An Abundance of Scorpions by Hadiza El-Rufai. I remember reading this book and having so many questions about Islam, jotting my questions on sticky notes and carefully placing them on the pages of the book. I loved that the book helped me see beyond the blanket of religion, to the people beneath, the people so easily hidden behind the stereotypical perception of what it is to be Muslim. I loved the tenderness in Tambaya’s immediate family, it solidified my belief in kindness; that it is an individual’s decision. How the orphanage where Tambaya works assigned religion to the children is very telling of how many of us acquired our beliefs. It made me think of how our first contact with religion starts from the family we are born into and how this is usually the foundation of our faith. I know and understand that it isn’t set in stone, but I can’t help but wonder, if we were allowed to make our decisions as we grow, would we make the same decisions? Finally, love is messy but so is life and all the things in between. The important thing is how we navigate all the things that are thrown at us. I have read An Abundance of Scorpions through once and gone back to read specific chapters, passages that I marked down, so yes, I have revisited it and will keep revisiting it. #readinglist #bookstagram #readinglist2018 #religion https://www.instagram.com/p/B5S0BpKForc/?igshid=48zhlg3683oj
