"As the United Arab Emirates' ambassador to Russia...Ghobash records from a uniquely broad perspective about being Muslim in a post-9/11 world. His Oxford-educated British accent lends further gravitas for American ears." — Library Journal From the Ambassador of the UAE to Russia comes Letters to a Young Muslim, a bold and intimate exploration of what it means to be a Muslim in the twenty-first century. This program is read by the author. In a series of personal letters to his sons, Omar Saif Ghobash offers a short and highly readable manifesto that tackles our current global crisis with the training of an experienced diplomat and the personal responsibility of a father. Today’s young Muslims will be tomorrow’s leaders, and yet too many are vulnerable to extremist propaganda that seems omnipresent in our technological age. The burning question, Ghobash argues, is how moderate Muslims can unite to find a voice that is true to Islam while actively and productively engaging in the modern world. What does it mean to be a good Muslim? What is the concept of a good life? And is it acceptable to stand up and openly condemn those who take the Islamic faith and twist it to suit their own misguided political agendas? In taking a hard look at these seemingly simple questions, Ghobash encourages his sons to face issues others insist are not relevant, not applicable, or may even be Islamophobic. These letters serve as a clear-eyed inspiration for the next generation of Muslims to understand how to be faithful to their religion and still navigate through the complexities of today’s world. They also reveal an intimate glimpse into a world many are unfamiliar with and offer to provide an understanding of the everyday struggles Muslims face around the globe.
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“He’s his own ideal narrator, with traces of his Oxford-educated British accent lending further gravitas for American ears. His first chapter’s opening endearments addressed to his sons, ‘Habeebie Saifie and Habeebie Abdullah,’ immediately, warmly underscore his family devotion.”
— Library Journal (starred audio review)
“Omar Saif Ghobash[’s]…narration adds to the weight of his words. His emotional investment in his message is reflected in his tone and emphasis while his accent and ability to comfortably switch to Arabic where relevant make him a strong narrator.”
— AudioFile“Addresses thorny questions with a parent’s compassion and a diplomat’s delicate tread.”
— Harper’s“Ghobash encourages the reader to accept a modern, enlightened path that embraces diversity…[and] creates hope for a world in which people are smart enough to work together toward a common good rather than claw at one another while slowly sinking in quicksand.”
— New York Times Book Review“A powerful celebration of common humanity and compassion over religious particularity and hatred and deserves to be read widely by people of all faiths and none.”
— Sunday Times Book Review (London)One of Library Journal's Best Nonfiction Audiobooks of 2017 pick.
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Omar Saif Ghobash is the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Russia. In addition to his post in Moscow, he sponsors the Saif Ghobash–Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation and is a founding trustee of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in collaboration with the Booker Prize in London. He studied law at Oxford and math at the University of London.