But You Don’t Look Like a Muslim

About But You Don’t Look Like a Muslim

But You Don’t Look Like a Muslim is a collection of writings by Rakhshanda Jalil, a well-known literary historian and cultural commentator, on the experience of being a Muslim in India. The title comes from a remark that many Indian Muslims say they have heard, and the book uses it as a starting point to ask what it means to Look Like a Muslim, and why such an idea exists at all. It is published by HarperCollins. For details of the copy in stock, please message us on WhatsApp at 9906523492.

What the book explores

• What Muslim identity means in a plural, multilingual and multicultural country
• How faith shapes the way others see a person, and the assumptions that come with a name, a dress or a way of speaking
• Whether people of different faiths can share one culture and one national identity
• The syncretic traditions of India, in which language, poetry, food and festivals have been shared across communities
• Memories, dilemmas and questions drawn from the author’s own experience as a writer and reader

Why this book matters

Conversations about identity are often loud and short. A collection of essays allows for something slower and more thoughtful. The author brings her training in literature and history to a subject that is usually discussed in headlines, and the result is a book that invites reflection rather than argument. It reminds readers that India’s cultural life has been shaped by many communities together, and that its literary and cultural traditions belong to a common heritage. For readers of every background it can be a way to listen and to reflect.

About the author

Rakhshanda Jalil is described as one of India’s foremost literary historians and cultural commentators. This background shows in the way the book approaches its subject, with attention to literature, memory and the shared cultural heritage of the country.

Who should read this book

• Readers of Indian non-fiction and essays in English
• Students and teachers of literature, sociology, history and cultural studies
• Muslim readers who want to read thoughtful writing about their own place in India
• Readers of other faiths who wish to understand a perspective different from their own
• Book clubs and discussion groups looking for a title that opens honest conversation

How to get the most from it

Read one essay at a time and give yourself time to think before moving on. Note down any line or idea that makes you pause. If you are reading with a group, ask each member to share one point on which they agree and one on which they see things differently. Approach the book with an open mind and a generous heart, which is the spirit in which such conversations are most fruitful. Students can use it as background reading for essays on identity, pluralism and modern Indian culture, always crediting the author.

Books on identity at Lafz Bookstore

Lafz Bookstore in Srinagar offers English literature, non-fiction, Islamic books, Urdu books, Kashmir books and school and college titles, and many readers come to us for books that speak to questions of faith, culture and belonging. We dispatch orders the same day and can suggest further reading if you tell us what interests you.

Edition details

Title: But You Don’t Look Like a Muslim. Author: Rakhshanda Jalil. Publisher: HarperCollins. Format: paperback. The book is listed as published in 2019 and running to 240 pages, but for the details of the copy in stock, please message us on WhatsApp at 9906523492. Same-day dispatch from Srinagar. Delivery takes about 1 day in Srinagar and 3 to 10 days across the rest of India.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the author? Rakhshanda Jalil.

Who publishes it? HarperCollins.

Is it a novel? No. It is a collection of essays and writings on being Muslim in India.

What themes does it cover? Identity, faith, pluralism, shared culture and India’s syncretic heritage.

How fast will it reach me? We dispatch the same day from Srinagar. Delivery is about 1 day in Srinagar and 3 to 10 days in the rest of India.

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