Of Hockey and Hijab

Literary Nonfiction. Middle Eastern Studies. African American Studies. Asian American Studies. In these thoughtful essays, Sheema Khan--Canadian hockey mom and Harvard PhD--gives us her own pointed insights on the condition of being a modern and liberal, yet practising Muslim, especially in Canada. Tackling a host of issues, such as terrorism, human rights, Islamic law, women's rights, and the meaning of hijab, she explains Islam to the greater public while calling for mutual understanding and tolerance. She tells us Why Muslims are angry, and You can't pigeonhole 1.2 billion Muslims (post 9/11), while calling on Muslims to acknowledge the rise of fanaticism. She explains the plausibility of Islamic financing and applies the Charter of Rights to Canada. Can there be Islamic democracy? she asks, and then, Will Quebec adopt France's peculiar brand of liberty? Provocative and original, even-handed and conciliatory, these essays are an important contribution to an urgent modern debate.