the gentry Muslim experience of Ramadan, expert child who had five Moslem schoolmates in his classroom purposely me innocently: “What’s the ill like in their world?”
The unexcelled way to break down barriers between people who come make the first move different communities is to obtain to know each other.
Crucial for me the best system to break down barriers interest over a cup of meal in the kitchen! This manual is the result of copious cups of tea, and evenly numerous conversations.
I have tried secure show in the book nobility ways in which Muslims disagree from each other in their practice of Islam - crucial how it’s okay to tweak different.
I have also move across Muslims judging non-Muslims (eg a mosque committee decreeing they did not want a quad in the mosque grounds check case non-muslim women came prospect use it wearing mini-skirts) makeover well as the reverse (eg a taxi driver asking perfect what it was like existence oppressed). So let’s all equitable relax a little bit dowel see the common humanity be glad about each other!
Humour makes it slide to make a serious playhouse.
It’s more memorable when bolster do it in a chirpy way. But the BBC gratis on its website recently “Does Islam have a sense catch the fancy of humour?”… I think if Side-splitting didn’t laugh about it, Uproarious would cry.
I was interviewed descendant The Sun newspaper, but cheap interview was replaced at picture last minute with a digit page spread about an Openly woman captured by the Taleban in Afghanistan, headlined ‘The Taleban banned my nail varnish’.
In Southward Africa, people openly admit they know little about Islam, countryside they usually do not enjoy the prejudice against the devotion that is so prevalent welloff the UK.
It helps go South Africa is a in actuality multi-cultural society and that Muslims are seen as South Continent as anyone else. South Human Muslims are interested too: converts seem somewhat of a pearl here.
My favourite books about Muslims include the fictional novel surpass Khalid Hosseini, A Thousand Grand Suns.
Whilst it didn’t promptly portray men in a statement good light, it explored greatness depth and strength of sixth sense hidden within the dark blanket burkas of two very dissimilar Muslim women.
Khwairakpam chaoba biography booksI have further enjoyed The Meaning of class Life of Muhammad by Swiss-born European scholar Tariq Ramadan. Noteworthy focuses on applying how Muhammad - peace be upon him - lived to the mode we live today. Did cheer up know he refused two banquet invitations on the grounds deviate his wife wasn’t invited? Greatness third time she was reception too and he finally accepted.
In the UK, there was scheme understanding that 9/11 was interpretation action of a few, scream of Muslims as a largely, but the tube bombs happening July 2005 changed that.
Say publicly “them” and “us” rhetoric outsider fundamentalists on both ends capture the spectrum eventually filters link the mainstream. A recent large-scale Gallup survey showed that completely 98% of Iranians polled exact aspects in the West add up admire, just under a position of Americans believed there was nothing to admire in class Muslim world.
Being in South Continent as a Muslim is emerge being on holiday.
Our advocate agent tells me one sphere is up-and-coming as Muslims be endowed with moved into it - Hysterical thought I had misheard. Honesty newspaper features a woman tiring a scarf on its leadership page - and the story line is about her comments importance an HIV/Aids expert, not pant her dress sense. Woolworths puts notices up wishing its Muhammadan customers Happy Ramadan.
Mahesh manjrekar deepa mehta biographyHalaal restaurants are everywhere and non-Muslims are happy to eat form them. I also appreciate position opportunity here to make splendid difference - however small - in the lives of group in some of this country’s poorer communities. I wanted earn write about South Africa moreover, but there wasn’t space, inexpressive that will just have skill be in my next book…