Introduction

A novel consisting of diverse characters and diverse tales, sometimes intertwining. There is Salma, facing a spiritual crisis in a country steeped in dogma; Hussam - a billionaire’s son who tries but fails to conceal his gay relationship; Mohammed, a bigamist, grasping tightly to antiquated patriarchal ideals at the expense of his love life; Mike, who adopts cultural appropriation to provide him with a stable foundation when his world collapses; and the remaining characters, one per chapter, revealing the impact of collective thought matrices on the individual and vice versa. Motorbikes and Camels is a timely book that begs the question, offered to the reader by author Al-Yagout, via one of the protagonists, Zayna: Am I who I am because of my culture?

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Excerpt

Dhari was not religious at all. He told Hussam he couldn’t be a part of anything that ostracized people. With Dhari’s influence, even Hussam’s views evolved. Hussam tried to share his newfound interpretation regarding the verses, and how they applied to heterosexual men with extreme lust who raped men even though they were not attracted to them.

“Justify it how you want, Hussam. It’s haram. All scholars say so.”

“Not all scholars.”

“Trust me. The ones who defend us are considered astray. They call them reformists, as though it were an insult. And it’s not just that. What about this whole divide between believers and disbelievers? Why is it our way or the highway to hell? Haven’t you seen the way non-Muslims are treated here? We talk about Islamophobia, but we have everything here: Sikh-phobia, Buddhist-phobia, Judeo-phobia, Christo-phobia, Jain-phobia, agnostic-phobia, atheist-phobia. Isn’t it strange we have mosques on every corner and just a handful of churches? And nothing else. No temples. No synagogues. No ashrams. No gurdwaras. Come on, Hussam. Wake up. If we want respect, we have to give it to others. I’m done.”

“Islam wasn’t like this before. This is politics. Read history. Jews, Muslims, and Christians coexisted peacefully for centuries.”

“OK, let’s suppose it’s politics, for the sake of an argument. If things tone down in this region, do you think temples will be allowed? Why were only the Abrahamic religions respected? They’d call me an infidel. But, I love God, not religion. Why does that take away my special relationship with the Creator?”

“You don’t understand religion the way I do. I don’t know how you can leave Islam.”

“I haven’t left anything. There are parts that will always resonate for me, the beautiful parts, the esoteric parts, the mystical parts. But I can’t confine myself to one ideology. I guess you could say I’m Muslim once a month. The rest of the month I’m Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Jain, Buddhist, Baha’i, agnostic, and the list goes on. Oh, and I take the best and leave the rest.” Dhari laughed.

Hussam remained silent. It bored him to debate religion. Dhari called it a discussion, but to Hussam, it was an argument with one person trying to change another person’s mind. That was what everyone did. He didn’t want to be like everyone.

“Let’s change the subject. I don’t care what you are or aren’t.” view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

1) What does the title Motorbikes and Camels entail?

2) One of the protagonists, Zayna asks: Am I who I am because of my culture.

Have you ever wondered who you are beneath the parameters of your culture, religion, gender, family? If so, which influenced you the most and how would you be different if you were born in another parameter?

3) Who are some of the characters who have gone astray because of societal constraints?

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