Three Writeous Wanitas _part two

Oops! I said I’d introduce you to them in the order in which I met them, didn’t I? Well, I actually met Zabrina second. Keeping me company while I waited for Zabrina to come back to her booth from the launch was:

NORMA

I can’t quite remember how we first met online. I had read about her book and later invited her to be a guest speaker at one of my writing workshops. Of the three Writeous Wanitas I met at the fair, she is the one I most identify with. Through Allah’s mercy, we’ve both survived divorce and are working hard to raise our children “alone”.

After a few emails and text messages, I finally met Norma at the fair. She wore the gentlest pink and white and greeted me with a warm smile.

Remember I said that Zarina had offered to showcase other writers’ books in her booth? Well, there beside Zabrina’s book was Norma’s।


I ran into a friend who considered buying the book but wanted to know about the author’s perspective first, to be sure it was not one which deviated from true Islam. Her money would not be spent on words written by a “progressive Muslimah”. Personally, I am not ready to follow those who say Islam needs to be adapted to the modern era. I refuse to say such a thing because it implies that what is written is somehow flawed. I could not answer my friend’s questions as I had not gotten to know Norma and I had not yet read her book. I understood my friend’s concern and quickly introduced her to our sister, the author. I watched as Norma described her stance on facing life’s problems. She was pensive and spoke at a careful pace, choosing just the right words. I was impressed by the fact that she was not trying to sell herself or her book at all. She was sincere. After listening to her response to my friend’s very straightforward question, I was happy to see that the three of us agree on something of utmost importance in our lives. We agree that the jihad we women face, can be fought and won by living truly Islamic lives, as did those who came before us, even as far back as the sahaba because Islam does not need to be fixed or changed.

I now own an autographed copy of Norma’s book. It is entitled

A Walk Through Life: Issues and challenges through the eyes of a Muslim woman.

As the back cover of the book states,

Norma invites readers to

• revisit their roles through different perspectives
• be responsible and accountable for their life choices
• reawaken the need to increase their self esteem and self respect

Critics of Islam would say that Muslim women surely need to do all of the above, but they would never imagine that Muslimahs can do just that, only through Islam.

I challenge them and those who feel that Islam needs a makeover to read Norma’s book and see for themselves what Islam truly offers women.

Norma will be presenting a paper at the upcoming international conference entitled: THE STATUS OF MUSLIM WOMEN IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY: REALITIES AND PROSPECTS. (The venue has been changed to the Renaissance Hotel). I look forward to seeing her there, and of course to getting together with our kids one weekend, inshallah.

As for my blog readers, I encourage you to visit Norma’s blog and also to check out her book. Inshallah it will inspire you in your own walk through life.