Debbie Almontaser rallies the gathering
O.K. Get up, dust yourselves, and get to work. Enough of this mopping, crying, and ‘how could this have happened’ stuff; stop watching the TV commentators tell you the whys the hows and the what-ifs; and get rid of that long face lady, you have work to do. I didn’t roll up my sleeves . . . .
Read moreIt was 5:00 a.m., and the Empire State Building was lit up in blue.
Blue! Could it really be? Miracles do happen.
Four years ago, I had gone to bed well before the election results were called out. Early next morning, I looked out the window and saw the majestic Empire State Building gleaming in blue. I knew then that Barack Obama had won the election. Perhaps Hillary picked up the outstanding votes
I was engulfed by hugs. This is not what I had come prepared for. I had been invited to come to a Wellness Day celebration at a church, where I had taken a table in the exhibit hall, to display my wares—my book. I had lugged the bag-on-wheels, laden with heavy, hard cover books,
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“Do you know what it means to be hungry?” Zamir Hasan asked the crowd gathered at the Brotherhood Synagogue in New York City.
A few hands went up.
“Hunger means that you don’t know where your next meal is coming from.” A young boy answered.
“Right. And do you know how many people in the U.S. don’t know where their next meal is coming from?” Zamir asked.
A bomb goes off in my neighborhood. I sit stunned and horrified, as the news flashes on my computer screen. My husband had just gone out to mail a letter. Dear God. Let him be o.k. I reach out to call him. No answer. Maybe he didn’t hear the phone ring.
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Rich Kelly, Bridget Marmion and Michele Blankenship (YEN)
3 Tips to Getting Started
When does your book launch begin? When you start writing your book.
Every story begins by building relationships. Build relationships with those who can put you in touch with your reader.
As Muslims begin their new year, I will reflect on what my father said to me when I was just fifteen. Before I go there, a word of caution on protocol and a bit of background. Protocol: I advise that you not greet your Muslim friends with a cheery ‘Happy New Year’. Muslims around the world will ring in the new year, not with bells and whistles, but with reflection and tears.
Read more“Just landed,” a text from my son, as we got off the exit for Kennedy Airport. Alhamdulillah! I clutched the bouquet of flowers—a far cry from the garlands of roses that every one of the twenty-plus relatives drapes around a Hajji walking off the plane at airports in Pakistan. I had hurriedly picked up the bouquet
Read moreDear son,
Today is the last day of Hajj. It’s 10 a.m. in New York, and I am waiting to hear from you. You will be returning from the Jamaraat after the third and final throwing of the stones. I hope it was not too crowded. Ever wondered what happens to all those pebbles? Three million pilgrims throwing 21 pebbles three days in a row?
11:00 a.m. Just got your text message.
Dear son,
12:00 Noon
When I didn’t hear from you until noon today, I wondered if I should start worrying. It is 7 pm in Mecca, and by now you should have returned from the Jamaraat, after hurling stones at the devil—or rather, the pillars signifying the devil. It’s a 105 F in Mecca today and an hour’s walk to the site, and then back. I am sure you kept water, salt tablets, an umbrella for shade, and had good walking shoes. Accidents happen at that site, and I am praying that you made it back safely, with the grace of God.
2:00 p.m.
Thank you my dear for your text message.
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