Recently, Donald Trump signed an executive order that temporarily closed America’s borders to entry for citizens from seven (predominantly Muslim) countries. The result has been turmoil for people from these countries, even if they have not lived in them for years. Obviously, the voices from these countries need to be heard. Literature offers a window of empathy – a reminder of the essential humanity in all of us.
I know virtually nothing about the literature of Iran, Iraq,
Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, so I was pleased that BookRiot came to my rescue: “One of literature’s greatest powers is the
ability to illustrate our shared humanity and evoke empathy within the
reader. To that end, here are some
recommended books from the countries on Trump’s list”: http://bookriot.com/2017/02/02/book-recommendations-from-countries-targeted-by-trumps-travel-ban/.
Syria has perhaps been most in the news because of the civil
war raging there and the number of refugees resulting, refugees whom Trump does
not want in the U.S. So it’s appropriate
that I share a list of books by Syrian authors or about the Syrian experience –
a list prepared by Signature: http://www.signature-reads.com/2017/02/side-syria-best-books-understand-syrian-experience/?ref=BEBF7DBE6741.
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