Culture and Religion in Kiser's The Commander of the Faithful

In a town like Elkader, a small predominantly white community, it would seem unlikely that someone would grow up learning about cultures and religions from the opposite end of the globe. However, thanks to Timothy Davis, that statement can be, and in my case, is true. In John Kiser's book, The Commander of the Faithful, Kiser shows us how Davis’ choice to name Elkader after an Arab gave his settlement a deep connection to a completely different civilization. This link acts as a conduit through which we can learn about and better understand their culture and religion, though geographically we are completely separated. This connection needs to be expanded and learned from because people nowadays have a strong stereotype of Muslims, though they know very little about them. By learning about Abd el-Kader and his cultural tolerance, humanitarian nature, and spiritual strength we can understand more about his people as a whole, rather than assuming that they are all like the terrorists that get the publicity.

Abd el-Kader grew up treasuring knowledge and spirituality. By age 8 he had memorized the Koran and was considered more intelligent than most of his tribesmen. In 1825, when he was only 17, he and his father set out on their pilgrimage to Mecca. It was during this journey that Abd el-Kader began to show signs of his humanitarian spirit. In return to a question about his lineage he answered, "Don't ask about a man's genealogy, but about his character, his life and his deeds. Drink the water. If it's pure, so is the source," yet he was known to be a descendant of Abraham. This shows that even at a young age he was a very wise individual.

It was obvious early on that Abd el-Kader had the character of a leader and the morals of a s...

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...ad been his enemies from the people who had been his allies. I truly believe that he is a gift from the desert.

Abd el-Kader's life as a whole can all be simplified into one phrase: true jihad. His life, his goals, and his actions throughout life, were all focused on that one purpose—fighting for God's cause. He believed in God's word and God's law and stuck to it but didn't let it consume him. Along with his intense spirituality were his strong humanitarian morals. He believed in the preservation of human life and felt the need to help all those in distress without discrimination. He stuck to these morals so strongly that he risked his own life to save those who had once been his enemies. I think today he can be, and should be, a symbol of hope—hope that there will continue to be people like him whose strong sense of morals and justice go on to do great things.