Robin Yassin-Kassab
Author and political blogger Robin Yassin-Kassab argues that Palestinians have a strange stateless existence very like the Jews had in the past. They can’t really own anything, and can neither invest in land, because it will be taken away, or in business, because it will be destroyed, so they invest in education and culture. As the land disappears from under their feet, their identity as a nation paradoxically grows stronger.
Books by Robin Yassin-Kassab
The Road from Damascus
by Robin Yassin-Kassab
What is so strong about the book is that it shows Muslims as a human community, struggling not just to make sense of their faith and coming to terms with Western values, but also with family problems, break-ups, unemployment and so on. The way that travel features in the book is very sophisticated; Robin Yassin-Kassab depicts the internal travel of the characters from one variety of Islam to another, the physical travel of literally going to Damascus, and also spiritual travel as certain characters find themselves spiritually enriched by their experiences.
Interviews with Robin Yassin-Kassab
The best books on The Israel-Palestine Conflict, recommended by Robin Yassin-Kassab
The author and political blogger chooses five books on the Israel-Palestine conflict and compares the Palestinians to the Jews in diaspora: as the land disappears under their feet, their identity grows stronger.
Interviews where books by Robin Yassin-Kassab were recommended
The best books on Travel in the Muslim World, recommended by Ziauddin Sardar
The Professor of Postcolonial Studies at City University, London, talks to us about Islamic travel books. Explains how travel should be both a physical and a mental exercise focussed on immersing oneself in local culture
