đź“šBook Reviewđź“š
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✨A concise and informative history of the Rohingya, an evidence-based denunciation of Myanmar’s ethnic cleansing campaign, and an impassioned plea for recognition and human rights for the Rohingya.✨
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Before reading this book, I knew little more about the Rohingya than that something awful was happening to them and that it had to do with Myanmar, wherever that is. I should be ashamed of myself; I know.
Instead of relieving my shame, this book has increased it. I am ashamed of what some of humanity is capable of doing, and what the rest of humanity is content to allow to happen.
This 69-page book offers a concise and informative introduction to the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya by the state of  Myanmar. Since August of last year, more than 10,000 Rohingya have been killed, and more than half a million people have fled across the border to Bangladesh. Even more disturbing than the scale of the crisis is the lack of awareness about it.
The clear writing and careful organization of this book make a complicated topic easily digestible. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to know more about the history of the Rohingya and the current situation.
A full review of this book is up on my blog. Link in my profile.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
#bookreview #TheRohingyaCrisis #MuhammadAbdulBari #booksaboutcurrentevents #humanitariancrisis #muslimauthors
#muslimauthor
#muslimreads #rohingya #myanmar #bangladesh #bangladeshiauthor #kubepublishing
Today I have something that I'm really excited to share. Two fantastic picture books about Muslim-Jewish relationships.
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A Moon for Moe and Mo is out today from Charlesbridge and it is the story of two boys in New York City, one Jewish and one Muslim, who befriend each other and discover just how much they have in common. The illustrations are by one of my favorite illustrators--Mehrdokht Amini. (Also, this one takes place in Ramadan, so add this to your Ramadan lists.)
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Yaffa and Fatima Shalom, Salaam is the story of a Jewish and a Muslim woman who live and work side by side in the holy land. The story explores how their different faiths are similar, and how their commonalities--kindness and generosity--bring them together. It's written by Fawzia Gilani-Williams, who is such a thoughtful and talented writer.
I highly recommend both of these beautiful books.
Let me know other interfaith childrren's books you've found with Muslim characters.
#amoonformoeandmo #yaffaandfatima
#muslimjewishfriendship
#muslimjewishsolidarity #muslimjewish #jewishmuslimfriendship #jewishmuslimsolidarity #interfaith #interfaithkids #interfaithbook #muslimkidslit #weneeddiversebooks #kidsbookstagram #ramadanbooks #fawziagilaniwilliams #janebreskinzalben #mehrdokhtamini #chiarafedele
✨Giveaway✨
Update: giveaway closed and winner announced in stories!
I can’t believe we’re less than ten days away from the start of Dhul Hijjah!
For anyone who doesn’t know, the first ten days in the month of Dhul Hijjah are the second holiest time in the Islamic calendar (after Ramadan). They lead up to the Hajj (the pilgrimage Muslims must make once in their lifetime) and Eid al-Adha, which is a commemoration of the story of Abraham. They are a time of coming closer to God through increased worship, fasting, and charity.
To celebrate, I’m sharing two Hajj-themed picture books with one lucky winner. 📚I’ve raved about Yan’s Hajj before. It’s one of my favorite Muslim picture books ever, and it’s less a story about Hajj itself and more a story about work ethic, responsibility, community, generosity, and living with intention. 📚Going to Mecca is a classic. This one actually does depict the hajj, with gorgeous illustrations and flowing verse.
To enter:
1. Follow me.
2. Like this post.
3. Leave a comment with either one thing you’re planning to do during this Dhul Hijjah season or one thing you find beautiful about the Hajj.
Giveaway Rules
The winner will be chosen randomly.
Only one entry per person.
US only! (Sorry, international friends. Shipping is expensive!)
Giveaway ends Monday, August 6.
This promotion isn’t sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Instagram.
đź“šBook Reviewđź“š
A Treasury of Ghazali is a beautiful collection of quotations by Imam al-Ghazali with commentary by Mustafa Abu Sway. The tiny, digestible chapters are each based on one quote of the Imam: the original Arabic, an English translation, and a commentary by the author. Meant to be read in small doses, the quotes cover spiritual topics like sincerity in intention, happiness, patience against sin, and detachment from the dunya (worldly life). Beautifully designed, with gold foiling on the cover, stunning end pages, and a bookmark, this book is perfect for gifting. And because the excerpts are prefaced by a brief biography, this slim volume is a nice introduction to al-Ghazali.
As far as the material goes, I personally found only a few real gems mixed in with quite a bit of overly simple material.
An example of what I considered overly simple is the first chapter, entitled “Education with the Right Intention.” My takeaway from this quote was that it is better to have a good intention in your education than no intention at all, especially when you are expending time and energy.
In an example of  one of the real gems I found, al-Ghazali compares this world to a plantation for the Hereafter. (Swipe to read.) I really enjoyed seeing the familiar metaphor of a human being in this world as a farmer extended to talk about action, inaction, and tawakkul.
Aside from being a beautiful gift or an introduction to al-Ghazali, this book is also a nice resource for advanced Arabic students who would like to begin reading Arabic texts, but are intimidated to pick up entire books. Students can read the Arabic quote and then check their understanding against the English translation that immediately follows. The Arabic font is clear and fully voweled (with tashkeel), and the translation that follows is both faithful and idiomatic.
Let me know what you thought if you’ve read this book or another in the Treasury series.
Thank you to Kube Publishing for providing a review copy of this book.
#muslimlibrary #muslimreads #muslimbook #muslimbooks #muslimauthor #muslimauthors #muslimscholars #alGhazali #Islamicgifts #TreasurySeries
