Order here for your: Paperback Kindle
Audio, narrated by Yours Truly
As an Amazon Associate,
I earn from qualifying purchases.
I am an author, a blogger, a Muslim woman, and an American of Pakistani descent.
I was born and raised in Pakistan. I came to New York after a hurried arranged marriage to a Pakistani doctor. When my boys started grade school, I started Grad school. With a Masters in Health Administration, I began my 25-year career as a hospital administrator, vowing to slash the Emergency Room waiting time.
Before I could catch my breath, my two sons were crossing over to the preteen phase, and knew just about nothing about being Muslim. In the absence of a Muslim community, I didn't know where to begin. With time running out, my friends and I began the work of establishing a Muslim community on Staten Island, which culminated in the building of a mosque.
When my grandson Omar was diagnosed with autism, I left my career and co-founded the National Autism Association New York Metro chapter serving as its President from 2008-2011.
I have spent the last several decades engaged in interfaith dialogue, giving talks on Islam. Since the publication of my book, I have had the pleasure to give 240 talks in 81 cities in the U.S. including Chautauqua Institution. Visit my Events page for a listing.
My yearning to write was not lost on my husband, who continued to push me to write my memoir, and in September of 2014, I finally put pen to paper, or rather, finger to keyboard. In this video interview, I talk about why I wrote my memoir. I also talk about the impact of the book in part 2 of this video interview.
I am now looking forward to the publication of my second book, We Refuse to be Enemies, coming in April 2021, which I have had the pleasure to co-author with Walter Ruby.
I live in New York City with my husband Khalid, a retired Hematologist/Oncologist, who makes sure I keep writing.