Blog Post #15: Jolin

Summary:

In The Name of God by Paula Jolin, tells the story of Nadia, a seventeen-year-old girl living in Syria who is a good student, a devoted Muslim, and a loving daughter. Amidst the chaos of living under a distrustful Syrian government, struggling with the Westernization of her friends and family members, and the economic and social hardships her country is facing, Nadia clings to the only thing that is stable in her life: Islam. Following the arrest of her cousin Fowzi, who speaks out against the authorities, Nadia feels an even stronger pull towards her fundamentalist Muslim beliefs, even though she knows it may get her in trouble. As the story evolves, Nadia meets a young boy named Walid, who shares some of her fundamentalist beliefs. She feels connected to him because his ideas are more like her own than her family’s.  Nadia’s desire to stand up for herself and the Muslims of Syria is so strong that she contemplates giving up her life in the name of her beliefs. Through a detailed narrative, In The Name of God discusses important aspects of modern society in the Middle East, and provides American readers with a perspective that is extremely important, but rarely provided. 

I think this novel provides a really interesting perspective into what we, as Americans, perceive as Muslim extremism, and what others simply see as defending their beliefs and way of life. I also like the fact that it provides readers with an understanding of how Americans are perceived in the Middle East. This is a perspective that is never provided to Americans, and I think it is an extremely valuable for students to encounter.

One concern I have about utilizing this novel in the classroom is that while I was reading it I didn't actually connect or engage until around page 68.  Even though I’m an adult reader, who actively pays attention to the politics and current affairs occurring in the Middle East, I still struggled to connect with the world in which Nadia lives. With that being said, I really don’t know how my students would connect with this novel. In order to utilize this novel in the classroom, it would be extremely important to include a lot of background information.