Carla Power

I learned two things when reading (listening to) Carla Power's book "If the Oceans Were Ink", first I learned a little more about the moderate views offered by the Quran, and second, that my MP3 layer, which I was using to listed to this audio book, can't survive a wash cycle in my clothes washing machine. As a result of the latter, I only got about 25% into the book, but saw that Powers was telling her story of learning more about the Quran by studying for a year with her friend and Islamic scholar, Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi. What she learned, and how she learned it, is presented by recounting her discussions with her friend and teacher. Together, Powers and the Sheikh discuss basic tenents of Islam, the extreme (in flawed interpretation) of radical Islamists, and the importance of researching and going back to the original documents. I may never finish the book, however, since my MP3 player is ruined, and I'll have to recreate my listening library. Meanwhile, I'll have to be satisfied knowing that there are more moderate interpretations of Islam than that being forced upon others by radical groups such as ISIS and al-qaeda.
… (lisätietoja)

It took me one whole month to read this because it is a sitting and thinking book, though not in an inscrutable way...just so much food for thought. And I chose to pick it up in time for holiday/life madness.

As a non-believer who happens to love Islam (as well as hailing from St. Louis), I enjoyed much of Carla Power's perspective going into a year long study with her friend and colleague, Sheik Mohammad Akram Nadwi. She had a foundation and was curious, and she often calls herself out on her own ignorance, privilege, and assumptions. It was so enlightening to hear the Sheik's point of view--in these days of strict black and white, it was awesome to hear confident yet humble lessons from a conservative (though progressive--in the ways traditional Islam has always been historically) Muslim. I felt Power's friction, too, on the moments they did clash, but always it roots down a deeper exploration. After a chapter or two reading the e-book on loan from the library, I realized I just needed to buy the dang thing--this is the first book in forever that prompted me to highlight the text and put in stickies. I am so excited to explore all the feminist and otherwise progressive Muslims referenced throughout...marked up the bib quite well, too. While the book was not without some detractors, it provided me a beautiful reading experience (in the end, I was tearing up a bit) and no doubt has developed my own understanding of Islam a little more.… (lisätietoja)