Inter-Religious Marriages Among Muslims: Negotiating Religious and Social Identity in Family and Community Edited by Abdullahi A. An-Na’im, Global Media, Rs 650

The book is an interdisciplinary study of inter-religious marriage between Muslims and non-Muslims over a period of time in India as well as abroad. At a time when relations between the two communities have become strained all over the world, this book might help clear some of the misunderstandings that have risen because of religious and cultural differences. The chapters take up the cases of some individuals who have faced immense difficulties by challenging the norms of marriage acceptable in the societies they live in.

The book is a study of the institution of marriage between Muslims and non-Muslims as well as between Muslims of different sects. It shows how Muslims identify with changing social identities that arise because of marriage with men and women of other religions within specific social, legal and political frameworks. Apart from Abdullahi A. An-Na’im, other contributors to this interesting volume include Rohit Chopra, Jyoti Punwani, Codou Bop and Somnur Vardar.

Case studies have been selected from Mumbai, Dakar, Thies, Zinguinchor and Istanbul. What prompted the contributors to select these particular countries is not clearly explained. Pakistan and Bangladesh would have been excellent starting points for such a subject. Indonesia, which is home to a large number of Muslims, and the Middle East have also been avoided.

The book consists of only three chapters and an introduction by An Na’im. The first deals with cases of inter-religious marriages in the greater Bombay area, the second takes up three cities in Senegal while the last one deals with Istanbul in Turkey. Na’im’s introduction is informative on the sharia, as also on the global research conducted on this subject. The other chapters, in which different editors have interviewed individuals in India, Turkey and Senegal, throw up interesting cases of inter-religious marriages. On the whole, the book is not a tale of how Muslims cope with social identities. Rather, the focus is on how people adapt to new circumstances.

The work undertaken demands time and tact and the editors have managed to accomplish their task efficiently. May be the book can serve as a spur for others to undertake similar projects in future and help us understand ourselves better. Students of sociology and readers in general should not miss the book. The only problem is that it is too technical and may not be to the liking of the common reader.