Three Writeous Wanitas _part one

I can’t tell you about the conference (including Brother Yusuf Estes- former Christian Minister, William Rodriguez –last man out of WTC on September 11 th, and Annie Machon –former secret agent), but I can tell you about 3 Malaysian Muslimahs that I had the pleasure of meeting at the exhibitions.

As promised, let me introduce you to them.

ZABRINA

Small World

I often surf the net for stories to use in my classes. When I came across hers, I could not resist using them for the children’s class I taught at an Islamic NGO. One day, while scanning posts at a Muslimah writer’s forum I belong to, I discovered that this sister and I had something in common. We belonged to the same yahoo group, but there was more. She had posted a message about the fair. Furthermore, she was offering to show the work of other writers at her booth. This generosity was appreciated by the members of the forum and that is when I first decided to contact her. After having been inspired by her writing for some time, it was ironic to find out that she was in fact living in the same city.

On Saturday afternoon, she launched what Inshallah will be the first in a series of motivational books. Strategically interspersed throughout the text are clues in the form of ayat and hadith, that help to reveal and enhance 18 “secrets” of life. The title of her book is: Life is an Open Secret

As the launch ceremony closed, there were balloons and confetti and photographs, but what touched me the most was when I saw her with a man I knew must be her father. The way they looked at each other and embraced was priceless, mashallah. You could see that there was so much love and support between them and it really touched me deeply. I suppose it reminded me of my relationship with my own father. Though far away, he is with me wherever I go, smiling and supporting me in my dreams.


When I finally met Zabrina, she gave me a really warm hug and a sweet smile that I can see right now if I close my eyes. There I was, finally meeting someone I’d only known briefly through the internet and I found her to be bubbly and cheerful। I was so happy for her on this wonderful occasion. I am now the proud owner of an autographed copy. If you want, you can download these “18 Inspirational Stories From Ordinary Life Experiences”.

I later found out that Zabrina and I have a friend in common and that the two of them are planning to visit the US this month. They will be promoting her book at the ISNA conference and at various venues on the east coast, including my home state. Like the song says: It’s a small world, after all. I hope you’ll get to meet her one day, if not in person, through her inspirational writing.