i doubt anyone has read this book, prolly cos its written by a Malaysian author, n it talks abt Islam (duh). im sure e only bunch of peeps who read books like these are pious muslims and social scientists. bt i think this book deserves to be read by anyone.

i know e title might be off-putting. bt this book is totally nt a religious book/memoir tt aims to target non-muslims to convert themselves into muslims. zina explains it herself saying tt 'this is nt a discourse or religious bk abt Islam. it is a very selfish series of articles by a writer exploring her religion and people... it is an adventure of meeting strangers, new and wonderful people who call themselves Muslims.'

i think Malay Muslims in SG can connect well with this book, even tho its actually a revelation on the urban middle-class Malay Muslims in KL.

this book talks abt soul cleansing, friday prayers, politics and religion, western and islamic education, e preception of Islam on an outsider's view, how liberal muslims look down on pious ones and vice versa, transvestitism, KL life, AIDS, romantic liasons and JAKIM, polygamy, muslim cleansing rituals and black magic, having faith in fate, and many, many more.

e 'sex within islam' section is one of e many interesting chapters in e bk, this is where e author talks abt e masturbation issue, kinky sex toys, hijab-wearing homosexual women who's been on e Hajj twice, malay/muslim views on virginity and celibacy, etc.

a warm, and funny read.

this books makes you THINK, man.
effing good.
i'd rate it 4.5/5

:)

in summary:
rm 122: FREE
rm 143: PAID ROOM TO CHARGED UNDER SYIKIN'S CREDIT CARD. (e other 4 girls promised to pay her back $112 each once we all arrived sg.)
1st clique: me & ana
2nd clique: syikin, razinah & yaya.

*each clique are to spend 3 nights in rm 143 each.

on these 2(sunday and monday) nights, me and ana slept at rm 143 while e other 3 girls slept at rm 122. me & ana assumed tt we will change rms once our 3 nights are over. i.e. we will change rooms e following morning after tuesday night.

this trip has been a very traumatizing ordeal fr me. bali is a superb place. bt we went with e wrong company and it spoilt everything. i shouldnt have said yes to this trip. i should have waited and planned my own bali trip wit tana and all. i didnt even get to surf and snorkel there - e main reason i wanna go to bali. this trip has also left me a huge hole in my pocket and emotionally scarred for life. all i hope n pray fr nw is that syikin's dad wont come aftr us. after all, me n ana has alr promised to pay syikin 2/5 of rm 143's bill, provided she show us proof of e bill receipt.

my mom has yet to know e real reason y i went home early. i lied to her saying tt ana had gastroenteritis n she's feeling homesick. i even told her that my lion air flight ticket was sponsored by her! haix. all these lies are suffocating me. even if im here at home, i still feel unsafe. i know i'll be anticipating a call frm one of them sooner or later. what if they lied to their parents and tell them a different story? what if they make us sound as if we were e bad ones? what if my mom got to hear their story?

i dnt care if they wanna lie their way out or whatever. i know we're e real victims here. i have lost so much $ in this trip all thnks to them. anw, we have proof frm their sms, threatening us and all..

i think its best i tell my mum e truth. i know she'll be freakin mad at me. haix. after all these years of trying to make her think that i've changed fr e better. this stupid fucking trip ruined everything.

alright, goodnight and goodbye.