I was in the Atlanta airport not too long ago when I saw a woman wearing a hijab herding several children onto the train at the A gates. She had definitely drawn attention, with looks ranging from hostile to curious. I caught myself staring, too, grappling with stereotypes and conflicting emotions.
So when I got home, I ordered a copy of Rory Stewart’s “The Places In Between.” It had been on my list since I saw a review in the New York Times in June. It’s a remarkable book. Stewart decided to walk across Afghanistan, and he did this only months after 9/11. He takes in a decrepit old fighting dog along the way that he names Babur.
It quickly becomes apparent that Afghanistan — and Islam — are far more complex than most Westerners fathom. I guess that shouldn’t come as a surprise after the way we completely misunderstood Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. The Afghanistan Stewart encounters is by turns exceedingly cruel, primitive and hospitable. Where else could you have someone taking pot shots at you one minute and be welcomed into a complete stranger’s house the next? This book definitely is worth picking up.
After I finished it, I bought a copy of his next book, “The Prince of the Marshes: And Other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq.” But before I had a chance to start that, I stumbled across Karen Armstrong’s “Islam: A Short History.” It’s a clear, concise history of Islam that really has helped me get my head around the topic. Or at least scratch the surface. It’s frightening to think we live in a country that is at war against Islamic extremism and most of us don’t know the difference between a Sunni and Shiite Muslim.