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Remembering Beijing

Twenty years ago this month, I attended an event that changed my life.  On the 20th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, and on the anniversary of Hillary Clinton’s speech there, I wanted to share my reflections on an inspiring and unforgettable experience. Twenty years later, the images…

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The Power of Language in Muslim and Jewish Sacred Text

[title maintitle=”” subtitle=”Reprinted with permission from Jewishjournal.com”] “Use words. Help me understand.” As mothers, we have both found this phrase useful from time to time in helping our children navigate the terrain of conflicting emotions. As people deeply engaged in conflict resolution and building relationships among Jews and Muslims, we also…

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Don’t Treat Religious Women As Second-Class Feminists

It seems like every few weeks another young, female celebrity proudly and publicly declares she is not a feminist: Shailene Woodley. Katy Perry. Kelly Clarkson. Kendall Jenner. These women often justify their refusal to claim feminism by explaining they do not hate men–speaking to the most intractable and yawn-worthy of…

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Of Bumpy Locks and Vocal Chords

The winter of 2013 was an eventful one for me. As a second-year medical student from Pakistan, I spent two months at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore for a research elective-. It was a time of excitement, wonder and anxiety. One afternoon, after hurrying back to the office from lunch, I stood fidgeting…

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Lota Lamentations

[title maintitle=”” subtitle=”Lota: a small, usually spherical water vessel of brass, copper or plastic used in South Asia, the Middle East and parts of Africa to maintain personal hygiene.”] “I knew I should’ve put my lota in the safe,” I thought to myself, crestfallen.  I had returned to my hotel room, a trying…

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Born free but….

“He is such a little Casanova.” I had to look up from my sandwich the third time a doting friend said this about the dashing three-year-old who had enamoured us — and the waitress — with his antics, dimples and a clear gift to hold an audience at a young…

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