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Friday, January 18, 2008
Fighting the war on error
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Melody Moezzi, an Emory Law School grad who lives in Decatur, had a great idea for a book: Interview Muslim Americans in their 20s, people like herself, and write about how different they are, one from the other, and all from our lazy, easy American stereotypes of Muslims.
Great idea, said a couple of publishers. Toss in a terrorist and we’ll publish it. D’oh!
Fortunately, Moezzi held firm and got the University of Arkansas Press to publish her first book, “War on Error.” It’s spirited and smart and full of surprises, like Moezzi herself. She will discuss and sign the book at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Jan. 18, at Wordsmith Books in Decatur.
Moezzi, who’s 28, has an activist’s spirit. She’s upset that some people are using Islam to establish governments that oppress people, especially women; that’s not the Islam she finds when she reads her Quran, she says. And she’s upset that in the wake of 9/11, too many American are willing to see only the worst in Islam.
So she introduces us to gay Muslims, and feminist Muslims, and Muslims who talk like any other American in his or her 20s: passionate, questioning, confused sometimes, angry, loving.
“War on Error” won’t make the best-seller list and I admit, it sounds sort of specialized, but I have a feeling that Moezzi’s appearance will probably be hopping and worth attending.
In the meantime, since probably very few have read “War on Error,” let’s talk about prejudice. Has there been a book that helped you overcome a prejudice or see a group of people differently? “Roots” maybe? Something from your childhood? I’ll be interested if we get any responses.
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