Prominent (former) American Muslim Umar Lee has converted back to Christianity, and the blogosphere and social networks are on fire. Lee was guided from "streets of St. Louis and a working Southern Baptist home to Islam as a teenager," according to his author profile on Amazon. He has been featured on the Voice of America, was a political correspondent for OnIslam.net (where I worked as well for nearly eight years), and received a Brass Crescent Award for best blog series. In a video posted … [Read more...]
In Autism Land, Who is the ‘Kismat-Wali’ (One with Good Fate)?
May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment
There is a phrase in Urdu – kismat-wali – meaning one who has good fate, who is blessed, very much like the word “kismet.” My mother-in-law called me kismat-wali. She is visiting her daughter these days, who has five children, works full-time and has leads an incredibly busy life. The classic Super Mom – that’s my sister-in-law. After spending some time with her and seeing how much she manages between the kids, her teaching job, cooking and housework, my mother-in-law remarked … [Read more...]
Loved and Loved Back
May 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment
The whole family came out for Amal’s soccer game on Saturday morning – Lil D, Hamza, my husband and myself. I can’t remember the last time we all went to one of her games or one of Hamza’s games. All of us. The kids have been playing with the Ansars soccer league for four years now, and many of these kids have been with Amal on teams since they were five and six years old. Playing with the Ansars is one thing I have tried my best not to compromise for Amal, and now Hamza, even when … [Read more...]
Not Today
May 8, 2013 By 1 Comment
Something is wrong. I can see it; I can feel it in my bones. Lil D is off, and as I go back through things in my head and track the data sheets that I (and his school) maintain, I see an alarming rise in incontinence – the fancy word for pee accidents. Lots and lots of pee accidents. I just threw out his old mattress, knowing it was beyond cleaning at this point, and got him a new one. And that new one is encased in an allergen-mattress cover with a vinyl cover on top of that, plus double … [Read more...]
Did Autism Speak?
April 30, 2013 By 3 Comments
Autism Awareness Month, or as many in the autism community like to call it, Autism Action Month, is ending today. For some of us -- we are happy to see it go, as the response to autism and the awareness of what this developmental and neurological disability is nowhere near where it should be. Some in the autism community, including self-advocates with autism, look at the increasing numbers (1-50 school age children have autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, according to the latest reports from … [Read more...]
For the Love of Their Grandchildren
April 24, 2013 By 3 Comments
What would a parent do for their child? Anything. How far do we go for them? As far as it takes. What do we give up? Whatever we need to. What do we change about ourselves? Everything. When you add special needs into the picture, then your ability to go the distance for your child becomes the stuff legends are made of. And, there are no thanks necessary – it’s just what you do. I have quit jobs, stayed up nights on end well beyond the baby and toddler years. I’ve driven thousands of … [Read more...]
When an Autism Awareness Event is Anything But
April 16, 2013 By 2 Comments
We’ve hit the middle of April, and while there was a flurry of focus on autism at the start of the month, it still is very much “Autism Awareness Month.” Awareness events sponsored by local and national organizations continue to occur across the United States, but sometimes I wonder how much real “awareness” is actually happening? How many of these events just serve as fundraisers for the organizations sponsoring it? Fundraising is not bad, and of course autism organizations must … [Read more...]
Where Our Concern Should Be Right Now – With the Victims, Not the Faith of the Perpetrators of Violence
April 15, 2013 By 4 Comments
If you’re Muslim, you can’t help but be thinking, oh God – let it not be a Muslim. Please, don’t let whoever is behind the explosions at the Boston Marathon be Muslim. It crosses most of our minds. I’ll start with myself – from the time I was in college at the University of Maryland in the 1990s and the Oklahoma City bombing happened, to now, it’s the first thing I think when I hear about a bombing – please, don’t let it be a Muslim. But here’s the thing. That shouldn’t … [Read more...]
Dilshad Ali – Why I am a Muslim
April 9, 2013 By 1 Comment
Patheos is asking its writers and bloggers to finish the sentence: Why I Am A … in about 200 words. This is my response. He sits in the bathtub as the water fills up. I add some bubble bath and when the tub fills, I turn off the tap. He’s at peace, humming, gathering suds in his hands. I go into the bedroom to put the laundry away and hear the buzz of the Jacuzzi jets go on. The bubbles have taken over, until Lil D is drowning in foam that spills over the tub. His sister brings up … [Read more...]
The Failure of the American Muslim Community to Help Those with Special Needs
April 4, 2013 By 6 Comments
“He (Musa) said: ‘Oh my Lord! Expand my breast for me and make my affair easy to me, and loose the knot from my tongue (that) they may understand my word … (Quran 20:25:28)” One and a half years ago, I took the plunge and began sharing our son’s life lived with autism, my struggles with keeping strong in my Islamic faith and residing at this intersection of faith and autism. With a post on Ramadan Despair, I shared what was then my lowest point, and I had no purpose in laying bare … [Read more...]
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