In the Name of God

I just finished reading a young adult novel titled In the Name of God, written by Paula Jolin. Both the title and the front cover--a girl reading the Qur'an--attracted me when I came across this book in the library.

I looked at the ratings for this book on Amazon. All readers highly recommended the book. I noticed too that all readers, like Ms. Joline, were non-Muslims.

As a Muslim, I had a different response. The book made me very uncomfortable. The story is of a 17-year old Syrian girl named Nadia and her anger at the U.S. over treatment of Iraqis and Palestinians. Step by step she becomes involved in a plotting a terrorist attack, though her intentions are often far from religious. In the end she must make what is, for her, a difficult choice.

Ms. Jolin did show Nadia's progression toward terrorism, but I still don't understand how a serious, religious school girl can change so quickly. The triggers were there, but I'm not sure they were strong enough.

Nadia's main fault, as I saw the book, is that she is very self-righteous. This continues also until the end. It was annoying--but would she volunteer to become a suicide bomber?

The author and I both have strengths and weaknesses in approaching this story. Her strength is that she has lived in the Middle East for several years. My strength is that I'm a Muslim and I see events through Muslim eyes. Maybe her portrayal of a young girl in Syria was right on the mark. I've never been to Syria so I can't say.

But, as I said, this book made me uncomfortable, and probably for the same reason I always squirm when I hear the word "terrorism." Religious Muslims are usually blamed. But as a Muslim I know that those of us who follow our religion strictly would never offer to kill innocent people.