Dalia Shah was a European who converted to Islam. Then she met and married an Arab-European Moslem. At first things went well, but things changed. Religious differences, cultural problems, and her husband’s depression all hurt her marriage and their children.
This book tells of her early life and her dissatisfaction with Christianity in her home country. We share her travels abroad as a young woman, including a trip to Israel where she learned about Judaism. We also learn of her early studies of Buddhism. It was the Islam of the Koran that caught her, though.
Except the Islam she thought she had joined is not that of the Koran. Instead it is something skewed by people for very selfish ends. It is especially hurtful for women.
Dalia reveals the secrets of the Marriage Contract, which properly done gives the spouse ensured child, property, and divorce rights, along with freedom of travel.
The events of 9/11 absolutely effected her marriage. Her perspectives as a Christian-born European Islamic woman to the “War on Terror” and the terrorists themselves are another very interesting part of Married To Islam.
“Surprises abound here. This is a book from which Christians, Moslems, and Jews can all gain a new understanding. Any persons thinking of marrying an Islamic person should absolutely read this—the Marriage Contract information alone makes it utterly worthwhile. It was wonderful to work with Dalia. To keep such a positive spirit after all she has endured—sometimes I think she has the patience of a saint.”
—M. F. Sawyer, Coauthor
“Reading this book, I got to where I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next.”
—Rebecca McDonald
What a surprising book! On the surface it is the biography of a pretty European woman. She converted to Islam, married a Euro-Arab man, had children, was happy for a while, and then things went bad. On another level, Dalia Shah gave me more information about Islam than I ever thought I'd know!
Shah tells us that Mohammed (s) was actually pro-women! She tells us that if you marry an Islamic man, there is a way to protect yourself as regards where you live, who gets custody of any children should you divorce, alimony, child support, where you live, and whether you can work or not--and it's all Islamic! (The thing is, do most Islamic men tell their foreign wives of these thins? Once married, it's too late to arrange things correctly, so...)
Once you start this book it hooks you in a engaging way. Her life is not famous, but the characters she brings in and the facts she unveils are fascinating.
Just to be fair, I should mention I know one of the authors of this book.
"Married to Islam" by Dalia Shah and M.F. Sawyer is a valuable book in many ways. It tells of the "Truth" about Islam as seen by it's author, Dalia Shah, of whose life this book is a memoir. It tells of how Islam, as Mohammed (s) told it to his listeners, was actually very progressive and helpful for women. It tells of "The Marriage Contract" and how this can save so many hassles for persons who marry Islamic persons, especially regarding things like child custody and what to do in the case of divorce. It also talks about "Bush and Osama" and the whole Middle East debacle the US has engaged in since 9/11.
Perhaps as interesting as all the above is the character and events in the life of Dalia Shah.
"Married To Islam" is a worthwhile book in many ways. Enjoy!