Title: ‘Standing Alone,
Author: Asra Nomani
Publication Date: January 2005
Review Written by: Shellyza
Review Date: August 24th 2007
Review:
Asra Nomani’s “Standing Alone” is a wonderful and unusual book describing her identity as an American single mother struggling to embrace her faith and community.
Nomani’s journey to Saudi Arabia exposes a plethora of self reflection intertwined with an exposure of the views of early Islamic historic figures as well as their ties to modern day feminism. Her own struggle to allow more freedom for women in her own mosque in Morgantown, Virginia is very admirable; readers find themselves caring about Nomani and her family while comparing Middle Eastern mosque leadership to America ’s own religious organizations - at the same time, readers are also learning about the hajj and early Islamic history.
As a treat to our own Ismaili readers, Nomani is even invited to an Aga Khan Health conference where Princess Zahra is a keynote speaker; she speaks for several pages of the awe experienced when learning about professional Ismaili women who are making impressive progress in aiding their international community such as the Princess herself as well as the Aga Khan Foundation and its advancement in international healthcare.
Interweaving reportage, political analysis, cultural history, and spiritual travelogue, this is a modern woman’s jihad, offering for Westerners a never-before-seen look inside the heart of Islam and the emerging role of Muslim women.
The book’s biggest strength is that it manages to teach readers about Islamic history as well as progressive Islamic views in a simple comprehensible intriguing manner, identifiable with youth today.[/b]