MHS AP Language discussion

Beatriz Pereira While I was reading the book I found that he was using the word jihad many times and I wasn’t very clear on what it meant so I looked up the word and did some research on it and it means the religious duty of Muslims. Originally it means “struggle” however it is used to describe how Muslims should act in certain situations as presented in the Quran. I also thought that it was very interesting how Saleem had plans of destroying “America from the inside out” (2) but now he gives speeches of his experiences in the jihad along with two other terrorists, would you guys trust an ex-terrorist? I am not sure if I would, I mean I would not discriminate however I would not be entirely convinced that they have changed (which might be his purpose... to show that people can change like he did).
Saleem is describing an attack that happened to him as a terrorist; I never thought terrorists suffered attacks from other terrorists or that there was groups that hated each other (besides Israel and Palestine). He is trying to show how he was an "ex-terrorist” but he adopted America as his country and left his terrorist days behind him. He must have felt horrible when he saw the 9/11 attacks because he “had helped to cause it… [He] planned it”(4). He says that he was part of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Palestinian Liberation Organization which shows that he was totally serious about empowering terrorist attacks. I think he is looking back at his days in these groups and realizing the terrible things they did. It caused an attack to happen to him for him to write this book (it’s like occasion on SOAPSTone).
And just on a side note I found it really interesting that his wife is American but she is a Muslim, I liked how he said that she was the one that saw “goodness” (8) in him. I think that throughout the book he is going to expand on this aspect of how he found the goodness in him and left the terrorist groups.

Just to clarify, I don’t think his wife is a Muslim…in that part he was talking about her “kept [him] going forward with [his] message” (8) against radical Islam. Besides, she’s American, I don’t think she’d be a Muslim because it’s harder for an American to adopt the ways of a Muslim than for a Muslim to move to America and have a life here. Though it’s possible, I don’t think this is the case for this book.
To answer your question, I don’t think I would trust a terrorist either…even though people can change and there are stories of ex-convicts who turned into good people, there might be other motives for that or maybe in the book, he was trying to get close to government officials and take them down “from the inside out” (2). It’s easier for ex-terrorists to turn back to violence because they grew up with that mentality and they find comfort in the “familiar…weight of a gun” (3). It’s possible to change but I probably wouldn’t risk my life trusting them.
In the first couple of pages there is a quote or something about Howard Books…and under it, it says that one of their purposes is to “increase faith in the hearts of growing Christians” and I was wondering if this book is written by an ex-Muslim who turned to Christianity. Does anyone have any thoughts about this? That would be very interesting because then the book wouldn’t be just about the struggles of not committing the actions of a terrorist, it would be about the fight against a person’s natural instincts and beliefs.

I don’t think it’s a Christian book I just feel like Howard Books is a Christian distributor. Kamal being a terrorist adds on to the purpose of the fight against radical Islam. I think that he is opposing radical Islam, not Islam in general, he is trying to show others that Islam isn’t all about killing people for the reward from Allah; he’s trying to show the glory in Islam.
However, I do think it’s weird how the story that his mother tells him is violent and she tells the story in the most normal way ever. I mean what do you expect? If children grow up listening to these stories that warriors “fought bravely for Allah” they will think its something normal.

His mother is a maniac. Ok, she has her beliefs but why should someone’s blood be used to help “even the most sinful man redeem himself” (11)? And what makes someone an infidel? Basically they’re punishing people because the think that they are unworthy of something greater or they’re worth less than other people. This is kind of like racism but it’s supported by the Muslims.
I don’t know if this is right or maybe people are judged based on the rules that they don’t follow or don’t obey. And his mother was also saying that the overall reason that they die is for them to reach “paradise” (11). So they have to do good things in this life so that when they die, they can live in paradise. No matter how much they suffer now, it’s all going to be worth it in the end because they will be in a perfect place, in heaven. But what kind of god requires its people to kill each other? When I think of God, I don’t think of killing other people or hurting them for my own glory, for my own rewards. God is selfless and I don’t think He would make us fight for our own salvation. So for me, the Muslims are either mistranslating God’s words or they’re giving their lives to another God, one who is the opposite of the Truth.
Moving on to another topic, I wonder how/why he moved to America after planning to destroy it? It’s almost like he came here to see that the mission was completed or something but then got side-tracked and ended up liking the American system of government and stuff like that. And something like this must have happened because in the beginning he was talking about being persecuted or something for encouraging people to fight against radical Islam. Anyways, this book is really good so far!

I found interesting topics and aspects of the Muslim people and radical Islam. What I don’t understand is how he changed so fast and how that happened because for me when someone is convicted of something and the get out of jail or redeemed from whatever they have done, I wouldn’t trust them because I would still be thinking of what they have done in the past. I think someone could be forgiven but it would never be forgotten. Kamal wants to show the readers that one could change from the absolute worst to a completely different person, even though that is a little hard to believe I know its possible and am looking forward to read more about his life and how that happened. How did he become an Ex- terrorist? Was it because something extreme happened to him?
I liked the metaphor that is presented on pg 7, “ the human body does not know when a cancer is growing within”, having cancer be compared to Islamic Israel brings a bigger meaning because we all know that once cancer has spread its nearly impossible to get rid of it. And it only makes it stronger that radical Islamic is like a cancer to America because it will always be in there, tucking on the lives of Americans with threats and killings. With this I keep thinking, how can one nation have so much hatred towards another? This hatred “brings the host to the point of death”(pg7)
I agree with both of you I think that his mother has a little bit of craziness in her how someone can tell a story of violence in such a normal way. And she teaches her children to be bad and violent because if they do that then they will get to paradise. What kind of paradise is that, which you have to kill someone in order to get in? To me that just makes no sense.

Kamal Saleem begins his memoir talking about his life in Chino, California in 2007. He talked about how he met with three thousand people to talk about how he was a former terrorist that became part of the Muslim Brotherhood at age 7 and at age 23 was on a mission to destroy America. Relating to what Beatriz said, I don’t know how the audience could give Ex-Terrorists an applause for wanting to destroy their nation. I understand how Saleem went through a personal change in his life and he adopted America as his home but that doesn’t change the fact that he helped plan 9/11 and was a part of the PLO that were “funded by Islamists...[and were] willing to die for this glorious invasion.” (4) What prompted him and the others to abandon the jihad? By dividing the novel by years, I think Saleem is going to describe his childhood to his adulthood and inform us of what events he experienced and what impacted his decision to leave the jihad.

In the beginning of the memoir, Saleem discusses his childhood in the 1960s growing up in an Islamic family. He describes how they dress, what they eat, and how they act. I like how he incorporates Islamic words such as “madrassa,” “jannah,” and “souk.” It provides us with more background information about the traditions, values, and beliefs of the Islamic culture. Every night at dinner Saleem’s mother would tell her children about war stories and how if they were to kill a “Jew, on the day of judgement [their] right hand will light up before the throne of Allah, and all his heavenly host will celebrate.” (21) These Islamic children were brought up to become terrorists in the future. Saleem described how his father constantly told him that the infidels were terrible people and how the Islamic people believe that killing them is a good deed. The Islams grow up to hate people and cause harm without any actual reason.

Also, its interesting how Saleem shifts from his past to his present life in America in 2007. He mentions other ex-terrorists that he has met and has connections with. Saleem says how they all challenged each other about their experiences in the jihad. When talking about Zak, he states how “like [himself], like all of [them], there were parts of [their lives] of which [they were] not proud of.” (51) They weren’t proud of killing people and it affected them mentally and that’s why they joined together and met on stage to talk to people about their wrong actions.

I agree with the point that you made that Islam grow up learning how to be violent and I think that even though its wrong, I think they are brought up like this because it is a part of their culture to learn how to defend themselves.
Going back to pg 4 where it talks about destroying the nation “inside out” I think that this brings out a strong point about Kamal because he knew the plan and attack strategies, but then he gave up. It’s interesting and I really want to find out his reasons for backing out and how that affected his life because like it was mentioned in the book he constantly had to move and omit his name from documents.
I don’t understand it, if they weren’t proud of killing people then why did they do it in the first place, and why had they only realized this now?

Although we are only about 30 pages into this book, I am already enjoying it so much. I find it so interesting that this story is being told by former terrorist Kamal Saleem, as he details his personalized accounts about all the violence he endured and inflected on the lives of others.

Beginning the novel graphically laying out what is occurring, as if what Saleem is going through is taking place right as we are reading, I felt as though he was able to offering much more of a greater understanding behind how a terrorist is manufactured by an aggressive culture, and that a terrorist cannot simply “arise” from absolutely nothing. In the reading, he says that “[he] came to have…power…the ‘power of two’-the Koran in one hand and the gun in the other.(3)” This quote particularly stood out to me because right off the bat, we see that Saleem dealt with the issue of his beliefs with the issue of how to deal with such ideals, as the gun was his way of “speaking into the lives of others(5)” and that it was the fear that allowed him to force his ideas upon innocent lives. Although he says that the gun was the way he did that, I think what he is mainly trying to get at is how fear in general is what allows terrorists to be so successful in what they do. It is the fear that they are able to cause in others that makes individuals obey them and fall victim of their actions.

Also, I really love how Saleem provides us with a detailed descriptions so that we can come to understand what drives people to becoming terrorist, as there is always reasoning for it and that it does not simply come upon one to take on such violent role within a society. What is interesting, however, is that Saleem recounts his experiences from the age of four, which is something that I find to be extremely fascinating as we are able to follow the life he has lived for so long. I also found it to be very helpful because it is at such young age that already began to lead Saleem to become a feared Islamic warrior, providing us with substantial background to begin the reading knowing about how Saleem grew up and what influenced him to become the violent man that he became.

Jackie wrote: "...I wonder how/why he moved to America after planning to destroy it? It’s almost like he came here to see..."
I think it’s interesting that you mentioned why he would even want to come to America, and I think I know exactly why. Just at the age of seven, he was already being recruited recruited by the Muslim Brotherhood and entered an assault camp where members of al-Assifa, the armed branch of Fatah, trained for terror missions against Israel. Even knowing just that, I was already predicating just how much of a drastic transition Saleem would have to the U.S. after having such strong views as a member of the Sunni religion. Because he was such a Sunni radical, he would be used to operating as a network with fellow radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad (referring to what Beatriz was talking about before). Basically, for Saleem, entering the U.S. was his way of directly infiltrating the United States with the sole purpose of converting others to radical Islam. I mean, why else would this radical want to come to America, other than to convert others to his beloved religion? Although I disagree with his religious views, I will say that he is absolutely brilliant. Think about it… After years of training, Saleem managed to operate in successful terror campaigns funded by the Muslim Brotherhood, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and wealthy oil sheikhs. With that much background, he was more than all set to spread Sunni Muslim into America, with anyone ever having any idea what he was up to, and managed to conceal any evidence that he was even practicing Muslim at all.

At first I never thought a book about terrorism could be so good! Even though we haven’t found out too much from Saleem, I’m eager to find out why he stopped following his culture, moved to America, and is now an ex-terrorist. The fact that this is a first hand account from an ACTUAL terrorist makes the book even more interesting and shows that he wants the Americans to realize something we’ll later find out.
Jackie- I also can’t believe his mother was going to burn Saleem for using his left hand when he wasn’t supposed to. Even though it’s a part of their culture, it’s odd how the right hand is very important in Islam. They believe that “Muslims are the people of the Right” and that they “sit at Allah’s right hand, the side of goodness and righteousness.” (21) He said his mother loved him and that he was afraid of her. I think that’s wrong for any mother to do to their child. There are other ways to teach your child a lesson. That’s a bit extreme. I wouldn’t feel safe at home.
Changing topics--I didn’t think Muslims would let their children go to school with kids of other faiths. Eli is a Christian and they’re allowed to do things like “go on vacations and eat forbidden foods” (34). Since Saleem’s parents taught him to believe that they were bad people, why are they in school together where they can became friends and influence each other?

Why would ex-terrorists want to speak to those that they once tried to kill? Wouldn’t they be hated?

For our second session of reading, Kamal Saleem has focused on his early childhood up until the part of his life where he becomes a terrorist. It’s sad that his father forced him to drop out of school to support his large family when it was something Saleem loved to do and performed well in. Even though he took the job because he had no other choice, Saleem was mistreated by his father from the very beginning. I would have been heartbroken if my father told me “I am struck with you as a favor to your mother, and you are good for nothing!” (39) Saleem describes his experiences while walking miles and miles to work every day for his uncle’s business. Christian and Shia teenage boys beat him to the ground everyday and stole everything he owned. They took his lunch, stole his money, and left him on the streets suffering and bleeding. Saleem’s childhood was not very pleasant and he was helpless. He grew up in violence where people of different beliefs hated each other and didn’t respect one another.

Luckily, imams of the Muslim Brotherhood helped Saleem one day on his way to work. I think he was fortunate and grateful that these men were there during his desperate time of need. They gave him money, told the boys to stay away, and protected him from future fights. When he went to the mosque and was taught about Muslims, he felt that he had “become part of something important” and saw that “these men had vision, passion, power...they seemed to care about [him] me in a way that [his] my father did not.” (83) Saleem was neglected so much by his family that he even had thoughts of suicide because he felt like a burden to his family; however, with the Muslim Brotherhood, their protection and acceptance made him feel like he belonged to people that cared about him. Even though the Muslims eventually planned attacks on America that Saleem was a part of, Allah and this group were Saleem’s last hope. His father had turned his back on him and his mother used him as a source of income.

Shifting from his childhood in 1965 to 2007, I found it interesting how he dedicated a part of his memoir to his adulthood in Houston, Texas. He brought up how two people from the Muslim Brotherhood in America were arrested. He told us his story and how he became part of the group but now reflects on their actions that he no longer takes part in. He bullets different historical events from 2002 to 2007 that were acts of terrorism. When he mentions who was arrested and what group they belonged to, like al-Qaeda, he repeats the phrase “like I used to be” or “I know because I used to be one of them.” (73) While Saleem is at the Houston airport, he shows how he is no longer a part of the termites inside the wall but is standing on the walls trying to wake up America to terrorists.

First of to answer Stacey’s question I too would agree that they would be hated and why would they try to talk to the ones that they tried to kill. But I think that they did that because in a way they were seeking for forgiveness. I think that in a way it would allow for them to be able to continue living their life free from their conscience and from accusations. Talking to the ones that they once tried to kill I think that in a way would make them be able to try to erase their past and almost forget what they once did, but I’m not too sure if that’s how they really felt.

On page 64 he says “my own heart screamed inside me. One part was glad for vengeance but the savage assault horrified me”. I find it interesting when I read this because already at a young age he was happy that someone was getting beaten and it was because the boy Iskendar was a bully and he has bullied Kamal before so in a way he was glad that the bully was getting beaten too. The first thing that came to mind when I read this was why would he be glad and happy but in a way I understand because inside he was angry. Also he felt bad because he said that it horrified him so he was also scared because of that.
The Muslim brother hood had started around 1928 and motto: “Allah is [their] objective. The prophet [their] leader. The Qur’an is [their] law and jihad is [their] way” (pg70) so the brotherhood is what gave them the strength. I think that without the brotherhood the boys would not be strong enough and maybe not even turn into terrorists. “ it is a cultural taboo for an American to sit in an airport and wonder whether the young middle eastern men they see are terrorists” this is true and I think it’s because we have become aware and scared after 9/11, we want to be sure of our safety.

As I read the rest of this book I remember the last book we read…I’m trying to figure out why he is the way he is. He had a very violent and scary childhood but is this a significant enough excuse for a person to be a terrorist? I think there is something more that we are not being shown…something that just gives them pleasure to making everyone so miserable. I know that he grew up with this mentality of revenge and how some people are inferior to him just because they don’t think the same way or believe in the same God, but people change and I think that after spending so much time in America before blowing it up, he would change and become accustomed to our enlightened way of thinking.
I think it’s really funny how he grew up with people of so many beliefs. In America, we have so many different beliefs but we don’t hate each other…we learn from each other and sometimes people even make up religions by bringing multiple aspects of other religions to create a new one. I can’t even wrap my mind around the fact that people over there grew up so differently than we did. I just can’t understand or imagine my heart ever being “glad for vengeance”. It seems like it takes a whole lot more than a simple decision to be a terrorist…there’s this whole emotional thing that you need to overcome…in some ways these guys that Saleem hangs around are really brilliant. They can overcome their own feelings and emotions in order to accomplish what they actually believe in, in “[their] objective”, their “brotherhood” and in their “way”. Not many of us can do that for the good of humanity, so imagine what good would come out if they devoted all of this energy to praising God in a positive way! Anyways, I don’t really have a lot to say about this chunk of the book besides that I’m really interested in seeing how it all turns out. It seems to me like he converted to Christianity…any thoughts??

To answer Jackie’s question… I’m not sure if he converted to Christianity he hasn’t been really specific about that yet but some of his actions do imply that he has had a change of heart but I don’t quite know if he is a Christian.
I really liked Stacey’s comment about Saleem and the Brotherhood because of the wording she used. I thought it was interesting how she sounded like they were really helping him when she said “luckily” the Brotherhood helped him one day. I mean at the time it sure looked like they were nice guys just helping out a child, but they are terrorists! I believe that because some people suffer so much in those countries that’s why terrorism is still growing, because people have nothing else to hope or believe in like Saleem did.
Which connects to the previous book we read when he was speaking about the FARC, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia, to some people there they are seen as heroes who are fighting for the people but in reality those who are watching the war from other perspective have other opinions. We, here in America, see them as terrorist and the same with the Brotherhood, we see them as terrorists because we aren’t suffering like they are. I understand why someone would think that the Brotherhood is heroic but I agree with Saleem when he says that “the Brotherhood does more than support terrorism… they are its lifeblood” (69).
Just to connect to a bigger idea, these terrorists may seem like good people to those are in suffering but I think that it is up to the world to try to combat this upcoming terrorist group. How do you guys think that we can stop terrorists or at least the spread of terrorism?
To answer my own question, I think that it all starts with education, if Saleem didn’t have such a complicated childhood and rough time in school but had the proper education I think that he would have never had turned to the Brotherhood. I know this seems like a very “hopeful” answer but I truly think that unless we do something about the education systems in countries which are prone to terrorism, we cannot contain the spread of terrorism.

To respond to Beatriz’s question, it would be really difficult to end terrorism or stop the spread of it. I think it’s very hard to detect and stop any violence before it causes too much harm. Although, I like how she brought up education. I think that is a great point in which Saleem did lack. In those countries, children were taken out of school to work but also to join camps as early as the age of seven; they were trained in obstacle courses and how to shoot guns. In order to stop the spread of terrorism, the atmosphere of these countries need to be changed. People raised in these environments grow with so much hatred and have too many influences that they barely decide for themselves. They conformed into these terrorist groups because so many factors led them to it.
In Saleem’s situation, he was laid a rifle in his arms and from there on he became a terrorist. The last passage on page 91 really stood out to me. Saleem makes comparisons to the roar of the weapon to “a healing drug to a patient who had not known he was dying” and at that point his “childhood slipped through [his] hands into the rifle’s hot steel. Everything [he] I knew had changed.” He lied to his mother about going to the mosque instead of the camp and hoped that as a part of the brotherhood, he would make a difference in the world. Saleem, at such a young age, already had the wrong mentality. No terrorist has an excuse for wanting to kill people but I believe that how they are raised, what they were told, what they were taught plays a major role in the person they turn into.
Now I just wonder what opened his eyes to the mistake that changed his lifestyle. This book makes me want to keep reading!

I agree with Stacey on the point that in order for Saleem to have been different the setting around him would have needed to change. As I continue to read the book I began to think that its not just one person who chooses to become violent and a terrorist and that’s why I think morals counts on this because we can’t really judge another culture or their way of living because that’s how they are brought up so I don’t think that stopping terrorism is easy because we can’t just go into their country and in a way change their norms. For them to learn I think that they have do it on their own like the way that Saleem did because he realized that what he was doing was affecting others and I think that, that is when he decided to not be a terrorist anymore.

I think that Saleem was courageous of talking about radical Islam and actually telling the FBI and other agents what happened behind the attacks and the tactics that they had. Saleem was putting himself in danger and “Pakistani men [went to his] hometown to hunt [him] down”(123) even though he was not a terrorist any longer now he was in danger because the others were in rage because Saleem was telling everyone what was going on and how they planned attacks. In a way I feel that Saleem was going out of his way putting himself in danger to help Americans. I think that this was his way of saying sorry and for asking forgiveness for what he had once done.

Saleem already had a lot of experience regarding that he started working as a free agent at the age of eight, pg.127 so it meant that he was already living a double life and that’s what happened to kids in Lebanon they learned how to kill people. “At night he was training to kill them”. How could they be so young and already train how to kill others? It’s like instead of playing video games this kids where going out and planning an attack or training how to kill a certain person.

I am also really curious to know what caused him to change, I have two predictions. One: Maybe his wife changed him because in the beginning he did mention that she made him see the good in him even though he didn’t think he had goodness in him. Two: Maybe, like Jackie S. said, living in America for a long time caused him to have a change of mind.

And Jackie I think that, like I said before, its something that is common for the boys there because they are suffering and don’t really have anything to rely on. I feel like the Brotherhood seems like a good thing because they have nothing else to believe in.

Another part in the reading that I though was very interesting was how much Saleem’s life has changed, he has to have security everywhere he goes. He is like a bigger target than the actual targets of the terrorists. On pg. 125 and FBI agent visited him in his office and told him to tighten up the security in his house because a Pakistani terrorist was targeting him. He must have a very difficult life and live in fear because he never knows when a terrorist is plotting something. If we ourselves fear these attacks imagine Kamal.

Bia, i agree with your predictions on why he changed...his wife had to have a huge impact in his life for him to see things differently. And there is a saying: show me who your friends are and i'll tell you who you are (or something like that)...and basically I think that he became accustomed with this new American mentality and ended up becoming like them, like us. But he couldn't have changed too much because he still planned the bombing of the World Trade Center.

It's very interesting that you (Bia) brought up the FBI having to "protect" him because he's an ex-terrorist...and it's kind of ironic that the people who should be protecting us from terrorists are helping one. But I know that they're protecting him because he's kind of famous for making people aware of the real terrorist life and probably sold out his fellow terrorist buddies so they're trying to kill him. It makes sense in a way but it's still hard to wrap my head around that.

First off, I’m so glad this book has turned out to be much more interesting than the last book we chose! I really think that it’s so much easier to read this because it’s literally told as if Saleem himself was in front of us telling us about his experiences as a child.

Something that I find particular interesting with this reading is that all of the individuals that became terrorists as Saleem did, all did so because basically it was an escape. I find it so heart wrenching that for these kids to live a life where they would be able to have more opportunities and overall just live better; they’d have to be a part of the “Brotherhood”. The part that made me stop and think about just how naïve Saleem and the boys that he was with that were also being raised in such environment was when he says that Araft said, “[they] will achieve victory through fighters like [him]” which made him feel as though he “was dreaming” (98). This scene made me think about how maybe terrorists begin to become such a violent person not because it is what they believe is right, but because that is what they have been brought up to believe is right

The idea of what one perceives as being “right” is something that I find to be very curious because in the eyes of ignorant individuals who come to think that everyone from Iraq, Afghanistan, and any Middle Eastern country in general, they have been brought up to think that it’s right to hate these people because they’ve been taught that everyone from those countries are awful people who just want to kill, when in fact, such mentality is completely incorrect as they are just uneducated about terrorism in general. Although this post seems to stray away from the previous posts from my group members, I just couldn’t help but talk about it because I think that Saleem really touched upon this idea of how one perceives a terrorist, quite heavily throughout the reading; we learn just why he had come to make the decisions that he had as a terrorist, which is all because as a child, that is what he was raised to believe and follow.

Beatriz wrote: "How can we end terrorism?..."

Building off of what all of you said, I think that it’s impossible to stop terrorism. I think that we cannot simply end it, but we can definitely limit and control the amount of terrorist attacks and terrorists in the world. As Bia said, education is huge. Just like the video we watched in class about how we are practically being “brainwashed” into thinking one specific way through the education system in school, think about how we can just implement a whole new education system in countries that deal with this whole issue of terrorism. Children will believe anything you say. They’re just like sponges, ready to soak up every bit of information placed in front of them. If they were exposed to a wide range of opportunities for them to thrive and succeed in life, would they resort to living such an awful life as a terrorist? Most likely no. I think that terrorism is basically just used as an escape route for those in desperate situations, so if there is a way where one can help another person escape a horrible, poverty-stricken and desperate lifestyle then there is a very high chance that they will decide that they truly do not want to become a terrorist because there are several other ways that they can choose to live their life.

It’s going to be difficult to write so little on this ending! I think that the fact that Saleem was able to go front being a terrorist to an American citizen and embrace his Christian faith that he once sought to destroy, marks just how much he matured and completely transformed. As the final few chapters focus on the dangers of radical Islam in places including Stanford, UCLA, Berkley, and the US Air Force, I was shocked to read about just how much there was a widespread of such religion.

One particular part of the reading that stood out to me was on page 276 when he references the Koran and says ‘“Sura 2:191- Kill the disbelievers wherever you find them. Sura 9:123- Murder them and treat them harshly.”’ He then goes on to explain how his views have completely changed, as he no longer thinks by what the Koran says, but by the voice that is inside him, dictating what he believes is right or wrong, instead of ideas based on the “Islamic fundamentalism” (278).

In the final chapter of this book, Saleem focuses on misconceptions that people have about Muslim terrorists, as a way to wrap up the major ideas that he focused on throughout the text, which was mainly just the mind-set of a Muslim terrorist. He says that Americans believe that “[Muslim’s] jihadst enemy consists mainly of unsophisticated Third World savages who could never truly threaten such a technologically advanced nation as the United States,” (307) and how this is a misconstrued outlook on terrorism, as a terrorist attack can occur by no particular being, and in no particular place.

I know! I really enjoyed the ending as well, like Jackie S. mentioned before, Kamal did in fact become a Christian which totally goes against the Islamic religion. I’m not saying that Christians hate Muslims or Muslims hate Christians, but I am saying that these religions have very few things in common and most values are contradicting. Maybe that is why he is being seen as such a big threat to terrorism, once people know about terrorism they won’t want to be involved in it.

One thing that drew us all to read this book is that its written by a former terrorist which gives us a first-hand look at how they feel about terrorism. I think that this gives him more credibility as a writer than someone who simply studies terrorism/terrorists because he was there, he knows how he felt, how his family felt and now he speaks against terrorism in speeches. On pg 308 (this is probably my favorite part in the book) Kamal says that his book will just be discredited because he is a former terrorist and not ”well-educated”. He said that because his “real name is not Kamal Saleem” professors and journalists “began speculating on [his] real name, thoughtless of the fact they were endangering [his] family in Lebanon”. He is just trying to protect his family in Lebanon and himself from terrorist attacks, but historians thought that in order to give him credit he should use his real name. I think that this so wrong because he is just trying to protect himself.

My favorite line from the book is also on pg. 308 when Kamal says “Wake up, America! You have a good heart towards foreigners, but it will be your death if you do not recognize your enemies and face them head-on.” This continues to be a problem today and I think maybe it even got worse after 9/11 (that’s what he’s talking about on pg. 308) because we have now become scared of foreigners and no longer have a “good heart” AND we did recognize our enemies, but perhaps we recognized the wrong enemies. I believe that the enemies aren’t the people but terrorism itself, its not about Iran, Iraq or Afghanistan but its about stopping terrorism from spreading.

The last part of this book was really interesting for me. I agree with both Cristina and Beatriz on how the end of this book had a huge impact. One thing that I found really interesting was when he went through an accident and that Dr. David took him into his house without even knowing who he was and that’s where I think that Kamal started to think his life over and the things that he had learned when he was younger. Saleem began to understand Christianity and how it worked and he also relates that “through the hands of the innocent a force washed over me that I had not been trained to resist: love” (269). He was beginning to understand Christianity and even though this family barely knew him they were taking him in with such care that he felt uncomfortable because he had never felt that before and he totally went against it. What I found interesting about this was that he was finally realizing that you can’t judge anything unless you know enough about it.

A line that I really liked is related to the one that Beatriz mentioned but with a difference in it. At the end of his speech at the AFA event he said “Wake up America! You must arise! You must wake up to the issue of radical terrorism!”(276). This was interesting because Kamal wants to get America’s attention to terrorism how we need to be aware but also not judge others just because they are from a different place.

I think that Saleem wrote this book not because he wanted us to see how the people of Lebanon were but for us to understand how one can hate another for no reason and I think that in a way he makes us appreciate our lives more and for us to also see if we can do something to stop the spread of terrorism like Beatriz mentioned. This book changed the way I view terrorism and I think that that’s his purpose when he wrote this because he was putting his life in danger but to him helping others was more important.

Beatriz wrote: "Wake up America!"

In response to this quote, I think that when Saleem says that line, he really focuses on the true problem behind the ignorance so many people have about terrorism today. It’s as if everyone is petrified of people who are foreigners, and view people, particularly from the Middle East, as terrorists because they simply “look like one”.

Something that Saleem does very well in this book is give us insight on: what makes one want to be a terrorists (and its motives) and why individuals must understand that terrorism is not something that can be define as something that only people who are insane decide to take part in. His way of justifying why he decided to become a terrorist, which was basically to live a better life, showed us that in poor countries, when people are presented with an opportunity to escape a life of oppression to live a life with a promising future, even if that means doing something that is “bad”, then they’ll do it. If they had another option, then they would most likely never even consider becoming a terrorist.

Also, as Bia mentioned in her post, I think that nothing will ever be the same after 9/11. The outlook on “aliens” and foreigners will never be a positive one, because that attack instilled a fear within America and basically “set a face” to what terrorists look like. By that I mean that if China attacked, then whenever people think of terrorists they’d picture someone Asian, but because we were attacked by the Al-Qaeda, led by bin Laden, most Americans tend to see someone that looks like that when they picture who would most likely attack our country. Such profiling is truly something that I wish people would not do, and I think that Saleem does an excellent job of stressing this problem in the last chapter of his book.

During the last section of the book, we have seen Kamal become a terrorist and bomb America to what led to the change in his life to love America. When he moved to America to plan an attack on the country, he learned about the Christian faith because if he “was going to target America” he would have to “aim at her heart” (244). He learned about their God and worked in order to convert Americans into Muslims. At first, I thought it was nice of Saleem that he was going house to house in the neighborhood and giving groceries to the poor as acts of kindness. Although, Saleem was really only trying to influence them into believing that Allah cared for them and that positive changes would occur. He was lying to these families about their futures if they were to convert to Islam in order to serve Allah. I wouldn’t want to intervene with peoples’ beliefs. It’s just wrong.

After his tragic accident, Saleem’s life changed and he realized that being a terrorist was not for him. Throughout his lifetime he was living a lie that Americans were terrible and evil people. When he got into the accident, he met three American men that took care of him, gave him shelter, and influenced his thoughts about the country and its citizens. Now he preaches about this life change because he has revealed the truth and the three Ex-terrorists “love this country and live for her, standing and fighting for America as Americans” (276). Saleem realized how much time he devoted his life, killing for Allah because he believed in the teachings of Islam and after listening to the three Christian men he no longer wanted to be a part of radical Islam. I am so glad that Saleem went into this state of confusion and no longer wanted to be a terrorist. The miracle that he experienced when he spoke with the Christian God marked the point where he was never turning back.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It was nothing like I expected it to be. He wrote the book when he was about fifty years old and proclaims that he is not the same person because he has fallen in love with America and appreciates how America accepts every culture and faith. I like how he ended his memoir by stating that he prays “not to a god of war, but to a God of peace” (309) because he is now a Christian (answered our question from the beginning!) and his views have changed. Even though he hopes that we never meet a man like him, terrorism is still an issue that America struggles with today but is trying its best to keep terrorists outside of its borders.

I do agree with everyone that one of Saleem’s claims is that we can not judge people based on their culture or religion. He also wants America to learn about terrorists and their patterns so that we can “be constantly on our guard at home and abroad” (308). Saleem wrote this book in order to teach us what he knows, as a first-hand account, of radical Islam. He wrote the memoir to reflect on his past mistakes but to also keep his country safe from harm.

Also, I think Cristina and Beatriz made a great point that profiling is common in the United States but I really think our government should refrain from doing that. At airports, people are pulled aside and put through extra security if they look like they are Muslim or are from the Middle East. It’s a shame because anyone can be a terrorist. America is no longer as accepting of cultures as it used to be. It continues to keep as many “aliens” or foreigners out of the country to protect itself but it is ruining the reputation that it built of welcoming diversity and immigrants that want freedom and rights.

As Jackie A. mentioned, this book has also given me more insight on terrorism and has changed my views about it. It’s a scary situation and I’m glad our country is doing its best to protect its citizens because I could not imagine walking every where carrying a gun if it was not safe to live in America. Terrorism isn’t any kind of joke and its real. Saleem wants America to open its eyes before more attacks cause greater destruction after the horrific 9/11 incident we all lived through.

I agree with what everyone said about the book and as Stacey mentioned Saleem is now praying to a god of peace as to where before he didn't believe so because coming to America changed his view on the religion that he once believe in. And I think that it is interesting that he changed religions because even though he doesn't want to directly say that Muslim is bad and that's not his point as it was mentioned by Bia but Saleem was able to learn new ways in which he comes to realize that now e is in a better place and that he knows that know he is helping people for their safety and his and he is not even worried I'd others go against him because it's his point of view. 
And I think that the message that he is portraying is that whenever we can we should help our peers because we never know what they might be going through like when Saleem suffered from the accident and the doctors helped him even though they didn't know who he was.

Stacey, I don't think that America has become less accepting of other culture because other cultures make up America. I wouldn't be surprised if there are more immigrants here than people who were born here. I do agree however that people in the US are more careful or cautious when they see someone who is a Mulism in the airport. I have heard of some people who even go as far as refusing to getting on the plane if they see a Muslim passenger on board. But people are going to havetheir thoughts no matter what and sometimes their fear gets the best of them.

And I KNEW THAT HE WAS A cHRISTIAN!!! I'm glad that he converted to Christianity because that's one less terrorist we have to deal with. I know that Saleem came here before the 9/11 attacks but if he converted, why didn't he tell the government or something before the attacks happened?? Maybe he felt bad for his people?? But I'm glad he chose the side that doesn't cause death for thousands of people.

Terrorist by John Updike, this is the book we are reading for this new round

Hello ladies, I hope you are all enjoying the book. To start off I would like to say that at times I'm feeling a little offended by this book, because Ahmad seems to really hate Christians and Jews. In the beginning he already starts by calling his classmates "devils" and accusing them of taking away his God. Even though this book is fictional, I believe it does transmit the correct emotional hatred that a terrorist has.
From what we read, it really seems like Ahmad hates his teachers and everyone around him. Just the way he describes teachers on page 4 as "unclean" and as people who have "pink lids and bad breath and puffy bodies of those who habitually drink too much" he portrays his hatred for their wrong morals (wrong according to his own). Ahmad also criticizes the fact that "some [teachers] get divorces; some live with others unmarried" and that they just teach "democratic values" because they get paid to do so. In my opinion, Ahmad's belief that the values of our government is "Godless" and "satanic" is ridiculous. He is totally mixing up two completely different things. Here in America we have separation of church and state for a reason, there are simply too many religions and beliefs in one place to only establish one. However, Updike is developing a character which (I think is kind of obvious) will become a terrorist, so it is understandable that he displays so much hatred.
I connected this reading a lot to the students at Columbine because I feel like they had the same sort of feelings as Ahmad does. Maybe he will end up doing the same, what do you guys think?

As I began reading the book I thought that it was a bit confusing because the story goes back and forth, and at times it’s a little confusing to understand exactly what is going on. Ahmad an 18 year old teenager seems like he would be like any other but he shows to be very different since he is a strong believer in his religion and thinks that everyone else is wrong. In this perspective I don’t think that Ahmad was right to tell Joryleen that her religion was wrong and that what she was doing wasn’t correct just because it didn’t connect with what he believed in.

Not only that but everyone has the right to their own religion and others should not judge just because they don’t agree. I think that Ahmad should have been nicer to her because she just gave him an invitation and he didn’t need to be all rude about it. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion Ahmad didn’t have the right to tell her that her religion was not the right one. Even though I disagree with some things that are mentioned in the book so far I find it interesting how he views certain things because he thinks that everyone in his school is bad and that he shouldn’t be in the same place as them. Ahmad keeps saying that the world is difficult because there are “devils busy” (11). I think that this book is starting to rise up what is moral and stir up the hatred towards terrorism.

When I first started reading the book, I was very confused because it does jump back and forth, however, after I continued reading and adjusting to the writing style, I was able to follow along and understand everything much more.

Responding to Bia’s comment about feeling offended by Ahmad’s outlook toward those of other religions, I reacted the same way. I thought that his view towards Christians was very harsh and critical, but then I tried to think about why he would think and feel that way. What I got out of that was the idea that Ahmad is just entirely passionate about his Islam faith, so he cannot seem to understand why someone would not believe and practice his religion. I don't agree with his violent ideas about burning other classmates, but I think that his way of holding true to his religious values will play a significant motive behind his actions throughout the book.

Another interesting part of the Ahmad’s life was how he does not really follow American ways although he is an American-born Muslim. He shares this outlook with his Guidance Counselor Mr. Levy, as they both concede upon how the American culture has many faults and flaws that make the lifestyle of Americans one that lacks morality and respect. They both are super judgmental, as Ahmad views Americans it in terms of their distance from God. Levy on the other hand thinks about things as the outcome of historical events and naked greed. In other words, he thinks Americans behave the way they do because of what has occurred generations before they existed.

“I of course do hate all the Americans. But the American way is the way of infidels. It is headed for a terrible doom” (39) Through this quote it’s safe to say that Ahmad will continue to go against everything that has to do with the Americans even when he finishes school he already said that he will change his name to his dad’s because he feels a connection with them.

I agree with Beatriz with what she mentioned earlier that Updike is just setting the character of someone that will turn out to be a terrorist. Basically Ahmad makes everything based on his faith and his
religion, he lives based off of his religion and that’s how he divides if something is correct or not. He is just extremely faithful and won’t change his ways because he already set his mind.

Just to comment on John Updike’s writing...I noticed he provides the reader with a lot of details about everything he mentions. He could be talking about the smallest thing like about the type of teachers in New Jersey or about the hallways at Ahmed’s high school and he’ll dedicate a page of description for each. That made it a bit confusing at times to follow along.

I also found it interesting how Ahmed was born to an Irish-American mother and to an Egyptian father and at the age of eleven he chose to practice the Islamic faith on his own. I think that is why he is so headstrong about his own religion and thinks that whatever everyone else practices is not right because they do not share the same views as him.

Responding to Beatriz’s comment, I think Ahmed was also being arrogant and rude towards other people who did not worship the same God. Since Ahmed is true to his faith, he thinks that no one else in New Jersey is because he describes Americans as people that do not have morals that “lack true faith.” It seems as if Updike is referring to the theme of judging a book by its cover because Ahmed didn’t want to associate with certain people in his school and disapproved of others based on their religion.

On page 10, Ahmed questions a girl at his school about her passion of singing in her church choir. In the beginning of the novel, we get a sense of his personality and character to be unaccepting and very judgemental. I did not expect him to tell Joryleen to not go to church anymore since she doesn’t take her religion seriously. The passage then ends with his words “the world is difficult because devils are busy in it, confusing things and making the straight crooked.” This shows Ahmed’s early start to thinking like a terrorist (as Beatriz mentioned) since he believes that they are all the devil. Going back to our bookclub theme: the mind of the terrorist, Updike explains their thought process and what leads to their immoral acts.

I don't know if it is our bias opinion to think that terrorists grow up with hatred built inside or that they have a troubled childhood. But I kind of began to question why Updike is doing certain things, if it is out of personal bias or he meant to do so. The story takes place in America but yet the boy's name is Ahmad and he is Muslim... Why did he choose to do that? I thought that since the boy was born in America he would be like a homegrown terrorist but since he is from Muslim descent that may be a little judgmental of Updike. This book was published in 2006 which is far from 2001, however, there may be some 9/11 remorse in there, that's why I think he made the decisions he did.
Another thing I’d like to point out is the relationship between the guidance counselor, Jack Levy, and Ahmad, I feel like he does respect him on the outside but in his head he sort of makes fun of him. I think that Levy is asking too many questions to Ahmad and when (this is a prediction) he becomes a terrorist he will be the first one he attacks. Not to mention that Levy is a Jew, one of the people Ahmad hates most, I think he will be one of the main targets if Ahmad becomes a terrorist. Do you guys think that Ahmad is going to become a terrorist? Have any opinions on Ahmad’s decisions and actions?

I got my predictions about Jack Levy and Ahmad from pgs. 40 - 43

I also think that Ahmad is going to be a terrorist because of his responses towards the guidance counselor, Levy, that is only trying to help Ahmad have a future after high school. Mr. Levy tries to create a friendly bond with Ahmad and find out more about the student but Ahmad refrains from telling him any of his secrets regarding his decisions and about Shaikh Rashid, his teacher. I find it strange how he wants to take the career pathway of a truck driver. He also wanted to deal with hazardous materials until Levy told him he had to be twenty one years old in order to carry them. Instead of being college bound, he accepts this type of job because Rashid told him that “the college track exposed me [Ahmad] to corrupting influences - bad philosophy and bad literature (38).” Since Ahmad grew up without a father, I feel like he is easily influenced and he is having others make the decisions for him. It seems as though Rashid might be his terrorist connection because he told Levy that Rashid hates the American ways which convinced Ahmad that “the American way is the way of infidels” and that “it is headed for a terrible doom(39).” This foreshadows that something bad is going to happen and I believe that it has to do with a terrorist attack on America that involves Ahmad. Maybe he is going to have to decide who to listen to and choose whether or not to take part in an attack. Rashid is influencing Ahmad’s hatred towards America while Jack Levy is trying to teach him to accept people’s differences and to go to college. Based on the end of passage on page 43, Levy still wants to keep in touch with Ahmad because he cares about his plans in the future but doesn’t want him to go down the wrong path.
After reading this section of the novel that began slowly, it has me wondering about why Ahmad wants to be a truck driver and is he really going to turn into a terrorist because of his teacher Rashid? We’ll find out soon!

Something that I quickly noticed as I began to read the second section was Updike's style of writing, he is very descriptive. His writing actually reminds me a little of Dickens because he uses complex compound sentences in seven pages to describe the church service.
Speaking of the church service he attended one characteristic I found about Ahmad was very judgemental. Throughout the whole service he is criticizing the people, the preacher and the values of the Christian faith. I still feel a little offended when he criticizes the church, like on pg. 68 when he is talking to Joryleen saying that "unbelievers are our enemies". And he even says that "The Prophet said that eventually all unbelievers must be destroyed" if that isn't a hint as to he is going to become a terrorist I don't know what is. I think that now not only is his hatred going to affect his decision to become a terrorist but his faith as well. Any opinions? Do you guys think this book criticizes the Muslim faith too much and gives it a bad name?

First off I would like to answer Beatriz’s question I think that the book does criticize the Muslim faith and I think that many people that would read this would feel offended by it because there is no positive feedback only negative.

As I continued to read the book I found that Ahmad is very stereotypical towards Americans and he criticizes everything that they do, and I think it’s because they are so different from him. I think that what Ahmad wants is for everyone to be like him and to believe in what he believes and if they don’t then they should all be burned. He starts to show hatred towards the Americans especially when he says that all are “selfish and materialistic” (72) and that he wouldn’t want to be like them. Also Ahmad compares Americans to slaves, as slaves to “fads”, “television”, “sports” and “drugs” (73). It’s because he feels that they care more about society them themselves and that everything around them is just filthy which I don’t agree with. I think that Updike will continue to show how judgmental Ahmad is and how easily influenced he is by his faith. The thing about Ahmad is that he is not open-minded and that he doesn’t take in what others may tell him or give an advice because he is stuck to his belief and thinks that only that matters.

As I kept reading I rethought my previous comment, it seems that the book does reflect a negative part of Muslims but when Tylenol is speaking to Ahmad is shows the other side of the story where Ahmad is bullied for being a Muslim. On pg. 98 they are having a conversation and Tylenol calls Ahmad by "Arab" and speaks to him ignorantly by cursing at him. Tylenol is Joryleen's boyfriend, but he says he does not care about her or Ahmad.
By including Tylenol's bullying of Ahmad Updike call also portray a Muslim's struggle to having a normal life after 9/11. To me it seems like we rarely think about the suffering of Muslim's after that tragic event, we think more about the impact it left on the other people who now have to live with the fear of terrorism. The conversation between Tylenol and Ahmad "infuriates him" and everyone that listens to Tylenol calling him names laughs at him. I think that later on in the book all of his sufferings are going to pile up inside him and he will use terrorism to explode.
Although being bullied is no excuse to become a terrorist or to cause harm to others, without the proper psychological treatment they will turn to violence to solve their problems. Also by believing that killing unbelievers is good for his faith I think that Ahmad will plan an attack and kill his classmates and maybe even family.

I hadn't thought about it before but it's true what Beatriz says that it does also show the side that no one really looks at because it's true that we don't see that the Muslims are suffering, in a way then the book shows both sides and that both of them suffers the same no matter what is going on.
There is also one more thing that made me think beyond, which was on pg 119 where Mr. Levy meets with Ahmad's mom and when I read this part it seems to me like they will have something and that may lead on to Ahmad's hatred towards the people and maybe even havig a bigger impact on him. If this is true then I think that Ahmad will be greatly upset because of his father even though he left Ahmad still admires him. In a way i think that his father might also have something to do with him becoming a terrorist but I'm not sure yet

I was very surprised by the end of the book, I was expecting Ahmad to plan an attack on the school or on Jack Levy but he didn't do anything. It kind of disappointed me that he didn't attack anyone or anything. The terror that Updike is talking about is the terror that Ahmad faced by being such a radical and criticizing everyone. The terror that Ahmad was bringing upon the people that surrounded him was not a physical one but an emotional one. I believe that this "emotional terrorism" that Updike portrays through this book is what triggers attacks like 9/11. But I have to say I was extremely disappointed that Ahmad just decided to be truck driver, I thought that since he worked for a Lebanese family maybe that would have some affect on him so that he would become a violent terrorist.
I'm not sure if it is my own bias view of how terrorists are supposed to be but Ahmad does not seem as bad as someone like Osama Bin Laden because he just kind of bullies people because they don’t think like him. Of course it is something wrong but the consequences are not as terrible as killing a massive number of people. Do you guys think that emotional terrorism is worse than physical terrorism? I think that emotional terrorism definitely has its serious consequences in a person’s mind but it is sort of indirect, whereas physical terrorism is felt instantly.

This book totally surprised me I had no idea that it would end up ending like this, it was so different. The reason why I think that my thoughts for this book were different was because whenever we hear the word terrorism we think of bombs and guns and people dying. And I agree with Beatriz on this part that Updike was trying to portray a different part, the other side that not a lot of people understand. I think that he wants to show that some terrorists know how to take a step back and think before acting because the truly realize that what they are about to o is pure malfeasance.
Ahmad was going thru a difficult time and I think that the reason why he was able to stop himself was because of Jack Levy. Mr. Levy kept talking to Ahmad but encouraging him but in this way he was realizing what he was about to do. On pg 302- 303 I realized that Mr. Levy played an important role in Ahmad’s life and that he was helping him be relieved of this hate that he felt towards anyone that didn’t agree with him and that had a different way of living.
It was all about emotional terrorism and I think that Ahmad was able to control it, because I think that dee down he was a good person and was just going through some difficult times to which he didn’t know what to do or act so he started to criticize and judge others and I think that this made him feel better until he realized what he truly was about to do.

After finishing the book, I can definitely say that it wasn’t at all the way I thought it would be. Simply put, the entire storyline just seems super false and thrown together based off of ideas that Updike puts together spontaneously. I also felt like it definitely lacked critical details to make the storyline more developed and interesting.

Basically, we only get to see one side of Ahmad, which is his cruel and vicious mindset that he expresses toward those that are against his Muslim faith, as he particularly attacks the American culture again and again. Although there are at least a good hundred pages in the text that can show where he is attacking Americans, a particular line that stood out to me was when he said “The American way is to hate one’s family and flee from it. Even the parents conspire in this, welcoming signs of independence from the child and laughing at disobedience” (168) only to then argue that Muslims do not hate their families and that Muslims “[share] a bonding love” (170). Eventhough these cases are instances early on in the book where Ahmad bluntly insults Americans, he says something even worse such as “[they] learn to die in their spare time” (312) whereas Muslims learn to live life and enjoy every blessing that comes their way. .

Although Updike tries not to put too much focus on Ahmad’s violent thoughts and instead attempts to focus his reader’s attentions on how the plot develops after Ahmad struggles in search of his true soul when John Levy and the Yemeni imam, Shaikh Rashid, introduces him to a jihadist terror cell in New Jersey. What I found flawed with the end of the book is Updike’s simplistic and super original terrorist schemes. I feel like it’s something we’ve heard way too many times on the TV, or in newspaper articles, or in magazines which highlight how homicidal terrorist attacks can get. This is where I partly disagree with posts about the ending being so subtle and submissive because I felt like it actually went of with a bang of some sort.

I know that the focus was on Ahmad and everything about him (even though his character was super fake/impossible/weird/nonsense because he talked like he was 90 years old and not 18…) but I feel like Updike wanted to show how many others live a life just like that of Ahmad where they branch off into a direction that is much more violent and gruesome than that of Ahmad’s. What separates the terrorists that Updike focuses on in the ending and Ahmad is basically really simple, which is just their ages. Ahmad is too young and inexperienced commit such a large-scale terrorist attack whereas his colleagues end up committing an incredible tragedy. Sure he acted like he was an old wise man, but he definitely couldn’t carry out with the actions to support his personality.

But I mean, the ending just left me almost laughing because it sounded like something little kids would say when they’re playing with toy soldiers, guns, and ketchup like “Pow! Jimbo got shot! Augggggh blooooodd boom boom boom” Sure, Ahmad’s taken to a harsh form of Islam, and everything American disgusts him, the imam has become almost a parent figure to him, and, yes, he is psychically and mentally at odds with the world around him—but these parts, by themselves, cannot feasibly reason such a potentially homicidal attack…It’s just way too weird and surreal. I guess that’s just the huge problem I had with the book, is that it was lacking a sense of reality because it felt like Updike didn’t have a clear understanding about everything that was going on and the history of terrorist attacks that are driven by Islamic motives.