Lenka S. reviewed Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations on + 819 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Honestly I feel like Naomi B. has not read the book but skimmed through, and picked and twisted what is, into what is NOT in the book. Such as her Q: The "bad" Christians are those who believe and obey the Bible and do what it says -- terrible things like saving sex for marriage, being faithful to one's spouse, loving one's enemies, and doing good to all.
If you read the book you will find that this sentence is NOT in the book, nor will you find anything implying any such thing. Naomi B.'s attack on this book from a point of (sorry to use this word) 'fundamental' christian is similar to the attacks of fundamental islamists who called 'death 'fatwa' on Ayaan for her critique of Islam's treatment of women and non believers.
Sadly Naomi B. only shows her lack of understanding of the fine points of this book. She implies that this book is an attack on Bible and christian values. She could NOT be more wrong. Bible is hardly ever mentioned, and if it is, it is there to point out the flaws in Islam as a religion of blind obedience through sexual and political repression. As in divide the sexes and enslave one half in body (as in genital mutilations, stoning...) and the other in mind (all education being the learning of Koran and enforcement of the genital mutilations, stoning...) so that few radicals can control large populations.
Her solution of using standard western style education to overcome poverty and mind washing by religious clerics can hardly be compared to Q: a solution reminiscent of the Hitler Youth.
Here is a Q. (Pg 158) from the book about sex education and public schooling:
'Like my mother and my aunts, these immigrants had refused to give their daughters sex education, to talk to them about how their bodies were changing, or to tell them that it is natural to be interested in boys. Unlike Dutch parents, they could not bring themselves to teach their daughters that self expression is fine but that it has boundaries, so that their daughters might find ways to express them selves without flashing their genitals. They had not taught them how to gradually manage the challenges of independence. And, perhaps just as important, they had not taught their sons the respect for women - and in Dutch schools most of their teachers were women.'
As you can see there is nothing critical of modesty, and saving one self for marriage, Ayaan is just the pointing out the need for education as a tool for preventing 10 year old girls becoming brides because the conservative parents do not understand that there is another option to preserve their daughter's and consequently their family's honor....
Ayaan though atheist her self profess the need for church to take more active role in communities across europe and US and work on conversion of Muslim immigrants, it is her belief that the need for spiritual guidance is better served by christian God, a loving and forgiving master, then the unforgiving, violent, freedom devouring Muslim's Allah.
I felt that the this book deserved more open minded review then the uninformed, 'uber' Christian viewpoint it got. I hope I have inspired more of you to read it.
If you read the book you will find that this sentence is NOT in the book, nor will you find anything implying any such thing. Naomi B.'s attack on this book from a point of (sorry to use this word) 'fundamental' christian is similar to the attacks of fundamental islamists who called 'death 'fatwa' on Ayaan for her critique of Islam's treatment of women and non believers.
Sadly Naomi B. only shows her lack of understanding of the fine points of this book. She implies that this book is an attack on Bible and christian values. She could NOT be more wrong. Bible is hardly ever mentioned, and if it is, it is there to point out the flaws in Islam as a religion of blind obedience through sexual and political repression. As in divide the sexes and enslave one half in body (as in genital mutilations, stoning...) and the other in mind (all education being the learning of Koran and enforcement of the genital mutilations, stoning...) so that few radicals can control large populations.
Her solution of using standard western style education to overcome poverty and mind washing by religious clerics can hardly be compared to Q: a solution reminiscent of the Hitler Youth.
Here is a Q. (Pg 158) from the book about sex education and public schooling:
'Like my mother and my aunts, these immigrants had refused to give their daughters sex education, to talk to them about how their bodies were changing, or to tell them that it is natural to be interested in boys. Unlike Dutch parents, they could not bring themselves to teach their daughters that self expression is fine but that it has boundaries, so that their daughters might find ways to express them selves without flashing their genitals. They had not taught them how to gradually manage the challenges of independence. And, perhaps just as important, they had not taught their sons the respect for women - and in Dutch schools most of their teachers were women.'
As you can see there is nothing critical of modesty, and saving one self for marriage, Ayaan is just the pointing out the need for education as a tool for preventing 10 year old girls becoming brides because the conservative parents do not understand that there is another option to preserve their daughter's and consequently their family's honor....
Ayaan though atheist her self profess the need for church to take more active role in communities across europe and US and work on conversion of Muslim immigrants, it is her belief that the need for spiritual guidance is better served by christian God, a loving and forgiving master, then the unforgiving, violent, freedom devouring Muslim's Allah.
I felt that the this book deserved more open minded review then the uninformed, 'uber' Christian viewpoint it got. I hope I have inspired more of you to read it.
