Book review: Al' America
Jonathan Curiel travels through America's Arab and Islamic roots.
The Jerome Corsis of this world see a Muslim behind every bush, and according to Al' America, they're right! In the fine tradition of The Irish in America, Jonathan Curiel, a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, puts the usa through a sieve and sorts out Muslim influences on American culture.
Much of the colonization of America was made possible by Arab scholarship and innovation; Christopher Columbus relied heavily on the work of Arab astronomers and geographers. The Doors' keyboardist Ray Manzarek tips his hat to "the Arabic, minor harmonic sense" that influenced his signature sound, and surf-rock legend Dick Dale tells Curiel that his megahit "Misirlou," best known as the Pulp Fiction theme song, was "actually an Arabic song." In his most engaging chapter, Curiel analyzes Elvis Presley's near obsession with Lebanese-American poet Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet—the King sought to produce a film version of the book, and a copy was found on his nightstand after his death.
Ultimately, Curiel predicts Arab culture will transcend even the post-9/11 climate of racism and stereotyping. "From its beginning, America intersected with Arab and Muslim culture, borrowing from it, admonishing it, fearing it, coexisting with it," he writes. "The foundation of that legacy was undisturbed by 9/11."
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This author seems to overlook that much of America's interest in that part of the world centered not on Arabia, but on the Ottoman Empire. Thomas Pain made his comparisons of Islam calling it at all times "the Turkish church".
The fez on the cover of the book was a symbol of subjugation by all Ottoman citizens as official slaves of the Sultan. Turks then had no last names, all being considered one family under the Sultan.
It was the influence of Ottoman Turkey, which ruled all that part of the world at the time that held America in thrall was an exotic culture.
And no, I'm not a Turk, not by any degree. I'm a European by ethnic extraction and a Buddhist besides. I just don't much care for such obvious and unsupportable bias as this book presents.
I agree the Muslim culture has contribute good to the entire world but, nothing major and very significant compared to European. Most inventions, innovations, great works of art, music and literature came from white European Judeo/Christian males.
What a pathetic response !
"...Muslim culture has contribute good to the ENTIRE (my emphasis) world, but NOTHING (my emphasis) major..." ? Algebra, chemistry, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, the ZERO, double-entry bookkeeping - shall I keep going ?
Alan, you need to broaden your reading list !
