The Amnesty International Book Club is pleased to announce our March 2017 title, Laughing All the Way to the Mosque, by Zarqa Nawaz (a memoir that is sure to get you laughing too). This title has been recommended by guest reader Janie Chang, author of Dragon Springs Road and Three Souls. In this guide, you’ll find Chang’s considerate reflection upon Nawaz’s colourful memoir, as well as discussion questions, an Amnesty background section, and an action you can take for Raif Badawi.
Laughing All the Way to the Mosque is a fun book to read. Nawaz is a natural storyteller, and the episodes she selects from her life illustrate both personal and unexpected details alongside big picture questions around religion, culture, career and family. Ideas worthy of serious reflection are shared with the reader through laugh-out-loud tales of halal chicken, awkwardness with the plumber, teenage rebellion, writing Little Mosque on the Prairie, match making and more.
The Amnesty International Book Club hopes that through the reading experience you not only pause to laugh, but consider the spirit of proactivity and taking charge of one’s life, even amongst the chaos, that author Zarqa Nawaz exhibits so well through her storytelling. Then, consider those who could not be so free in their expression, and visit our action page within the guide.