Book Reviewed: Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

Space between e/em/eir Gender fluidity and non-binary nature of an individual is an intensely personal facet of life. Author Maia Kobabe visually explores e/em/eir gender confusion in all of its complexities, and handling day-to-to-today challenges of being gender fluid with supportive family and friends. This is a brilliantly rendered book that demystifies gender fluidity that mingles feminine and masculine identities into one multidimensional nonbinary person. Through personal anecdotes, e/em/eir reflects on childhood experiences, navigating puberty, and discovering that eir attraction to others that did not conform to the standard definition of sexuality. The artwork complements the storytelling by providing a visual representation of emotional experiences and severe identity crisis. Its candid nuanced portrayal of gender identity has become a point of discussion in schools and public libraries. In fact, this is the top book of the ten most challenged books in 2023 according to the list published by American Library Association. The narratives are in the form of cartoons, and the story reads flawlessly. I did not see any objectionable material or anything that can be construed as porn. One of my main concerns is LGBTQ activists have misused this story to promote their own agenda. A rapid rise in drag performances in the presence of children, and their interaction with kids in some public libraries are challenging the young minds. Many states are also radicalized, for example, one of the most progressive laws in California related to limiting parental control over minors is Senate Bill 107, signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022. This law, known as the Gender-Affirming Care Sanctuary Law that allows minors to receive gender-affirming healthcare, such as hormone treatments or gender reassignment surgery without parental consent, if kids travel to California for such care. Courts in California are prohibited from enforcing out-of-state laws or subpoenas that conflict with this policy, and the state won’t cooperate with out-of-state authorities seeking to remove the child from such a care. Several other states besides California have implemented laws that provide minors with some level of healthcare autonomy: Oregon protects minors 14 years and older, Washington minors 13 years and older; Illinois and Colorado minors 12 years and older; and New York. Government has no business to interfere in the parental rights over their children. These are the most troubling developments in the past few years.

Book Reviewed: The Critical Qur'an: Explained from Key Islamic Commentaries and Contemporary Historical Research by Robert Spencer

Verses from a death-cult Author Robert Spencer translates and interprets the text of Qur'an that shows how it has evolved historically to its current state: where the martyrdom requiring jihad (terrorism), carrying out fatwa orders on specific individuals, killing apostates and infidels, blasphemy laws that shuts down any reasonable discussion about Islam, Hijrah (Muslim migration to other countries for a sole purpose of spreading and enabling Islam), Sharia laws that favors Muslims over non-Muslims and Muslim men over women. With a significant rise in progressive ideals in non-Muslim countries, the political, social and legals systems are favoring rights of Muslims than the majority non-Muslim population of their respective countries. The peace is impossible in the Middle East because jihad is taught to children, and has continued for generations in the Middle East and other Islamic countries. According to Islamic belief, the Qur'an is of divine origin. Muslims believe that the angel Jibril (Gabriel) transmitted the words of Allah to Muhammad. However, looking at the evidence that much of Islamic concepts are borrowed from Judaism and Christian texts. Parallels between Qur'anic stories with the Old and New Testaments are highlighted in the book, such as the narratives of Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, and the story of Moses. There is also significant influence of gnostic and apocryphal Christian writings on Qur'anic narratives that includes non-canonical stories about Jesus and early Christian figures in the texts of Qur'an. The idea of an exalted, non-crucified Jesus, for example, might reflect gnostic ideas that diverged from orthodox Christianity. Similarly, Rabbinic Jewish traditions may have influenced the Qur'an’s interpretations of biblical stories, especially about prophets. A focused examination reveals that Muhammad as the primary author of the Qur'an, influenced by his experience’s migration from Mecca and Medina, and his interactions with Jews, Christians, and other religious communities. In seventh-century Arabia, Jewish tribes were significant political and religious communities in the region, particularly in the city of Medina (then Yathrib), where Muhammad emigrated from Mecca in 622 CE (the Hijra). Conflicts with Jewish Tribes such as the Banu Qaynuqa, Banu Nadir, and Banu Qurayza led to wars and military confrontations. Some of the Qur'anic verses critical of Jews evolved during this conflict. Some verses that support anti-Jewish and antisemitism include Qur'an 2:61, Qur'an 2:88, Qur'an 5:64, Qur'an 5:82, and Qur'an 3:112. The sharia laws were also borrowed from the Mishnah, a codification of Jewish laws organized into various aspects of religious and civil life. It is a vital text in the development of Jewish legal tradition and provided foundational laws for modesty and head coverings found in later Jewish legal texts such as the Talmud and subsequent rabbinic traditions. Islamic laws pertaining to women’s head covering were borrowed from Jewish laws with significant intensity in its application, but Jewish and Christian traditions reformed over centuries, but the Islamic populations are taking us back to seventh century.

Book Reviewed: The History of Jihad from Muhammad to ISIS by Robert Spencer

Satan in the field Robert Spencer is a fearless Islamic scholar who argues how Muslims have historically targeted the weakness of non-Islamic countries, and manipulated their political, economic, and social circumstances. This book is a critical, unbiased review of jihad, which is a religious duty for all Muslims. The discussions are based on historical events across the globe. The author quotes Islamic texts like, Quran and Hadith. Over the past 1400 years of its history, civilizations have been forced to conform to a belief system that favors Muslims over non-Muslims, and men over women. It is fraternal order that was created to benefit only Muslim men, in fact, it has become a death cult to achieve success. The first case of jihad was the Battle of Badr (624 CE), which is one of the earliest examples of jihad in the military sense when Muhammad and his followers fought the Quraysh tribe. The early Islamic conquests led to the spread of Islam through Arabian Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent, North Africa, Spain, and Persia, and the Byzantine Empire. Jihad was dominant in the history of India, particularly during the medieval period, influencing the region's politics, society, and culture. The first Islamic invasion of India occurred in 636 CE, during the reign of Caliph Umar, and later Muhammad bin Qasim's conquest of Sindh (711-712 CE) was the beginning of Islamic jihad in India. Forced conversions and intimidation has led to numerous jihad attacks throughout the history. In fact, Indian Buddhists and Jains were forcibly converted into Islam or driven into the neighboring countries. There were a series of religious wars initiated by Christian Europe to reclaim the Holy Land from Muslim control, these Crusades (1096–1291) saw a renewed emphasis on jihad in the Islamic world. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1922) invoked jihad during its military campaigns in India and Europe, and it was religiously motivated to spread Islam. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Islamic movements such as the Wahhabi movement in the Arabian Peninsula, and the Fulani jihads in West Africa, and recently by Taliban in Afghanistan sought to purify Islamic practices and establish religious states using the language of jihad found in Islamic texts. In the 20th century, this war cry evolved as Muslim-majority fought with modernity, and colonialism. The concept of jihad became central to the ideology of groups like Al-Qaeda which attacked United States on 9/11/2001. The rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria (2014–2019), Taliban in Afghanistan, Al-Shabab in Africa, and Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Pakistan helped create numerous terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Hizbul Mujahideen, and Harkatul Mujahideen have intensified jihad as a regional and global apocalyptic battle to create a new Islamic caliphate. In the contemporary Period, the conflicts in the Middle East have intensified the belief in jihad. Teaching jihad to Palestinian children over several generations have destabilized the relationship with Israel. But the belief in jihad has no signs of diminishing despite the fact that Islamic forces like Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, Iran, Syria, and Iraq are heading towards defeat. Myanmar, a Buddhist country where Islamic militancy grew significantly after independence from British rule leading to periodic tensions with Buddhist majority. Harakah al-Yaqin (HaY), a Rohingya insurgent group linked to global jihadist networks like Al-Qaeda and ISIS contributed to significant jihadist activity which led them to their displacement into neighboring India where they joined forces with Indian jihadis, and are terrorizing Hindu population Northeastern and northern states. The history of jihad is deeply intertwined with Islamic theology, law, and politics. The nations that have Muslim population are convinced that Islam is a religion of peace and jihad is the work of an isolated extremist or someone who has “mental” issues. The reality we see in India, Middle East, Western Europe and Noth America is quite disturbing. Muslims do not want into fit into other countries they migrate into. Readers who are familiar with the work of this author or his work on social media like Twitter knows that his work is focused and well-informed, but he could have included some key information about jihad in India and jihad against Israel.

Book Review: That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones

Surveillance in the Stacks This is a nonfiction account by a Louisiana-based librarian who became an advocate against book banning. The book captures her personal experiences as she faced condemnation and legal threats for opposing efforts to remove certain books from public libraries. She explores the importance of protecting access to books dealing with topics like race, gender, and sexual orientation. Her discussion focuses on the rise in book challenges, the political and social forces behind them, and her journey as an activist for access to LGBTQ+ information, emphasizing the courage to stand up against groups advocating for censorship. She addresses the legal battles she endured, including being sued for defamation, and the harassment she faced online and in person. This book is a one-sided testament despite the fact that her stand could be harmful to kids. The author refers to the books that are challenged for removal from libraries due to the inappropriate content. The American Library Association (ALA) annually publishes lists of the most challenged books based on reports from schools and libraries. According to ALA, the challenges for removal are due to: LGBTQ+ content; books addressing queer identities and relationships; race and racism books; and political and social criticism of societal norms and historical narratives. Some of the recently challenged (banned) books are: "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe, for LGBTQ+ themes, sexual content, and illustrations; "All Boys Aren’t Blue" by George M. Johnson, for LGBTQ+ content, and sexually explicit material; "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison, for sexual content, explicit language, and racial themes; "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas, for profanity, violence, and anti-police themes; and "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez, for explicit sexual content, and depictions of racism. Book bans or challenges to book has been on the rise in the U.S. in recent years because of political polarization, cultural debates over issues like race, gender, sexual orientation, and LGBTQ+ rights. Conservative groups have led efforts to remove books they deem inappropriate, while progressive groups often push back against those bans. Several organized groups such as “Moms for Liberty” and other parent-led and political organizations have been vocal about removing books from libraries because they are harmful to kids. One state often highlighted for book bans is Florida, which has passed several laws that significantly impact the availability of certain books in public schools and libraries. One of the most notable is House Bill 1467, signed into law in 2022. The restrictions are justified by proponents as efforts to protect children from "inappropriate" or "obscene" materials. In 2023, West Virginia Senate Bill 252 was enacted which aimed to restrict access to "obscene" or "sexually explicit" materials for minors in public and school libraries. The law builds upon existing obscenity statutes in the state but broadens the scope of potential criminal liability for those responsible for providing these materials to minors. Provisions of the law include the prosecution of librarians who provide materials deemed inappropriate for minors. The book focuses only one side of the issue, the side of LGBTQ+ and gender identity activists who are pushing to the extremes by aligning themselves with socialists, liberals, and democrats. For example, a California law SB 107 (Trans Refuge Law) signed in 2022 that allow minors to seek gender-affirming care. It prohibits state agencies from complying with out-of-state subpoenas, warrants, or legal actions related to providing gender-affirming care. This law effectively takes away the parental control of their children. The author does not discuss LGBTQ+ and gender-identity activists who are promoting drag performances in gatherings that include families and children, performances that include cross-dressers/transgender performers prominently exhibiting the private parts, and of course the story-reading for kids in public libraries. They have dominated the political, social, and economic structures by aligning with progressive democrats to effectively diminishing the parental decisions.

Book Reviewed: In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife by Sebastian Junger

Near-death visions This is a personal account of the author's near-death experience and exploration of afterlife. A ruptured pancreatic artery sent him into a life-threatening crisis. As he hovered between life and death, Junger experienced a spiritual encounter that challenged his beliefs about existence. He explores scientific theories and philosophical musings. This work is reflective of his thoughts. During his final moments of life, he sees his deceased father who reassure him, and invites him to go with him, and tells him not to be scared and he will take care of him. The author is confused about his father’s visit at deathbed. In fact, he expresses his anger at his father for his invitation to join him and claims he didn’t want to do anything with him. Advances in physiology and medicine found people to "come back from the dead;' as it were and reported extraordinary visions and experiences from their trip to the other side. It is a subjective experience of dying that included seeing Jesus, an old white man with grey hair wearing a robe, seeing the dead members of the family like parents and grandparents, being ushered through a tunnel of light, existing outside of their bodies, etc. Much of these experiences may be due to low oxygen supply to brain that results in distortions of experience, hallucinations, visions, disembodied voices, premonitions that have no provable basis in reality. The author discusses several studies about how the brain deprived of oxygen is known to cause cognitive distortions, tunnel vision, and loss of consciousness. He even makes speculative claims of physical reality. The title of this book is derived from a gospel song by Blind Willie Johnson. The title line, closing each stanza of the song refers to a deathbed wish and was inspired by a passage in the Bible from Psalms 41:3 "The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing, thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness". Numerous artists have recorded variations of this song including Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin. The author does not make references to Jesus, or Bible but gets spiritual and philosophical. Some of his deathbed visions could be explained by physiology and neurobiology.

Book reviewed: The Demon in the Machine: How Hidden Webs of Information Are Solving the Mystery of Life by Paul C.W. Davies

Does the information processing explain the order of a living cell This book discusses how entropy, once viewed purely in terms of thermodynamics and physical systems, evolved to explain the structural complexity and orderly functions of a living cell. This book also makes it relevant that in biology coupling between processes on many scales of size and complexity occurs, and the biological causation operates both ways in a living system, bottom-up from genes to organisms, and top-down, from organisms to genes. The author discusses how the Maxwell’s “Demon” of the second law of thermodynamics appears to defy a thermodynamic process by reducing entropy internally in a physical system also applies to biological cells that maintain order by reducing entropy internally. The title of the book refers to James Maxwell’s "Demon," a thought experiment about the second law of thermodynamics. It is a hypothetical entity that violates this law by sorting particles between two compartments separated by a transparent wall of a simple physical system. Consideration of information gathered by the demon during the categorization of the particles requires energy and thus the total entropy of the system actually increases. The interplay between thermodynamics and information theory is challenging and helpful in advancing scientific thought. This book discusses how the concept of cellular entropy connects with the storage and processing of information in biological processes. The book is very engaging, and author Paul Davies describes physics, biology, and evolution with ease. But it is unlikely to be a complete explanation. The complexity of life requires a multifaceted approach that considers factors such as self-organization, evolution, the role of energy and information processing in biological processes. This book does not explain how life (a living cell) emerged from non-life (matter).

Book Reviewed: The Great New York Fire of 1776, a Lost Story of the American Revolution by Benjamin L. Carp.

The Great Fire of New York The Great Fire of New York was a significant event during the early stages of the American Revolution. It occurred on the night of September 21, 1776, just a few weeks after the British forces captured the city of New York. The fire destroyed over 500 to 1,000 buildings. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but many British soldiers and Loyalists suspected that American patriots deliberately set the fire to prevent the British from using the city as a base. There were also stories about the British soldiers were responsible for the fire to destroy the spirits of the American patriots. The fire destroyed approximately one-third of New York City, which at the time was a small but densely populated area mostly located at the southern tip of Manhattan. Despite the damage, New York remained under British control for the remainder of the war and became a key base of operations for the British Army. The fire started near Whitehall Slip and spread rapidly, consuming buildings from the East River to the Hudson River. Today, it's part of the Battery Park City development and the area between Whitehall Street and Battery Park Place, and the region near Trinity Church (at Wall Street and Broadway). Trinity Church, one of the most prominent landmarks was destroyed in the fire, though St. Paul's Chapel, just a short distance away, survived. Many of the residential areas near the waterfront and within the area that today includes parts of the Financial District were also severely damaged. The story that St. Paul's Chapel was spared by a bucket brigade during the Great Fire of 1776 is more legend than fact, but it illustrates the importance of community efforts in times of crisis. Despite its proximity to the blaze, St. Paul’s Chapel survived the inferno. The precise reasons for its survival are not entirely clear, and the idea that a "bucket brigade"—a line of people passing buckets of water to extinguish fires may be a romanticized story. Several factors might have contributed to the chapel's survival including the wind direction and the construction materials: St. Paul’s Chapel is made largely of stone, which might have been more fire-resistant than many of the wooden structures including the Trinity Church at Wall Street and Broadway. George Washington worshipped at St. Paul’s Chapel. After his inauguration as the first President of the United States on April 30, 1789, in New York City, which was the nation's capital at the time, Washington attended services regularly from 1789 to 1790. The chapel was close to the Federal Hall on Wall Street where the first Congress and Washington's executive offices were based. Washington would walk from Federal Hall to St. Paul’s for Sunday services. As with many historical events, the Great New York Fire of 1776 became the subject of art and literature over the years.. Paintings and writings helped romanticize and mythologize the fire. Stories about the fire spread through word of mouth were altered and exaggerated. There are no comprehensive lists of the eyewitnesses to the fire, but several prominent figures provided accounts of the event, civilians, soldiers, firefighters, government officials and civic leaders. There were the official records of the British military and the Continental Army. British General William Howe and Loyalist William Smith wrote about the fire, while other British soldiers and American prisoners who were in the city at the time also reported their observations. Unfortunately, many individual eyewitness names have not been preserved in historical records. After the New York fire, George Washington wrote to Congress expressing his thoughts on the situation, though he did not claim responsibility for or fully explain the origins of the fire. It seemed to have started in multiple places, which led to speculation that it may have been set intentionally. Washington’s tone reflected his uncertainty about the fire's origins, his main focus remained on military strategy rather than the fire itself. The author writes about the eyewitness accounts, but these accounts have not been corroborated and hence unreliable. It must be pointed out that British did set fire to several locations during the revolutionary war: Charlestown, Massachusetts, in the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775, to prevent it from being used by the Continental Army. British also burned several other towns and settlements, including Norfolk, Virginia in 1776 as part of their military campaign to suppress the rebellion. These acts were part of their strategy to undermine American morale and disrupt supply lines.