Reprinted from the Islamic Monthly. One would have thought that a 15-year-old girl shot in the head for speaking out in favor of education for girls would be hailed as a hero. Unfortunately, there is no dearth of people who have scathingly criticized Malala Yousafzai. Yousafzai makes many Pakistanis proud…
Read MoreWatching your child go to college is a proud and often emotional time for any parent. But, with online education rising in popularity, more and more students are choosing to remain at home for their studies instead. There are many ways in which your child can benefit from studying online;…
Read MoreFrom the time I entered kindergarten to the day I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, I have been educated in public schools. I always assumed that I avoided the pressures of conformity by not attending a private school, and particularly a private Islamic school. I believed that my education through…
Read MoreReligious scholar Reza Aslan thinks a Muslim Will & Grace could truly change American perceptions of Islam. —— This video is part of a series called The Secret Life of Muslims. We’ll be releasing more videos in the coming weeks.
Read More
Recently, many strident voices on social media have been critiquing HEART’s work and misrepresenting our positions on sexual health and sexual violence. While we absolutely do not expect everyone to be on board or even comfortable with our approach, we are strongly opposed to the unscrupulous tactics that have recently…
Read More
My kids’ best friends and their mom, one of my best mom friends, are Jehovah’s Witnesses. There are a lot of things I love about that. At my kids’ preschool, parents often talked over the unexpected challenges of parenting. I quickly found that I could relate best to Melinda (not…
Read More
This past weekend, I was at an event and an uncle stopped me. He then proceeded to ask what I was studying (Social Work) and I made the mistake of mentioning that I used to be pre-med. I’m sure he had good intentions but he immediately dismissed my current profession…
Read More
Dear Elizabeth: My son is two years-old and all he does is play. Should I put him into an early-education program? Dear Concerned: Absolutely not! I wouldn’t put a two year-old into an early education class for several reasons. First, let me start by saying that a two year-old child…
Read More
People amaze me. With their strength; their courage; their resilience; their tenacity; their compassion. I think there’s nothing more powerful or empowering than feeling inspired by the personal story of another – learning from their struggles and triumphs, gaining strength from their patience and determination, feeling emboldened by their resolve…
Read MoreIt’s another evening in one of the red light districts of Pakistan. It never seems to be quiet here except for the very early morning hours when the customers are home with their families or at work. The rickshaw drivers pound impatiently on their piercing horns, people shout at one another in Urdu or Punjabi, while stray, emaciated dogs bark and Bollywood music blares from the mujra dance halls. The humidity is relentless even though the sun has set several hours ago.
Read More