Unveiling Islam

Unveiling Islam won The Gold Medallion Book Award and is listed as being a National Best-Seller. It was published in 2002, following the attack on the World Trade Center when Americans had a lot of questions about this particular religion. I know I was more curious about it. I wish I had known about this book a little earlier.

This book was written by two brothers, Ergun and Emir Caner, two former Muslims who converted to Christianity. There was a price to pay for their conversion though -- their father disowned them. The introduction of the book is devoted to the subject of their father who was their hero as they grew up. They loved their father and the cost of conversion was, for them, quite high. They realized that was going to be a penalty for their change but they followed their heart on the matter, even though their change in belief system was wildly unpopular. I think that they write the introduction to show that they are aware of what Islam requires of its believer and that they were not writing as ignorant bystanders. They knew the teaching and personally felt the cost. They set themselves up as being very qualified to write this book.

This book is essentially an overview of the Islamic faith, religion, practices and history. I learned a lot about Muhammad and the distinctions between the various factions of Muslims. I also appreciated how they took the time to note comparisons between the Christian Bible and the Qur'an. This book is incredibly informative and tasteful also. It is educational.

Now why do I think it makes a good read? As one commenter stated, this is not a "cozy read." Parts of it are incredibly disturbing. However, I think that as painful and pointed as it may be (and it is), it is also a significant statement as to how far Americans have come in reacting to various cultures post-attack. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans (FDR himself!) responded by relegating Japanese-Americans to internment camps. (For a good story about internment camps and reactions of Americans during WWII, read my review of Stubborn Twig.) Post 9/11 we were more careful not to shoo Arabs out of our presence. I think the Caners are rather grateful and they are not writing this book to condemn Muslims so much as to help Christians (and Americans - but primarily American Christians) learn how to properly love Muslims.

My pastor just returned home from Pakistan and I was curious to read this book in light of his travels. He met with many Muslim leaders while he was over there, which was a rare honor and opportunity. He learned a lot and has been sharing with us what his experiences and interactions were like. Fascinating stories! This book helps me to understand his experiences in a different light.

Unveiling Islam was hard hitting, fact packed and made me feel really uncomfortable. At the same time, I thought it was so helpful and enlightening that I'm now ready to recommend it to everyone I know. I seriously took too long to read this book. I encourage you to it! It's something else.