The Butterfly Mosque by Willow Wilson
In this memoir, Willow Wilson, who was raised by atheist
parents, describes her search for religion after a serious illness. She was a
college student when she fell ill, and as she began to investigate religions,
she decided that she was a monotheist.
Islam seemed to her to be the choice she would be most comfortable with.
She began to take college courses in Islamic Studies and other Middle Eastern
courses. After she graduated, she talked
a girlfriend into moving to Cairo, Egypt with her to teach in an English-language high school.
She converts to Islam once there, and begins to immerse
herself in the culture and religion. It is a lot more difficult than she
anticipated. She meets Omar, a young man who resents Western influences in his
country. They forge a fast friendship, and begin to spend most of their time
together. In that culture, men and women
do not date, so their relationship is challenging as they try to navigate the
two cultures. Eventually they marry. Wilson records her struggle to forge a “third
culture” that will accommodate her values without compromising them or
alienating her friends and family at home, or those she comes to value in
Egypt.
She offers insights into Islamic culture, distinguishing carefully
between the radical fundamentalists who hate the West and the majority of
peaceful Muslims. An interesting look at an often misunderstood and polarizing
faith.
320 pages
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