Loose Bibliography and explanation of research

Throughout this blog, I have referred to a variety of books, making comments without always providing references, and I haven't sufficiently proven that I had a basis for my comments. Some may have seemed more outlandish because of that. This research has taken the better part of five or six years. Many of the books are three to four hundred pages, others are seven to eight hundred. These are not listed in chronological order to how I read them. Though that was with the start of Christian apologetics, then the study of Morocco, with language emphasis built in. Then I expanded to a variety of historical and anthropological works, some geographical as well. Early on I did a study of Morocco online, checking on various cities and villages, moving on to current events. Some of this was Reuters or BBC reporting. And so on. I do not claim to be a great scholar, but I have put a good effort into trying to understand a variety of subjects and peoples.

I have noted those books that are slanted as Christian works(+), those that are written by and supportive of Muslims (*), if one then the other (*,+), and if no obvious slant is noted, then there is no mark.
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Korans and Bibles
*The Qur'an translation by Abdullah Yousef Ali, published by Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an Inc., Elmhurst N.Y. It is simply a Koran with an index at the back. I read it first.

*The Meaning of the Illustrious Qur'an by Allama Abdullah Yousef Ali, Sh. Muhammed Ashraf publishers and booksellers. This is a Koran with index, footnotes, and introductions to each sura. Gives timeframes and some interpretations.

+The Bible has been King James, New American Standard, or a NIV Study Bible.

Christian Apologetics:
+Answering Islam-Geisler/Saleeb
+The Cross and the Crescent-Colin Chapman, and workbook, seminar and follow-up seminars and meetings
+Sharing the Salt-Ida Glasser (main teacher of seminar and an education in herself)
+Inside Islam-Reza Safa
+Secrets of the Koran-Don Richardson
+Paul Meet Mohammed-Licona

Anthropological and Historical
The Adventures of Ibn Battuta by Ross Dunn
Veiled Sentiments: Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society-Lila Abu Lughod
*An Arab History of the Crusades-Gabrietti. Startlingly brilliant, it both makes you recoil from some of the things Christians were accused of doing, and makes you understand perhaps why based on the Muslims own bragging of what they did to them. Quotes first person, second person, and close period third person testimonies. Don't think they were thinking ahead about who might read these. Assumed everyone would agree with their choices. As I said, many times bragging about it. Don't tell me to apologize for the Crusades any more! (Or at least both sides should.)

The Sign and the Seal by Graham Hancock explores the Ethiopian church, the presence of the Knights Templar after some crusades, and the history of the Ethiopian church in relation to Jewish history (long before Islam). I was particularly interested as this was once Abyssinia-the place where Mohammed fled to which was known as a Christian nation. I was curious if the Muslims had shown any tolerance and appreciation for that. Huge book.

*History of Islam, vol. II by Prof. Masud al Hasan., pub. Islamic Publications Limited. It discusses the development of Islam from about 900's to late 1800's. Also huge.
*The Heirs of the Prophet Mohammed and the Roots of the Sunni-Shia Schism by Barnaby Rogerson. Early history of first four caliphs.

The Slave Trade: the Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade 1440-1870 by Hugh Thomas. As a history of Africa, it implicates Muslims at least as much as Christianized nations, some footnotes about land routes to North Africa, Middle East, Red Sea and Indian Ocean. Gigantic tome, much detail.
*Taliban-Ahmed Rashid
From Babylon to Timbuktu-Windsor. Weird book. Discussed the lost tribes of Israel, and where it is believed they settled based on known Jewish tribes, nomadic or not. Also locates presence of some Christian tribes.

Biographies/testimonies:
*Inside the Kingdom by Carmen Ben Laden, former sister-in-law to Osama
*,+ Married to Muhammed-marital problems of woman who married a Muslim
*Stolen Lives by Malika Oufker-daughter of man implicated in assassination attempt on Hassan II of Morocco. She'd been raised in palace along with his daughter.
Mogador, Mon Amour-by Crespil. A Jewish woman's life in Morocco in mid 20th century.
Documentary by Christianne Ammanpour-about the treatment of women. Had the part about Afghan women who can't work to support themselves. They must stay at home or work in the black market.
*+Lebanon, a Harvest of Love-Layyah A. Barakat. Story of Christian church, missions.
*+ Voices Behind the Veil-Ergun Caner
*The Trouble with Islam-Irshad Marji
*Princess-a true story of life behind the veil in Saudi Arabia about a Saudi princess as told to and recorded by Jean P. Sasson
*Now They Call Me Infidel by Nonie Darwish-problems of independent Muslim girl
Travail In an Arab Land-account by Samuel Romanelli, translated from the Hebrew. -A Jewish man's account of being stranded in the Rif from 1787 to 1790. Classic.
*Inside Al Queda-Mohammed Sifaoui. A moderate Muslim journalist infiltrated it.

Some were geographical:
Two Against the Sahara by Michael Asher
Sahara by Michael Palin. Also watched tv documentaries of his trips through Morocco
and in the desert (Algeria, with stops at Tindouf) and throughout the Sahara.

Explorers-a photographic history of exploration by Richard Sale, Smithsonian pub., also one about Africa. Not just photographs, lot of history.

Research on Morocco
(Travel guides with their descriptions, pictures, history, and explanations.)
Rough Guide to Morocco
Timeless Places: Morocco by Annette Solyst, Barnes and Noble pub.
Escape to Morocco-Fodor's
Morocco-Past and Present-G. Borosio, pub. Metrobooks
a small pocketbook one, Morocco something, can't find
Several others that I studied, taking notes on at the bookstore, without buying. Etc.

In addition to these, I spent considerable time in trying to brush up on both my Spanish and French. This includes reading and making charts of dozens of verbs in the 501 verb books, both Spanish and French. Read through all 501 verbs, but didn't do tests at back. Ok, 1002 verbs. I tend to forget them when not using.
Reading devotions in my French Bible for a couple of years.
Also French/English booklet on how to speak English with their French definitions and a French/Spanish one too. Hey, they were on clearance for $1 each!


Multiple (dozens) of articles online : about Tindouf and the political prisoners there, and their subsequent release. Research on various cities and villages in Morocco, about Ceuta and Melilla, and those trying to flee Africa. About Moroccan military doing exercises with Spanish to catch illegal immigrants, or emigrants as the case might be. Canary Islands-same. Some were Reuters, others BBC, Wikkipedia, and so on.

Several National Geographics on multiple places in Middle East, North Africa, included Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Saudi, Morocco, Ethiopia.
Couple of Geography texts in which I read sections on India, Saudi, Ethiopia, and Morocco as well as some medical texts. I read those to find out about foot and arm surgery as research for how to treat, stave off bleeding of folks with arms and feet amputated. I needed this for info for writing a book. (Oh, need I mention I've studied lots of books on how to write, during the same time period as well. Don't know that it helped!) Also parts of survival training books.
Some encyclopediac work on geography and history. A few locations but as those were old editions, even some of the most famous Muslim figures were not deemed sufficiently important to have been included. The Golden Book Encyclopedias, and The Encyclopedia Americana. The first are for kids, so simplified to cover basics. The other-a benefit of old stuff, is that they haven't been edited to simplistic levels by folks that consider the info irrelevent. Written before the point of dumbing down our education began-back when they tried to be thorough.

Fictional
Points in Time by Paul Bowles
Helen Fielding's book about refugee camps-Cause Celeb, and her book on terrorists: Olivia Joules and Her Overactive Imagination
The Siege of Isfahan by Rufin-Muslim wars and culture from woman's point of view


Also bought and studied several Mediterranean cookbooks. This not only helped me learn to appreciate their cuisine, but it startled me. Having studied some Mexican food cookbooks earlier, I found great similarities between the two. I realized that which I already knew, that the Moors who'd conquered Spain were Moroccan Muslims. They had had a formative influence on the others in all things cultural, before Spaniards ever left for the New World. Also received same effect when studying about Volubulis. We talk about Western Civilization as if we alone experienced it, were its heirs-and they were ignorant of it. But they have actual Roman ruins, as a former province and colony whereas America does not.

Other Books I have but haven't read yet, or have only perused
*A Traveler's History of North Africa by Barnaby Rogerson
+Fast Facts on Islam by John Ankerberg and John Weldon
+More than a Prophet by Emir Caner and Ergun Caner
*Beyond Mere Christianity by Brandon Toropov.
*The Choice by Ahmad Dedat. I read and photocopied, taking notes on the first two to three chapters, and watched a couple of videos on Utube of actual debates. Had to return book.
The Closed Circle: an interpretation of the Arabs by David Pryce-Jones.
Under a Sickle Moon- a journey through Afghanistan by Peregrin Hodson, which I am now reading.
Windblown World-Jack Kerouac
+ The Cross and the Crescent by Phil Parshall. Christian apologetics.
Fighting for Christendom: Holy War and the Crusades-Tyerman
*Sitting With Sufi's-Howe
*Road to Paradise-quotations from the Koran compiled by Dr. Muhammed Muhsin Khan.
*The Light of Guidance-by same. These two were gifts from the Muslim bookstore owner.

As for my personal experience, which is not terribly extensive, I've met and visited in their homes with Moroccans in Baton Rouge, Houston, and Morocco (Casablanca and Marrakech). I've been in a mosque in Houston(woman's part with glass windows to see into main part.) As a former owner of a Christian bookstore, it was somewhat intimidating to enter a Muslim bookstore. However, they were very gracious. I have been in several times, although I try to find used stuff at Half Priced Books.
Based in Marrakech, at my son-in-law's parent's home, we travelled by car to Essaouira, Casablanca, Meknes, Fes, Volubulis, El Jadida, and Ouarzazate. We saw one of the most famous kasbahs, the Oasis Film Studio, the Portuguese cistern at El Jadida, and the fish markets of that place and Essaouira. (The former one got me horribly sick.) The medinas of Ess., Meknes, and Marrakech revealed famous artistic gates, city walls, and so on. We toured the historic medersa at Meknes, only to end up at the carpet sellers who praised Berbers and insulted Arabs. My son-in-law was not amused. I also got taken in Marrakech when went out on my own to stop and buy jewelry. My son-in-law rescued me as best he could. We saw the outside of famous mosques-the Koutoubia in Mar. and Hassan II in Casablanca. And had a blissful time spent in someone's creation of Rick's Cafe Americain, per the Humphrey Bogart movie.

Also visited the Cascades d'Ouzoud waterfall, and a dammed up lake called the Barrage. At the waterfall, the place had been a Berber (Amezig) enclave, completely self sustaining. I think also safe because hard to get to. Multiple other things Djemma al Fna held its variety of sights (monkey trainers, snake charmers, transvestites, etc.) Got to the ancient Dar al Badi Palace, but not the Bahia Palace as was starting to feel sick (food poisoning) and daughter was 6 and 1/2 months pregnant. Saw the outside gates of the Dar al-Makhzen palace at Fez' music festival. Loved the Menara Gardens. Hated the traffic, prayed a lot while driving. (ie, in car.) After awhile the kasbahs became common place, and the scenery of small villages just looked like New Mexico.
In addition we went into a modern grocery store with a McDonald's in it, and stopped at a Pizza Hut too. Used gasoline rest stops, money changers, and so on. We went to the movies and saw the Da Vinci Code in French. I visited with a priest at a church called the Martyr's Church. Think the martyrdom was in 1200's to 1300's. (Almohad's purge?) Also saw but refused to enter tomb of Moulay Ismail. Those I was with were unaware of item in travel books about him. When I asked the tour guy about the 80,000 or 40,000 or however many Christian slaves were killed, whose bones were put into the walls of Meknes, I was told it was true, but it was only because they were lazy. Find it hard to believe that after the first 1000 or so were killed, the others wouldn't get back to work!
Many other sites remain to be explored, as well as barely scratched surface in getting to know people. Much more remains to be studied but as one can see, I have put forth some effort. To the average Christian who hasn't even read one book about relating to Muslims, this may seem extensive. However, I will grant that to an expert-a missionary, anthropologist, world traveller, or even to the average Muslim in the western world, this is negligible.I would still like to study vol. I of the History of Islam, the multiple volume versions of the hadiths, and some of the classic biographies. And of course, I would then want to travel, and live many places to learn more. The learning is only as good as the usefulness of it to understand and communicate better.

Correction

In one of my earlier posts I mentioned that Uthman had been killed by slaves. Several books I'd read had stated this, don't remember which ones. I concluded from this, and by other subjects in those books, that it had been a result of some woman's revenge for having been enslaved. However, after having read a book on the history of early Islam from the late years of Mohammed to the martyrdom of Ali, and the deaths of his sons Hussan and Hussain, I realize this was completely wrong. After Mohammed, Abu Bakr had led, and then Omar-who was very intense and legalistic. Uthman had let his family acquire influential positions throughout the expanding empire. The capital had been moved to Damascus. The old families had lost a lot of control over things, and felt left out. He allowed a lot of materialism to creep into things, both in dress and living spaces.

Some who wanted to return to a more spiritual level opposed him. Those broke into his home, killing him. After that the division between which group's candidate would win brought about the rivalry over Ali's right to succeed as caliph. It seems that Mohammed's daughter Fatima had a candidate and Aisha had one. Fatima was married to Ali, so Mohammed had been his adopted father, cousin, and father-in-law, as well as having been one of the earliest believers. (She was also Hassan and Hussein's mom.) Mohammed's favorite wife, Aisha, had her own group whom she led in rebellion. She lost initially, and retired from the battle. But another group picked it up and ended up tricking Ali out of the position, and later killing him.
This is where the Shia's and Sunni's start in their division. Well, actually since they believe Ali should have had it to start with, as being his son-in-law, and father of Mohammed's grandsons, they question the right of Bakr, Omar, and Uthman to have been leaders at all. But Ali had submitted to those men, so it wasn't until the division and martyrdom that everything started separating so severely.
I need to get together a bibliography of all the books I've read, so that some idea of my sources will be available. I try not to just talk out of the top of my head, or make up stuff. I did read somewhere that Mohammed had been poisoned by some woman by feeding him poisoned goat, and for that reason, Muslims do not eat goat.
This book I read did not include anything about that, so I do not know if that earlier report was true. The main thing it dealt with about Mohammed's death was that he asked his other wives if they would mind if he stayed with Aisha while he was sick and didn't move to each one's room on their appointed night. And it discussed the various versions of whether Mohammed died in Ali's arms, or in Aisha's. And said both could be true-the Shia and the Sunnie version (as Aisha admitted there was a man in her rooom besides the prophet when he died. It is likely that they could have put aside their differences at that point.)
I also wrote a post for Easter that I have not included yet.