Silent No More: Confronting America's False Imagse of Islam : 
By Findley, Paul.Beltsville, Maryland: 
Amana Publications, 2001,323 pp. $23.95 (paper back $15.95)

Paul Findley is probably the lone 'great defender' of the 'Images of Islam' in the West. Given the smearing Islam and the Muslims get in the U.S. media, it comes something of surprise to find a resolutely fair-minded person trying to uncover the reality beneath the crudely painted false portrayals.

Silent No More is Findley's fifth book, and undeniably very straightforward and impressive. He has to do a challenging job and with he help of anecdotes, personal experiences and valuable insights he did a splendid job of clearing away misunderstandings of Islam.

America is a land of promise as much for the newly arrived faith as the established religious groups. Unfortunately, a complex struggle in a distant land has been manipulated to label Islam as a threat to the world order, and very few dare to challenge the stereotyping of the Muslims. The Muslims are a growing minority in America, and are slowly rising to claim their rightful place in the multicultural milieu. This may appear to some powerful groups as threatening their dominance.

Paul Findley was a member of Congress for 22 years and from his tumultuous but successful re-election campaign for Congress in 1980 he learned how painful stereotyping could be.

Muslims face difficulties in day-to-day life despite the constitutional guarantees, not only because of the adverse media coverage, or bigotry, but also because of the public ignorance about Muslim faith and culture. The fast-growing Muslim community partly shares the blame as it made scant efforts to introduce themselves as caring citizens. Recent tragic events have cemented the stereotyping of the Muslims as intolerant, blindly 'anti-Americans'. Despite vocal condemnation of the 'WTC' attack, the stigma is not easy to blot out.

Paul Findley, like many other fair-minded Americans, wishes to stress the common roots of 'Abarhimic faith' that bind most of us living in North America. Just only because a small fanatic group misbehaved does not mean all of them should be declared 'enemies' and unfit to be part of civilized word, the same way as some professed Christians and Jews violate the code of civilized conduct by reprehensible acts. Findley lost his congressional seat but he has not given up his mission of creating awareness among unfriendly neighbors about the ties that bind them and someday will break the barriers that separate them.

In writing this book Findley's goal is 'interfaith understanding', and we hope his powerful groundbreaking presentation will have a soothing impact on frayed nerves, and bring profound changes at least among those who will have access to this wonderful 300+ narrative. It has 13 chapters, including one on "Taliban factor' that might catch the attention immediately.

Findley is an ardent advocate of Muslim block vote. Unfortunately, the Muslims in America are badly divided on various fault lines, and very few have the broader picture in front of them. They should realize that a plethora of limited agendas leads them nowhere. They have to prioritize and concentrate on one or two maximally common goals.

The last chapter "The Challenge Ahead" contains some serious suggestions, and the two appendices are also very thought provoking.

Highly recommended for all Muslims and especially for Muslim leaders and activists.

February / March 2002