This beautiful, beautiful book tells of a little and sparsely known event in history. During the holocaust The Grand Mosque of Paris served as a place of refuge for many North African Jews. Many who passed through the vast gardens and beautiful Mosque were given fake documents of conversion, tombstones with their family names inscribed, and access to truly underground passageways (subterranean mazes), as the Muslims of Paris offered assistance to keep their Jewish brother’s and sister’s safe from the Nazi regime. Many of the stories were recently uncovered and with the passage of time, so much of the information has been lost. As a result the book is a bit choppy, each page tells what is known about the Muslims’ assistance in some capacity, but does not flow to the next page. So there are generalized recountings of children being hidden with other families, the efforts of the Kabyle Ressistance (Berbers from Algeria) to smuggle Jews to safety, etc.. There are also a few specific examples of Salim Halali, a young Berber Jew from Algeria, two friends one a Muslim the other a Jew seeking shelter, a Tunisian Jew who stayed at the Mosque for over two years,and a few others, but with the exception of the use of the Grand Mosque and a Doctor Ahmed Somia very little flows throughout the book. Thus making it more of a historical account than a story.
Truly the book would not work for story time, it is geared for children (and adults) ages 12 and up, it has an AR level of 7.1. I would imagine it would be an amazing addition to any class studying World War II and finding the humanity offered in one of the bleakest times of our world. It should, in my opinion, be standard required reading in Islamic School curriculum to supplement WWII study. The hope and pride one feels when reading this book, shows how rich our faith’s are in coming together. It would also work in understanding how history is lost, and the importance of perserving it. There is an Afterword on page 34 that is very informative and interesting. It is followed by a Glossary, Acknowledgements, References, Bibliography, Recommended Book and Films, and an Index.
The book also sparked my interest to know more about, not just how Muslim’s helped Jews during the Holocaust, but also how Muslims were treated in France. The book says, “The Grand Mosque shimmered like a mirage, the white domes and the glittering mosaics of the minaret in stark contrast to the muted colors of Paris. When the mosque was built in 1926, the North African countries of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia were under French rule, and many Muslims had come to Paris from those countries. The land for the mosque was given by the French government, in exchange for a symbolic payment of one franc, to thank the half-million Muslim soldiers who had fought for France during the First World War.”
I have already read the book more then once, and gone back and read passages multiple times. It is as fascinating as it is informative, and a great addition on any book shelf.
Islamic School Librarian 