For February 2012, our new Online Book Club is discussing The Muslim Next Door: The Qur'an, the Media, and that Veil Thing, by Sumbul Ali-Karamali.  This is one of the books chosen for the community reading program, Silicon Valley Reads, which this year focuses on the theme "Muslim and American."

Each week, we'll put forth a different question to prompt reflection on the book and its ideas.  We hope you will participate in the discussion by leaving comments below!

For Week 3, we'd like to ask:

Can you think of aspects of your own tradition/culture/religion that could be misunderstood or perceived in a negative light?

Throughout her book Ms. Ali-Karamali writes about how Islam is misunderstood and often confused with culture/politics.  She writes about the misunderstandings her friends and co-workers had about her religious beliefs and practices, ranging from dating to the role of women, to evolution. 

As a child, my family was never involved in any organized religion.  Upon leaving my hometown for college, I was surprised to have new friends and acquaintances ask me how I could live a moral life without a religion to guide me.  My parents had taught me much about evaluating a situation and acting in a responsible manner; yet my friends wondered how I could know I was doing the right thing if I didn’t have a religious text or tradition to turn to.

This is only my personal experience, but perhaps you have a completely different experience you would like to share.  Tell us:  Can you think of aspects of your own tradition/culture/religion that could be misunderstood or perceived in a negative light?

See our Online Book Club page for more information about this book and to preview the next weeks' questions

On Saturday February 12, 2011 in celebration of 2011 Silicon Valley Reads, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library had the privilege to host the author Michelle Richmond. The author spoke about her book The Year of Fog and the audience enjoyed the presentation during which the author read from her book, spoke of her experience as a writer, and the interpretation of her writings. Questions were asked concerning the plot, characters, and scenes from Ms. Richmond’s books. Ms. Richmond explained how she embedded many themes in her writings including memory, Costa Rica, photography and a darkroom. The audience had a wonderful time asking questions about The Year of Fog and enjoyed the interaction with the author. If you weren't able to attend Michelle Richmond’s presentation, there are many other additional 2011 Silicon Valley Reads activities.