The Haj Leon Uris Book
by Leon Uris

This is a fictional tale of Saudi Arabian Muslims at the turn of the 19th century who must journey to Mecca as part of their religious/cultural commitment to the teachings of Mohammed. I was struck by the joyless lives of these people trapped in a society where free thought was not tolerated. I found this novel browsing through the public library and never having had any knowledge of Islam and the demands it imposes made me unspeakably happy to be an American citizen where I can breathe free from the mental illness that characterizes the Arab culture.

This novel should serve as an enlightening wake-up call to anyone ignorant of the many ways a repressive culture fueled by a hateful religion can and does misshape the mind of the common Abdul. Leon Uris masterfully demonstrates the depth of insanity that marked the Arab culture back then and probably continues to this day.