but that does not mean that Islam is being promoted in any way. Islamic Heritage month is like Asian heritage month or Pride month or Black History month, simply a chance for schools to recognize the contribution of the disparate members of our community. Canada really does try to be ‘multi-cultural’. We try to include […]

I’m a firm believer in leaving yourself open to experiences. You never know when something you experience will make its way as an integral part of a story you will one day write. Everything you experience is grist for the mill and it’s important to live your life really engaged in what is happening to […]

How do you maintain the interest in a project that has spanned several years? From the moment you first got the idea to all the permutations it goes through before the story actually works…how do you maintain your passion and interest in it? It’s not always easy! I was talking to a family member, telling […]

Why is it so difficult to put a price tag on your attendance at an event? I remember a while ago, I got an email from a school in northern Pakistan asking for a skype visit. There was no mention of money, so I assumed, quite correctly that this school expected me to just do […]

I know it sounds idyllic right? To go to some pristine wilderness, rent a cabin, lock yourself away from all distractions and just write write write? I remember when my son was just a baby and I took him to the doctors. When she found out I was a writer she said, “Oh I’ve always […]

In Islam we have a concept called sadaqa jaariya, which is a type of charity that continues giving exponentially even after you die. It can be in the form of donating to a masjid where people will remember the name of God and praise Him, long after you’ve passed away. It can be in the […]

Last night, as I was scrolling through my twitter feed, I came across the first news of the attack in Mississauga at an Indian restaurant. People sitting, celebrating two birthdays, when two covered up men (with light skin apparently) arrived and set off an improvised explosive device! Subhan Allah! What are things coming to? And […]

It’s always such a blessing to usher in this incredibly special month. What a year it’s been since last Ramadan. Last year I was feeling so shaken with regards to my writing craft and skills, but not my faith, and this year I’ve managed to slough a lot of that trepidation off. I feel more […]

Saints and Misfits is one of those fun reads that comes along every once in a while that is just so well written and insightful it can make you gasp at times! Written by S.K. Ali, it deals with sexual assault within the Muslim community and the way Janna main character handles the situation with […]

I just finished a mini-tour of four rural schools about an hour outside of Ottawa. Sometimes I think I must look like some sort of exotic iguana rolling my presentation case up to the venerable doors of these tiny schools. I guess if I thought much about it, I’d get nervous, but you get a […]