BRATTLEBORO — In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the United States gave rise to a surge of prejudice against those perceived to be from Muslim backgrounds and countries. Owing to a relatively poor understanding here of Muslim religion and culture, those attitudes persist in some quarters to this day.
In an attempt to change those attitudes, Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro presents “Muslim Journeys: Literary Reflections in Islam,” a five-part reading and discussion series led by Amer Latif, Marlboro College professor of religious studies.
The series opens on Wednesday, April 9, at 7 p.m., in the library's meeting room with an analysis of perhaps the most celebrated literary work (outside the Koran) of all Islamic culture - the folk tale collection “The Arabian Nights.”
Frequently bowdlerized, Westernized, and abridged, “The Arabian Nights” has had many editions (and titles: it is often called “One Thousand and One Nights”).
“The different versions of this book tells us more about the West's perception of the Middle East than of Arabia itself,” says Latif. The version used for this discussion is edited by Muhsin Mahdi and translated by Husain Haddawy.
Continuing about every two weeks on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., Latif will lead discussions of the literature of Islam with four other books:
• April 23: “The Conference of the Birds” by Farid al-Din Attar; a 12th-century masterpiece of Sufi epic poetry edited and translated by Afkham Darbandi and Dick Davis.
• May 14: “Snow” by Orhan Pamuk; a multilayered postmodern novel about the political and social tensions of modern Turkey, translated by Maureen Freely.
• May 28: “Dreams of Trespass” by Fatima Mernissi; a candid picture of Morocco on the verge of independence and reform, and its impact on the roles of harem life and tradition generally.
• June 11: “Minaret” by Leila Aboulela; a novel challenging the perception that Islam oppresses women and is incompatible with a Western lifestyle.
The books are available at the library's circulation desk.
“Muslim Journeys” is presented by the National Endowment for the Humanities with the American Library Association and Ali Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies.
NEH developed a special initiative, Bridging Cultures, which says it engages the power of the humanities to promote understanding and mutual respect for people with diverse histories, cultures, and perspectives within the United States and abroad.
The series is funded in part by the Friends of Brooks Memorial Library; its local sponsor is the Vermont Humanities Council.
Latif says Brooks Memorial Library contacted him to run the series, but if it hadn't, he was prepared to contact them and volunteer.
“I too received a NEH grant to run the same series at the library in Marlboro. In the end, we joined together to present one discussion series at the Brooks for people who live in Brattleboro and Marlboro.”
Latif has taught religious studies at Marlboro College for 11 years with a focus on Islamic studies. Originally from Islamabad, Pakistan, Latif came to the United States to complete his studies. He says he elected to remain.
He holds a Ph.D. in Islamic studies from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and an undergraduate degree in physics from Bard College.
Latif's research languages include Arabic, Persian, Urdu-Hindi, and Panjabi. He has designed and taught courses in Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and Taoism.
And, he points out, he's now lived longer in the States than he has in Pakistan. He says he does and doesn't find it odd making his home in the West. “I am not the same person I used to be when I lived in Pakistan. It often feels strange when I go home to visit.”
Latif says that his goal in leading this reading and discussion series at Brooks Memorial Library is “to share Muslim voices free from some social issues in order to [help others] see truths that are transcultural. These books will provide us the chance to look through the perceptions of another culture.”
According to “Let's Talk About It: Muslim Journeys” (http://bridgingcultures.neh.gov/muslimjourneys) an NEA resource for the readings in this discussion series, Islam has long provided a source of inspiration through which Muslims experience, understand, and guide their everyday lives.
The books in the series were not chosen by Latif, but rather as part of a national initiative of NEA's Bridging Cultures.
“There are a few of the texts with which I was not that familiar before taking on this series, although others are classics which I knew very well,” Latif says.
He adds that he believes that through becoming aware of the specificity of the words found in these books, understanding between people - and cultures - becomes possible.
“I am rather curious about what kind of people will show up for this series” he admits. “I guess they must be pretty good readers to be interested in these books in the first place.”
Latif guesses that his ideal reader would be someone who is alert to nuances in the text. “But I suppose it is partly my job to help him or her achieve this,” he adds.
“I think someone who has not read a word of what we are discussing can still get something out of the series, simply by listening to what other people who have read the books might want to say. They even might have interesting things to add themselves.”
His only qualification is “that they give most of the space in discussion to those who actually have read the books.”