Karima Bennoune - Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here: Untold Stories from the Fight Against Muslim Fundamentalism
Eye-opening accounts of heroic resistance to religious extremism. In Algeria, publisher Omar Belhouchet and his fellow journalists struggled to put out their papers the same night that a 1996 jihadist bombing devastated Press House, killing eighteen of their colleagues and neighbors. In Afghanistan, Young Women for Change took to the streets of Kabul to denounce sexual harassment, undeterred by threats. And many more… From North Africa to South Asia and beyond, women and men of Muslim heritage challenge fundamentalism and terrorism in their own countries through artistic expression, journalism, grassroots organizing and public protest – no matter the risk or the lack of international support.
“This work redefines courage in a humbling dimension. Bennoune’s meticulous testament serves as a warning to the complacent and rebukes ‘politically correct’ posturing that makes excuses for the inexcusable and canvasses tolerance for the intolerable.” Wole Soyinka, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize for Literature
In Lahore , Pakistan Algeria ,
publisher Omar Belhouchet and his fellow journalists struggled to put out their
papers the same night that a 1996 jihadist bombing devastated their offices,
killing eighteen of their colleagues and neighbors. In Afghanistan ,
Young Women for Change took to the streets of Kabul
to denounce sexual harassment, undeterred by threats. In Minneapolis ,
Minnesota Egypt ,
female demonstrators tried to reclaim Tahrir Square
on international women’s day despite Salafist harassment. In neighboring Sudan ,
women activists were dragged away from a Khartoum
protest against the flogging of women for wearing trousers, but vowed to return
“again and again.”
From Karachi to Tunis ,
Kabul to Tehran ,
across the Middle East , North Africa ,
South Asia , and beyond, these trailblazers sometimes
risked death to combat the rising tide of fundamentalism within their own
countries and communities. Despite their courage and creativity, and the urgency of
their efforts, this global community of writers, artists, doctors, musicians,
museum curators, lawyers, activists, and educators of Muslim heritage remains
largely invisible at the international level, lost amid the heated coverage of
Islamist terror attacks on one side and abuses perpetrated against suspected
terrorists on the other.
Increasingly frustrated with the stagnant, politicized
public dialogue about the “clash of civilizations,” Karima Bennoune, an
international human-rights lawyer, professor and activist, set out on an epic
journey to change the conversation. She interviewed nearly 300 people from
almost 30 countries, from Afghanistan
to Mali and
beyond. A veteran of twenty years of human rights research and activism,
Bennoune draws on this extensive fieldwork and interviews to illuminate the
inspiring stories of those who represent one of the best hopes for ending
fundamentalist oppression worldwide.
“A powerful and captivating tribute to those brave women and men who have stood up to fundamentalist violence in their own countries from Afghanistan to Mali, this book will hopefully inspire a new and improved international human rights response.” (Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights)
“Courageous and passionate, illuminating the confiscated lives of secularists, religious minorities, and Muslims alike. Yet what is striking is not their victimhood but their resilience and resistance—that is where hope lies.” (Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran)
“For too long, these types of voices, those Muslims who stand for individual freedom, debate, creativity, and compassion, have been ignored. But if we are ever to defeat the extremists, the counter narratives they provide to the distorted version of Islam need to be heard loud and clear.” (Ali Soufan, author of The Black Banners)
“Bennoune, and those she profiles, bravely meets the tide of extremism with a sense of shared community and nonviolent purpose.” (Kirkus Reviews)
“Starred review. Her interviews sear with passion as her subjects deconstruct false views of Islam and inaccurate readings of the Qur’an. Again and again, Bennoune shines a spotlight on those who battle with intelligence and creativity against guns and bloodlust. She has created a significant and compelling record of modern life in which she spares no one, from the right wing to the left.” (Booklist)
http://www.karimabennoune.com/books/your-fatwa-does-not-apply-here
