BORN A MUSLIM (HB)

Winner of Tata Literature Live
! Book of the Year Award- Non-fiction 2021?
Winner of Atta Galatta- Bangalore Literature Festival ? Book of the
Year 2021 (Non-fiction)? Who are the
Indian Muslims??? Are they a monolithic
community practising a faith alien to India? Or are they a diverse people,
geographically rooted in the cultural ethos of the land? Is there an ?Indian
Islam?, a religion that grew out of Arabia but was nurtured in India and
influenced by local traditions and customs? Has the power of Islam declined
over the centuries because the faithful have forgotten the spirit of the
religion, and are sticking to dogma and rigid rules instead? Born a Muslim:
Some Truths about Islam in India attempts to answer these questions by taking
a hard look at how the world?s second largest religion is practised in the
country.?? The author takes a
clear-eyed look at every aspect of Islam in India today. She examines the
factors that have stalled the socio-economic and intellectual growth of
Indian Muslims and attributes both internal factors?such as a
disproportionate reliance on the ulema?as well as external ones that have
contributed to the backwardness of the community. She shows at length, and
with great empathy and understanding, what it is like to live as a Muslim in
India and offers suggestions on how their lot might be improved. Weaving
together personal memoir, history, reportage, scholarship, and interviews
with a wide variety of people, the author highlights how an apathetic and
sometimes hostile government attitude and prejudice at all levels of society
have contributed to Muslim vulnerability and insecurity.?? Born a Muslim goes beyond stereotypes and
news headlines to present an extraordinarily compelling and illuminating
portrait of one of the largest and most diverse communities in India.