Sahar, how old were you when you started wearing the hijab?
I was 43.
You did not wear the hijab while living in Pakistan. Did your mother wear the hijab?
No, she didn’t.
She Chose to Wear the Hijab
Sahar with her husband Aamir in Central Park
You Cannot Go Back Home
On a whim, I decided to show our granddaughter the house in Pakistan where I lived, and where I was married.
Read moreI Ask a Lot
‘Tis that time of the year…Holiday shopping in the air…Place my book under the tree…Long shelf life and calorie free
Read moreWhat Hasn't Changed in Pakistan
The culture of hospitality. It has survived the onslaught of terrorist attacks, robberies, pandemics and every fear that threatens to chip away at trust and an open-arms attitude. Let me share a story.
Read moreA Changed Pakistan
I visited the land of my birth last month. So much has changed, and so much remains the same.
For now, let me just talk about getting around on the streets of Lahore, one of the most crowded cities.
What Does Islam Mean to You?
When I asked non-Muslim students at UCLA what they know about Islam, some mentioned prayer and making pilgrimage, but two answers were most common: “Islam requires women to wear hijab” or “It had tons of rules and rituals”.
Read moreI Was a Rolling Stone
“Did you move as a child? my son asked. Did I ever? Short answer: All the time. Moving was a way of life.
Daddy was in the military and it was routine for the army to keep their officers on the move . . .
What I Cannot Live Without
It’s not my T.V. . . . my comfy memory-foam mattress, my A/C, laptop, or cell phone. So what is it that I cannot live without?
Read moreDIWALI
“Children, now go ahead and light your oil lamps and. . . think about the oil lamp which keeps giving light to others its entire life until the last drop of oil is gone. . . the oil never discriminates to whom it gives that light. It only lives to light the lives of others.. . . “
Read moreEver had a supernatural experience?
I have not. Not as in an out-of-body experience, hearing voices, or seeing a ghost. But I did have the experience of being transported to a realm with an unusual level of consciousness.
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