Love, InshAllah
Our 23rd & final contributor spotlight! We hope you’ve enjoyed hearing from our wonderful writers!
An excerpt from Patricia’s story, “Love at Third Sight”:
“I had never met a twenty-three-year-old guy who was so formal and polite, without being the least bit strange or creepy. He told me humbly how impressed he was with all that I had said, and how it was great to hear people at UCLA talking about the Palestinian struggle. I was flattered, and thought he seemed very nice. He also had the best-shaped nose I’d ever seen on a guy—a nose that could be on the face of a lion. It gave him a majestic yet humble look. He was hot, but dating, relationships, and love were the last things on my mind when I met him.
Who had time for men when there were flyers to hang and phone banks to organize? Well, I guess I did, but only if it was the right kind of man. I was getting tired of dating, falling in love, and having my heart broken, but was still in a falling-for-charismatic- jerks phase. I had a weak spot for the kind of guy who sweeps you off your feet and then, after he’s convinced you that he’s the one for you, takes out the dustpan and, well, let’s just say you wake up with eyes swollen from crying and wonder how long it will take this time for the sharp pain in your gut to dull.”
To read the rest of Patricia’s story, order Love InshAllah today!
Tell us about yourself
I’m the mother of Ali, a twelve year-old, who is a huge Jon Stewart fan. I was born and raised in the Bronx. A place that helped define who I am—big time. I write and I teach writing at Sarah Lawrence College’s Writing Institute. I have my first book, Rebels by Accident, coming out this spring. It’s a young adult novel that follows an American-Muslim teen in Egypt during the revolution in January 2011. The experience teaches her a great deal about the world beyond suburban New York, but, more importantly, she learns what falling in love means. Yes, I’m big on the love stuff.
Why were you drawn to this project?
The description of the project—love and sex—told me that this anthology had the potential of showing Muslim women in a way that would break stereotypes. It was going to show us as being “real.” You can’t get any more real than topics like love and sex.
What was the most challenging part of sharing your story?
My story is a lot about how my relationship with my ex-husband was based on a deep love and still is. Yes, I did write ex-husband. We are no longer married and haven’t been for many years, but our friendship is stronger today than ever. Still, writing about something that brings up a lot of memories, even good ones, is an emotional journey. To tell you the truth, I never expected this anthology to take off like it has. I have been getting so many emails and Facebook messages and calls from people who know me who read my story, and they have all been so supportive and wonderful. Still, it does make one feel a little exposed.
If there’s one thing you hope that readers will take away from your story, what is it?
The answer is the same for anything I write—I want people who read my story to connect to it in some way. The great thing about writing about such a universal topic like love is that whatever our background we all have been there.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I just want to say that I’m so honored to be in included in this anthology. The stories are not just great because of their content but they are great because they are written so well. In other words, they are kick-ass.
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