Ghobash’s “Letters to a Young Muslim” follows the literary tradition of a family elder passing down insights to a younger generation, specifically in this case, his two teenage sons, as well as other young Muslim women and men. Rizvi’s specific criticisms of the Muslim orthodoxy as stated in the Quran are surgically accurate. For centuries we have known that the holy books of most religions have the same weaknesses. Choosing to demonstrate faith in humanity’s ultimate goodness, despite all the evidence to the contrary, allows us to embrace certain religious teachings. But it does not relieve us of the responsibility of choosing which teachings express that faith and dismissing those that do not.

Source: New York Times January 11, 2017 10:00 UTC