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Randa Abdel-Fattah

Randa Abdel-Fattah Books

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“Get out of here, Adam! You don't judge people. We're not a plural, or some big bloc, all acting and feeling and saying the same things. You judge individuals. Anyway, it goes both ways. I've got family friends who think all Anglos are drunk wife-bashers slumped in front of Springer with a stubby in their hands." "Are you serious?" "Yes. Dead serious. Should I make an excuse for them? Oh they're allowed to think that. After all they've never really had a conversation with a sober Anglo. If it sounds so ridiculous for your background, then why doesn't it for ours?”

PeopleStereotypesJudging Others
Book:Does My Head Look Big in This?
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“Amal, it's naïve to think that because somebody is ignorant they are a bad person. I feel so much for Leila because I know that she understands that she can be all she wants to be, not in spite of Islam, but because of it." "It's her mum's stupid fault." "Amal, Gulchin's just trying to bring up Leila in the only way she knows how. She married young. She never had the opportunity to gain an education. She can't read. She can't write. Her world has always been about raising her children and looking after her home. There's nothing wrong with that, if that's what she chooses." "Yeah, but she's forcing it on Leila!" "Which is wrong. But try to expand your mind and think about things from other people's perspectives. Everything is relative, If you want to understand a problem you look at its cause. You don't look at its manifestation." "How is that supposed to make Leila feel better?" She sighs, playing with my hair. "God knows... Sometimes, Amal, people are paralysed by their traditions and customs It's all they know, so you can't judge them for following and believing what they know." "Come off it, Mum! Any moron would realize that she following her village's culture, not Islam. So for her to g around and tell the world it's Islam when it's the exact opposite is so dumb!" "Yes, I know that. But from her point of view I believe she thinks she is simply trying to protect Leila." "Protect her from what? It's a crappy shopping spree" "Everybody's scared of what they don't know, Amal.”

CultureFearParentsChoiceOver Protectiveness
Book:Does My Head Look Big in This?
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“Once upon a time, a fisherman went out to sea. He caught many fish and threw them all into a large bucket on his boat. The fish were not yet dead, so the man decided to ease their suffering by killing them swiftly. While he worked, the cold air made his eyes water. One of the wounded fish saw this and said to the other: "What a kind heart this fisherman has- see how he cries for us." The other fish replied: "Ignore his tears and watch what he is doing with his hands.”

MenHeartKindMadeSaidHandsEyeSufferingWaterWatchesSawsAirSeaCryTearsColdDecidedKillingCaughtFishesBoatEaseHis EyesWoundedOnce Upon A TimeBucketsFishermanKind HeartCold Air
Author:Randa Abdel-Fattah
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“Most Muslim women know it is fear and curiosity that cause people to stare. They know it is ignorance and stereotypes that cause people to suppose that a piece of material covering the hair strips a woman of the ability to speak English, pursue a career, work a remote control.”

PeopleKnowsSpeakCausesAbilityCareersPiecesIgnoranceMaterialsHairCuriosityPursueStaringStereotypeCoveringSpeak EnglishMuslim WomenRemote ControlAbility To Speak
Author:Randa Abdel-Fattah
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“Religious celebrations, and the good will, high spirits and generosity that mark them, are wonderful occasions for understanding the potential of 'everyday multiculturalism', and how people from diverse faiths can connect and show they care, rather than go down parallel, sometimes hostile, roads.”

PeopleSometimesShowsCareSpiritUnderstandingReligiousWonderfulMarkEverydayOccasionsGenerosityCelebrationDiverseHostileMulticulturalismParallelsGood Will
Author:Randa Abdel-Fattah
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