The Diversity of the Islamic Cultural Community

The children's non-fiction book "God is called Allah" represents an attempt to give young people an unprejudiced introduction to Islamic life. Ariana Mirza has read and reviewed the book for Qantara.de

"This book would be a good Christmas or birthday present," says 12-year-old Lotte. And this is just what author Stefan Weidner would like to hear. School children like Lotte are the intended audience for his book "God is called Allah," which targets German children and youths for whom Islam – despite their Muslim classmates and the media debates – is still a foreign world.

Stefan Weidner tries to interest youths in his chosen topic by addressing the issue on a personal level. He tells about his own experiences and about his Muslim friends from Egypt and Iraq. The chapter entitled "Journey through Islam" accompanies the reader through various countries, epochs and aspects of Islamic life. Weidner makes a bold attempt to portray a complex image of Islam yet without confounding the reader.

Weidner is not a Muslim, but an expert on Islam. His perspective is that of a secularized Christian – a position shared by many German families. He often addresses readers by referring to their own social background, pointing out differences and commonalities along the lines of: "we do it like this, Muslims like that."

A differentiated view of Islam

The content touched on in "God is called Allah" ranges from historical to contemporary relations between Christianity and Islam as well as questions of democracy, women's rights, terrorism and the will to violence.

The book introduces different currents within Islam and encourages the reader to adopt a differentiated viewpoint. Practical tips for everyday life are also offered. School children learn, for example, why they should take off their shoes before entering the home of a Muslim classmate when they visit.

Particular attention is given to explaining the basic beliefs and the historical development of Islam. The author tells about the life of the Prophet Mohammad and the early period of Islam. The centrality of the Koran and the suras is emphasized with several examples.

But Weidner also goes a few steps further and tries to elucidate lesser-known aspects of Muslim life. Whether in addressing the sunna or the hadith, he relies on his young audience's natural curiosity and desire to learn.

Child-friendly lessons

Despite being non-fiction, "God is called Allah" is not just a dry lesson. Appropriate illustrations, the author's personal way of addressing readers, and the short chapters punctuated with informational digressions and quotes make the reading easier and spark children's interest in the various topics.

On a more critical note, the organization of the chapters seems somewhat haphazard. For example, the chapter on "What to pay attention to when visiting with Muslims" is rather awkwardly followed by a section on terrorism and Osama bin Laden.

Yet Weidner's book is even worthwhile in those moments where he seems to open up more questions than he answers. Attentive readers will begin to wonder, for example, when they read about the Buraq, a mounted creature that carried the Prophet.

While illustrator Marc-Alexander Schulze keeps to the Persian-Indian tradition and portrays Buraq with a woman's head, the text merely describes a "white mounted animal, half mule, half donkey." This discrepancy perhaps unintentionally introduces young readers to the diversity of Islamic culture in the past and the present.

Ariana Mirza

Translated from the German by Christina M. White

Allah heißt Gott (“God is called Allah”) by Stefan Weidner, with illustrations by Marc-Alexander Schulze, was released in November 2006. Price: € 14,90, 240 pages, bound, published by Fischer Schatzinsel

Qantara.de

Germany
Islam on the Curriculum
Until now, only Koran schools have offered lessons in the Islamic religion to Muslim children in Germany. Now, pilot programmes are to be carried out at German schools, too. Max Bönnemann reports.

Communities of Memory
The Task of Teaching History
How do young people from immigrant families living in Germany relate to the history that they are taught in school? An interview with educationalist and sociologist Viola Georgi.

Germany
Schools Trail Significantly in Immigrant Education
A newly published PISA study reveals that children of immigrants have fewer chances to succeed in German schools than they do in almost any other industrial state