1 of 1 copy available
Raised in a progressive Muslim family in the shadows of the Himalayan mountains, where she attended a Catholic girls’ school, Daisy experienced culture shock when her family sent her to the States to attend high school in a mostly Jewish Long Island suburb. Ambitious and talented, she quickly climbed the corporate ladder after college as an architectural designer in New York City. Though she loved the freedom that came with being a career woman, she felt that something was missing from her life. One day a friend suggested that she visit a Sufi mosque in Tribeca. To her surprise, she discovered a home there, eventually marrying the mosque’s imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf, and finding herself, as his wife, at the center of a community in which women turned to her for advice. Guided by her faith, she embraced her role as a women’s advocate and has devised innovative ways to help end child marriage, fight against genital mutilation, and, most recently, educate young Muslims to resist the false promises of ISIS recruiters.
Born with Wings is a powerful, moving, and eye-opening account of Daisy Khan’s inspiring journey—of her self-actualization and her success in opening doors for other Muslim women and building bridges between cultures. It powerfully demonstrates what one woman can do—with faith, love, and resilience.
Praise for Born with Wings
“A heartfelt, deeply personal, and touching account of a Muslim woman’s spiritual journey and her work to empower women and girls around the globe.”—Her Majesty Queen Noor
“Daisy Khan is one of the most prominent Muslim voices in America and an icon of female empowerment across the globe. This beautiful story of her spiritual journey is an inspiration to anyone who seeks to change the world.”—Reza Aslan, author of No god but God and Zealot
“At a time when news headlines cast Muslim societies as war-torn or rigidly traditional, Daisy Khan offers a subtler, and ultimately more optimistic, vision. Through her own story, and the stories of other change-makers, Khan reminds us how Muslim women are asserting their rights while holding fast to their faith.”—Carla Power, author of If the Oceans Were Ink
“A lyrical, poignant, emboldening, and, most of all, deeply important book.”—Bruce Feiler, author of Abraham and Walking the Bible
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Release date
April 25, 2018 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780735210097
- File size: 345668 KB
- Duration: 12:00:08
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Reviews
-
Daisy Khan is the feminist Muslim voice we need in our turbulent global climate. She narrates her memoir on spirituality, resilience, and change using the informal tones of a friend chatting to the listener over a cup of coffee. Khan sounds down to earth, lively, and engaging as she recounts her journey from Catholic school student to feminist activist based in New York City who advocates for the rights of Muslim girls and women around the world. Hers is a spiritual transformation that she shares quite openly with the listener while explaining the ins and outs of Sufism and describing falling in love with a Sufi cleric. Listeners will appreciate this unique memoir for offering something new to the genre. M.R. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine -
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.
-