A Sinner in Mecca
A Gay Muslim's Hajj of Defiance
Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Middle East Religions, Islam
| Author: | Parvez Sharma | ISBN: | 9781944648404 |
| Publisher: | BenBella Books | Publication: | August 15, 2017 |
| Imprint: | BenBella Books | Language: | English |
| Author: | Parvez Sharma |
| ISBN: | 9781944648404 |
| Publisher: | BenBella Books |
| Publication: | August 15, 2017 |
| Imprint: | BenBella Books |
| Language: | English |
The memoir of a gay American Muslim’s pilgrimage to Mecca—“The first book about the Hajj from a gay perspective, written . . . with courage and fierce emotion” (The Guardian).
The Hajj is a pilgrimage all Muslims are commanded by God to go on at least once in their lives if they are able. Like millions of contemporary Muslims, Parvez Sharma believes his spiritual salvation lies in Mecca, Islam’s holiest site. Yet taking this journey puts his life at risk. In A Sinner in Mecca, author and filmmaker Parvez chronicles his pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia as an openly gay Muslim, where being true to himself is punishable by death.
Accepting the danger that lies ahead, Parvez embarks on a jihad of the self—filming his experience along the way. Already under fire for his documentary A Jihad for Love, which looks at the coexistence of Islam and homosexuality, he would undoubtedly face savage punishment if exposed. Meeting both extremists and spiritual explorers on his journey, Parvez discovers a world that is both frightening and breathtaking.
In Mecca, Parvez comes out to a pilgrim, who then asks why he would want to be part of something that wants no part of him. This book is his answer to that question—and many more. Following the New York Times Critics’ Pick documentary of the same title, A Sinner in Mecca unflinchingly showcases parts of the dangerous ideology that governs ISIS and how much it has in common with Saudi Arabia’s sacred, yet treacherous dogma, Wahhabi Islam.
The memoir of a gay American Muslim’s pilgrimage to Mecca—“The first book about the Hajj from a gay perspective, written . . . with courage and fierce emotion” (The Guardian).
The Hajj is a pilgrimage all Muslims are commanded by God to go on at least once in their lives if they are able. Like millions of contemporary Muslims, Parvez Sharma believes his spiritual salvation lies in Mecca, Islam’s holiest site. Yet taking this journey puts his life at risk. In A Sinner in Mecca, author and filmmaker Parvez chronicles his pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia as an openly gay Muslim, where being true to himself is punishable by death.
Accepting the danger that lies ahead, Parvez embarks on a jihad of the self—filming his experience along the way. Already under fire for his documentary A Jihad for Love, which looks at the coexistence of Islam and homosexuality, he would undoubtedly face savage punishment if exposed. Meeting both extremists and spiritual explorers on his journey, Parvez discovers a world that is both frightening and breathtaking.
In Mecca, Parvez comes out to a pilgrim, who then asks why he would want to be part of something that wants no part of him. This book is his answer to that question—and many more. Following the New York Times Critics’ Pick documentary of the same title, A Sinner in Mecca unflinchingly showcases parts of the dangerous ideology that governs ISIS and how much it has in common with Saudi Arabia’s sacred, yet treacherous dogma, Wahhabi Islam.
