They were all refugees, fleeing persecution & violence, or the threat of it. Moses was twice a refugee, baby Jesus was taken from Bethlehem to Egypt, and then to Nazareth, as a displaced person in a village far away from home; and Prophet Muhammad fled for his life and made the Hijra from Mecca to Medina.
Read moreRamadan: A Letter, A Visit & A Gift
Ramadan Daily Good Deeds Calendar
It was the day before Ramadan, when I got an email from a Rabbi. “Ramadan Mubarak….Are you around today? I would love to come and sit with you for a few minutes simply to be together and mourn the painful loss of life in Israel/Palestine.”
Read moreI Felt Ashamed
T’was the Third Sunday in Advent, and I, a Muslim woman, had been given a place of honor at The Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew in New York City. Every year, the pastor invites me to participate in services, and read passages from the Quran from the chapter of Mary. But this year was different.
Read moreA VERY HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Wouldn’t you agree that there is something special about a first anniversary? Today is my special day. A year ago today, I had my book launch, for my very first book. Did I know then, how this book was going to change my life? I was nervous.
Read moreRemembering The Holocaust
Last evening, a group of people congregated on the 7th floor community room of an apartment building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. They had assembled to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day. So why am I writing about it? Gatherings were being held all over New York, all over the world for that matter. I am writing about it because this group was exceptional. A Muslim family had hosted it
Read moreToday I Am A Jew
Sadly, now it’s our turn. Only three days ago, on a bright sunny Sunday, I had stood in Times Square among thousands, waving posters, “Today I Am A Muslim Too.” Except, that they were not Muslim. That day, they were proclaiming their solidarity with Muslims.
Read more'Make A Muslim Friend' Start-Up
“What can we do to help Muslims?”
This is the one question I am asked every time I do a book reading or give a talk on Islam.
I was in a church talking to a group of, oh, maybe 70+ people.
Lets Get Uncomfortable
Please don’t delete me from your digital world while reading this. Give me a chance to explain myself. Let me tell you my problem, and then I’ll share what I feel may be the solution.
I Am An Ostrich
Never again do I want to be surprised by the results of a presidential election.
TO-DO LIST: 2017
Never once in my life did I meet my New Year resolutions—until 2016. Either I set the bar too high, got discouraged at no instant gratification, or simply ran out of steam. What was the one resolution you made year after year, and never met? I will tell you mine: lose weight. Until 2016. No, it wasn’t losing weight—though I actually did—but that wasn’t my resolution. It was the summer of 2014, and I was reading books on how to write a book.
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