Scan barcode
A review by cassimiranda
I Cannot Write My Life: Islam, Arabic, and Slavery in Omar Ibn Said's America by Carl W. Ernst, Mbaye Lo
challenging
informative
slow-paced
4.0
I received an eARC of this book for review from University of North Carolina Press via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
• The Brief: I Cannot Write My Life is a socio-historical literary study of Omar ibn Said’s [Sayyid] surviving writings. This includes an autobiographical sketch and several letters. The authors focus on the centuries of misinterpretation brought on by translator’s biases and ignorance of Arabic education and religious systems.
• This study will interest anyone seeking to learn more about the lives and impact of enslaved African Americans or the pro-slavery movements and abolitionist movements of the 1800s. It is written for a scholarly audience and will also appeal to those interested in the history of forced religious conversion and anti-Islamic activities.
I found this a well-researched and comprehensive analysis that applies historical, religious, and sociological fields to understand – for perhaps the first time – the true meanings of Sayyid’s writings. While I have studied these liberal arts subjects, but am by no means an expert on Abrahamic religions or slave narratives. Still, the author’s arguments were well supported by their citations and bibliography. Highly recommend!
• The Brief: I Cannot Write My Life is a socio-historical literary study of Omar ibn Said’s [Sayyid] surviving writings. This includes an autobiographical sketch and several letters. The authors focus on the centuries of misinterpretation brought on by translator’s biases and ignorance of Arabic education and religious systems.
• This study will interest anyone seeking to learn more about the lives and impact of enslaved African Americans or the pro-slavery movements and abolitionist movements of the 1800s. It is written for a scholarly audience and will also appeal to those interested in the history of forced religious conversion and anti-Islamic activities.
I found this a well-researched and comprehensive analysis that applies historical, religious, and sociological fields to understand – for perhaps the first time – the true meanings of Sayyid’s writings. While I have studied these liberal arts subjects, but am by no means an expert on Abrahamic religions or slave narratives. Still, the author’s arguments were well supported by their citations and bibliography. Highly recommend!