Brother Sulaimon, currently in prison in Angola, Louisiana, passed along his review of Love, InshAllah: “you know I finished it in less than a week. I could’ve finished it in one day if I chose to–just shut down on everyone and everything around me–but, I chose to marinate in it for awhile. Bottom line: I totally, truly, sincerely, spirit-liftingly, on a serious emotionally needed review level, not only enjoyed it, but OVERjoyed it too! Tell those sisters THANK YOU! It... Read more
I am a thirty-something Pakistani Muslim girl living in Canada’s capital. I have never written for a blog or any online site. I loathe futile Facebook status updates. My emails are in lowercase and rarely require a screen scroll. Yet, I am here, perhaps because I just added another notch to my worn thirty-something belt. Birthdays are not just for cake eating, but quiet reflection. Upon graduating with a Master of Arts in the precarious subject of Political Science (not... Read more
Love InshAllah on Al-Hurra TV! The global press continues to be intrigued by Muslim women openly and honestly raising their voices to share their stories: Journalist Meeta Kaur wrote a wonderful review in Hyphen Magazine (& will be moderating a Love InshAllah panel discussion tonight in Milpitas!): Sometimes a book can weave its way into your consciousness so deeply that the characters and stories merge with you, mirroring back buried pieces of you, and expand your thinking in unimaginable ways. Love, InshAllah: The Secret Love Lives of... Read more
“All is change with time / the future none can see / the road you leave behind / ahead lies mystery!” – Stevie Wonder, “All in Love is Fair.” My mother told me the other day, “You know, I think your brother’s autism saved our marriage.” Being single in a time of intense want—for a fulfilling relationship, my own marriage, my own family—has made me hyperaware of other people’s marriages. Over the years, I’ve noticed that many marriages, at one... Read more
When I decided to participate in the Love, InshAllah anthology, I expected to be entertained with stories about love and love lost and love never found. I expected to read about a variety of paths traveled in the pursuit of love. I expected to know more about Muslim women living in the United States. I did not expect, however, to learn lessons about parenting. But that was what most affected me about the book as a whole. It reminded me... Read more
We continue to be amazed and thrilled by media coverage of Love, InshAllah. We took our first dip into TV this past month with several interviews with Voice of America. Watch us dubbed in Farsi for VOA’s Persian bureau, and then on VOA’s Middle East Voices, Women’s Rising. We had several podcast interviews this past month, giving us the chance to chat with some incredible people. Editor Ayesha Mattu had a fabulous sit down interview with the the awesome Lady Brain... Read more
I suppose the best way to classify how K and I met would be through a semi-arranged marriage process [which surprises some who say but you seem so in love?! But we are! Very much so. It’s not how I found him. It’s that I found him] Our process was so relatively simple I had no idea just how objective, distancing, and calculating the entire process could be until I later saw my friends struggle and listened to many guys discuss their search for a wife and, well, the further... Read more
Alain de Botton I’m in the midst of a blistering spiritual drought. While I am happy that so many people have connected to my book on a deeply personal level, the 24/7 promotion and publicity machine coupled with parental unhappiness with certain aspects of said book have resulted in a rapid and vast spiritual desertification unlike anything I have experienced before. In the face of this, I did what any good Muslim girl experiencing a spiritual drought would do: I... Read more
This is my story. This is the one I tell. This is how I ended my essay, “Even Muslim Girls Get the Blues,” in Love InshAllah. I shared how I met, courted, and fell in love in my husband. It was real love story, one that involved five children from his previous marriage and international travel from the United States to Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, the Middle East, and back to the United States again. The relationship was a global affair. But,... Read more
I don’t want kids. Never have. I consider birth control the greatest invention of the 20th century and I’ve been taking it religiously for nearly a decade. No pregnancies to date, and in the rare event of one I’d be first in line at my local abortion clinic before that zygote even mildly resembled a human. I’ve given a great deal of thought to parenthood—arguably more than many who ultimately pursue it. And recognizing the enormous responsibility, commitment and sacrifice... Read more
Love, InshAllah
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