islam

 Iranian cinema is known for its fine arts movies and the director Majid Majidi is the star. The Willow Tree is a sad, poetic and sentimental movie.  It tells the story of a middle-aged man, Youssef, a professor who lectures on Rumi, who has been blind since childhood. Youssef, under the loving care of his wife, is sent to France for an experimental surgery to possibly help him regain his sight.  While he is in the hospital, recovering from his sight-saving surgery, he strikes up a friendship with a man who is slowly going blind. They helping each other to prepare for the journeys ahead of

This historical novel, Muhammad follows the life of Muhammad from his birth in 570 CE to his death in 632. Each chapter gives the view of a particular person in Muhammad’s circle of friends, family, followers, foes. Muhammad is orphaned at an early age, grows up to work as a merchant, does not see himself as divine. He is visited by the angel, Gabriel and told to recite. After a period of resisting this directive, Muhammad does cooperate and recites the Koran (which means “to recite”). This leads to his becoming the leader of a new religion which asks of it’s followers to renounce their

Stones into Schools: Promoting peace with books, not bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, picks up where the author’s first book, the best-seller Three Cups of Tea, left off. (See review of Three Cups of Tea in Staff Picks blogs.) The Central Asia Institute (CAI) which author Greg Mortenson founded in the 90’s continues to build schools in Pakistan, and has expanded its efforts into neighboring Afghanistan. Though Mortenson longs to spend more of his time in these two countries, it becomes increasingly clear that his ability to raise funds and awareness by promoting his books requires him to