March 1, 2018
The autobiography of a tireless advocate for women in Islam.Women's rights activist Khan grew up as a Sunni Muslim in Kashmir, where adherents of several religions rub together and Islam takes a very tolerant form. Her family encouraged the education of women; during a period of political tension, she came to America to finish high school and remained to become a citizen. In her debut, the author maintains that Islam has historically supported the equality of women and men in religious and civil affairs, but its teachings have been distorted over the centuries by radicals, misogynistic male leaders, and appeals to local customs to support the subjugation of women. Her distress at these distortions caused her to fall away from Islam, but she found that her "soul was starved." She returned to her faith through a Sufi mosque in New York, ultimately marrying its imam. This period of Khan's life most evokes a spiritual journey. Much of the remainder of the book recounts her global efforts to empower Muslim women through appeals to Islamic scripture and early practice and to increase understanding of Islam generally through interfaith encounters, particularly after 9/11. In the process, she gradually gained sufficient confidence in speaking about Islam to lead her own organizations. Running throughout the narrative is Khan's frustration that her vision of Islam as a religion of peace and gender equality is often challenged by well-publicized terrorist actions and state-sponsored barbarities in explicitly Muslim nations. The author's account is informative and appealing, and she is doing important work, but it lacks the introspective intensity and focus expected of a spiritual memoir. The loosely organized text is interspersed with illustrative vignettes out of chronological sequence that further disrupt the flow of the narrative.A thorough memoir that would have benefited from deeper insights into how the author's faith carried her through crises and how she resolves conflicts between its requirements and those of secular Indian and American cultures.
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Starred review from April 2, 2018
Khan, founder of the Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality, passionately tells her singular life story in this fine memoir. Destined, according to her family, to “climb the sky,” Khan writes of her early years in a vibrant household in Kashmir and later moving to New York City, where she became a pioneering reformer, campaigner for women’s rights, and advocate for peace and equality. She explores her advocacy for cross-cultural dialogue and pursuit of equal rights for Muslim communities within Western countries by explaining her responses to such events as the Salman Rushdie fatwa, conflicts in Bosnia, the 9/11 attacks, and the so-called “Ground Zero mosque controversy,” in which she played a major role as the wife of the mosque’s imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf. Khan also highlights other women, such as Queen Rania of Jordan, the members of the Muslim Feminist Artists Collective, and Dr. Azizah al-Hibri, for their work in advancing the cause of justice along with their spiritual commitments. Readers will be entranced as they see Khan’s persistent fight for peaceful dialogue in a world sometimes torn apart by religious conflict and misunderstanding. Khan’s fantastic memoir is a testament to courage and resilience as well as an important chapter in the story of American Muslims and women of faith.
April 15, 2018
Fundamentalists of any religion tend to receive the lion's share of media attention, so it is refreshing to hear from a woman whose thoughtful, deeply felt conviction has prompted so much work on behalf of her Islamic religion. Khan details her faith journey, beginning with the strong guidance of her supportive family in her native Kashmir, where religious practices were deeply felt. But after she moves to the U.S. to pursue an education and career, questions and doubts began to surface for Khan, especially her discomfort at how the role of women was often disparaged. Finding Sufism renewed her and served as a starting point for her activism. Khan's extensive research on her faith led to one of her core beliefs: that, despite perceptions to the contrary, Islam elevates the status of women. Today, she is the executive director of the Women's Islamic Initiative for Spirituality and Equality. Throughout this book, Khan dedicates space to others who have done important work, exemplifying the idea that promoting peace and gender equality involves giving people a platform. A thought-provoking read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
September 15, 2017
Executive director of the Women's Islamic Initiative for Spirituality and Equality (WISE), Khan was raised in a progressive Muslim household in Kashmir, immigrated to America at age 15, and came to cherish her independence and education. Then she fell in love with and married a leading imam, which led to the in-depth revisiting of her faith revealed here.
Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
April 1, 2017
Executive director of the Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE), Khan braids an account of her advocacy work with the story of her life.
Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.