As the kids grow, especially with A entering in her tween-coming-into-teen-middle-school-years, our stories, struggles, challenges and joyful moments take on a different flavor. And what I’m able to share with you about those stories changes as well. Because even though A is as eager as ever to see herself in my writing and know that this story isn’t just her brother’s story (which it isn’t), I know there are things that she’d rather not have the whole world know. I’ve... Read more
Perhaps – no, I’m certain – that these are the images and these are the stories we need to remember. Christians joining hands to protect Muslims bowing down in prayer in Tahrir Square in February of 2011 while protests and fighting raged around them. Or in 1941 Sarajevo, when Zejneba Hardaga, a veiled Muslim woman, covered the yellow star on her Jewish friend Rivka Kalb’s left arm as they walked through the streets. Or today when Australian Rachel Jacob tweeted... Read more
I was sitting with a group of newcomers, reverts, new and old friends yesterday at a luncheon our halaqa (Islamic study group) had put together to reach out to anyone new to our community. In speaking with our small group about why we need to reach out to each other and stay connected, a sister in the group made an important observation (paraphrasing): It can be hard for reverts (converts to Islam) in our community. They can feel lost or... Read more
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” — Corrie ten Boom A soft plush white ball. A small turquoise blue-striped oblong pillow. A puppy-dog pillow pet. A fuzzy throw that is supposed to be draped on our sofa. These are the four go-to’s for D when he is feeling unwell or his anxiety is up, and he needs to stuff something up his shirt. Usually the signs are clear and indicative of the level of... Read more
The verdict is in. Neither shall there be Christmas, Easter, Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur – written on the public school calendar in Montgomery County, Maryland, that is. Muslims in Montgomery County have been petitioning the school board for years to add Eid (Eid-al-Adha in this case, since Eid-al-Fitr, which comes at the end of Ramadan, is currently in the summertime) to the school calendar. Finally, the school board voted 7-1 Tuesday not make Eid-al-Adha a student holiday but rather... Read more
Let’s start by saying this: Human life has value. It has worth and meaning. No matter how hard a struggle one’s life may be, no matter how tough things get for the one living his life and secondly for others who are helping that person to live his life — life is precious. We all have the right to live, a right that no one should ever take away. London McCabe deserved to live. As did Jude Mirra. Isabelle Stapleton,... Read more
A few years back a manuscript (for review purposes) came mailed to my house, not too long after I joined Patheos as the managing editor of the Muslim channel. It was Love, InshAllah – The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women. I was hooked. Some chapters spoke to me, some shocked me and made me really uncomfortable, while others made me reflect more on love in my own relationships. More than anything, it made me think of the conversations... Read more
Last summer a young Muslim guy got in touch with me via social media, looking to see if Altmuslim or Patheos Muslim could publish some of his articles. He sent me a link to his blog, Quranalyze It, and proceeded to send me messages upon messages, picking my brain on publishing, analytics, what I and other editors look for in articles, how to get published on various sites (to which I had to say – hey my friend, no offense... Read more
By 11:30 p.m. last night, the only two people left awake in our home were Lil D and me. The kids had gone off to bed much earlier, and their Baba had gone to sleep as well with the prospect of being woken up all night long by calls from the hospital where he worked. It had been a rough day and a rough evening with a pocket of calmness in between – like a comforting sandwich filling couched between two... Read more
I can feel it. On more days than others, I can feel it. I can almost smell a change in the air, the movement towards action built on the weary shoulders of ongoing awareness. It’s starting to happen, all too much slowly for my impatient bones, but inch by inch, bit by bit. Not only are our Muslim communities starting to recognize and acknowledge the different needs and challenges of individuals and families with special needs, we are beginning to... Read more
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