A book by Dina Zaman, a middle-class Malaysian, entitled I Am Muslim, is spruiked on the always-enlightening Bibliobibuli blog, run by Sharon Bakar.

Bakar is deeply involved in the literary scene in Malaysia and often attends readings by local writers. In Zaman's case, she also provided editing services.

I Am Muslim is also an intriguing exposé of the urban middle-class Malay in Kuala Lumpur: Dina is a lady with her ear firmly to the ground. I didn't know about the expense of keeping up with appearances with designer telekungs (prayer shrouds), costly religious classes and "jet-set umrahs" and am now much enlightened. And there is an eye-popping account of the sexual prefences of boarding school educated Malay men which is going to be very hotly denied, I think. (But Dina has her informants ...).

The book can be purchased online from Silverfish.

Bakar hopes that the book will be read by people living outside Malaysia because "so much of the world equates Islam with terrorism and extremism and the oppression of women and this book presents a refreshing counterbalance to the stereotypical images".