Torn Between Two Cultures: An Afghan-American Woman Speaks Out

For myself, this book was absolutely amazing. I went into it knowing next to nothing about the East and the religion of Islam. This book was an excellent introduction to both topics. Maryam Qudrat Aseel is a wonderful writer; the book has a great flow and an a unique setup. The in-depth look between relations in the U.S. and Afghanistan is well done. It's an interesting read and I highly recommend it.

I was really impressed on the way Maryam Qudrat Aseel explained the events in her book so thoroughly.I enjoyed reading the details she gave in describing the circumstances of both the Afghans inAfghanistan and the Afghan-American community in the United States particularly in theLos Angeles area. She was able to emphasize in a way that was easy for me to understand theconditions, lifestyle and the difficulties that are facing the Afghan-American community.This book is a complete book of one's personal account under an an extreme and unique experience. It was fascinating how the author fully described her personal experiences within culture and politics of Afghanistan before and after the Soviet invasion. What important here is she took the time to explain the differences between Islam and politics or somebody's ideology. This is very important since so many people do not really know what Islam is about. She did a very good job in the explanation. This book I believe would be a good idea for college textbook for such courses as sociology, or philosophy. It is one of the books that should be read for the intellectual mind.

I found this book to be an intelligent and thoughtful meditation on the Afghan-American experience. By weaving her own story as an American-born daughter of Afghan parents with stories of those who came to the U.S. during the wars in Afghanistan, the author shows us the great diversity of a people that are too often pigeonholed into a limited identity. When she describes (with candor and humor) her coming of age in the early 1990s, it is very interesting to see how perceptions of Muslims and Middle Easterners during the first Gulf War compare with perceptions now. The author also discusses in depth her views on the difference between Islam as the Koran presents it, as it is practiced by Muslims, and as it is viewed by those unfamiliar with the religion. It was heartening to read how her process of coming to her own understanding of Islam helped her see through many of the stereotypes that even she initially held about her religion and people, and how it gave her the strength and confidence to participate in practical solutions: becoming involved in community activism and working as an educator. Altogether, I thought this book did an excellent job at taking a very complex set of problems and sorting them out in an accessible, objective, and even-handed way. The author's project to encourage meaningful communication between the east and west is commendable.

Torn Between Two Cultures should be required readingin every high school in America. This book dispels somuch misunderstanding about what Islam is and replaces it with insights into both the culture ofAfghan Americans and into the religious beliefs andpractices of the real Islam. This passionate, open-heartedoffering of Maryam's oddessy of exploring and embracingher own faith and sharing it with the reader is anillumination of her Islam and her passage from girlhoodto womanhood in her secular and religious development. She is a scholar, a citizen and woman of purpose and accomplishment who brings us an offering of love and wisdom which bridges the gap betweenmisinformation and truth about the circumstances inAfghanistan,what our own country's responsibilities inthat country and practical information about the politicalsituation and the desperate need of the Afghan people.I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking anunderstanding of Islam, and Afghanistan. Reading ithas been a very rich experience.

Finally, I read a book that explains the madness in the world - in a way that is interesting and readable. Torn Between Two Cultures opened my eyes to the realities that Muslims live through in this country and why it is so important for everyone including Muslims to realize that Islam is separate from the politics and culture of the Middle East. There is so much information packed into this succint book, and the author's Afghan-American identity helps guide the Muslim and non-Muslim reader through our new ideological war.