What lay repressed by exercise of restraint, buried under layers of civilized behavior, simmering in the subconscious, is now unleashed. I am referring to bigotry and prejudice. Allow me to get really specific: Islamophobia. It was considered uncivilized and un-American to express hate. Now, thanks to the election rhetoric, it has been sanctioned.
Read moreA Place of Hope
Lake Chautauqua
Khizr Khan’s words at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), with his grief-stricken wife by his side was a rallying cry that evoked emotions and tears. Thank you DNC. By that one move, you have restored the hope of many. I had just returned from ‘a place of hope’ and DNC giving prime-time airtime to Khizr Khan, was the icing on the silver cake of hope.
So where is this ‘place of hope?’
Read moreWhat's In A Name?
Image: hellomynameis.org.uk
Everything. As in gender, stature, respect or lack of it, marital status, lineage, religion, even anonymity.
My grandmother never called my grandfather by his name. When she tried to get his attention, she would call out in Punjabi ‘mein kaya gee’. Translated—and it’s a terrible translation—‘I have something to say.’ The tone conveyed respect. Why the formality?
Read moreSweat & Tears Rinsed His Eyes
“Cassius Clay has defeated Sonny Liston,” Daddy announced as he walked into the living room, holding the Pakistan Times. My sister and I were sitting on the rug, doing I don’t remember what. But I do remember looking up, feeling the incredulity in his voice, and wondering what the fuss was about. I was 12, and this was the city of Quetta in northwest Pakistan. We remained sitting, and Daddy remained standing, as we obediently listened to him explain to us who Sonny Liston was, who this Cassius Clay was, what in the world is ‘heavy weight’, and what is the big deal of one boxer winning over another.
Read moreWhen I Don’t Want To Commit, I Say . . . .
I must have laughed the hardest as Wajahat Ali made InshAllah jokes at the MUBANY gala (Muslim Bar Association of NY) last week, and I exhaled decades of pent-up exasperation. If you were there, I was the woman at the front table, laughing long after everyone else had stopped, causing heads to turn. Sadly, it wasn’t my looks.
Before I explain, let me first apologize.