Sabeeha Rehman was born and raised in Pakistan. She came to
the United States in 1971 after a hurried arranged marriage to a
Pakistani doctor in New York. With a bachelor's degree in Home
Economics, she settled into the life of a homemaker. Once both her
sons were enrolled full-time in school, she went back to college to
get her masters in healthcare administration and began her
twenty-five-year career as a hospital executive. Her career spanned
hospitals in New York, New Jersey, and Saudi Arabia.
Raising children Muslim in the absence of a Muslim community was a
daunting challenge. In the early 1980s, she and her husband began
the work of establishing a Muslim community on Staten Island, where
they were living at the time. Their efforts culminated in the
building of a mosque.
Ms. Rehman has spent the last several decades in engaging in
interfaith dialogue with faith communities. She served as the
director of interfaith programs at the American Society for Muslim
Advancement and as the chief operating officer at the Cordoba
Initiative, a multifaith organization dedicated to building bridges
between Muslims and the West. She is active on the interfaith
circuit, raising awareness of Islam, and Muslims in America.
When her grandson was diagnosed with autism, she left her career
and cofounded the New York Metro Chapter of the National Autism
Association, and served as its first president.
Her memoir, Threading My Prayer Rug, received Honorable
Mention in Spirituality in the San Francisco Book Festival Awards
of 2017. It was listed as a Top 10 Religion and Spirituality Book
of 2016 and a Top 10 Diverse Nonfiction Books of 2017 by Booklist.
She has contributed op-eds to the Wall Street Journal, and
she blogs on topics related to American Muslim and Pakistani
immigrant experience at www.sabeeharehman.com.
She lives in New York City with her husband Khalid, a retired
hematologist/oncologist
"Compelling . . . Guaranteed to broaden your horizons and make
you see the world a little differently."-Dawn Raffel, "35 Memoirs
Everyone Should Read," Reader's DIgest
"Rehman's personal journey is her own, but speaks broadly to all
immigrant journeys in contemporary America. With so much discussion
about immigrants from Muslim countries in the national
conversation, it's good to have a story with this unique
perspective." -Booklist, starred review
"Rehman's spirited debut memoir illuminates the challenges of
living an authentically Muslim life in America. . . . With
sparkling anecdotes about everything from the 'Christmas-ization of
Eid' to engineering her son's marriage, Rehman lends a light heart
and an open mind to the process of becoming a multicultural
'hybrid.'" -Publishers Weekly
"A heartfelt memoir plumbs the multilayered experience of being
Muslim in America. With a steady infusion of verve and personality,
Rehman immerses readers in the traditions of a Middle Eastern
culture. . . . Rehman's memoir offers a deeper understanding and
appreciation for Muslim lifestyles while imparting a message of
unity and international fellowship. A culturally rich and rewarding
personal chronicle of ethnic faith and intermingled tradition."
-Kirkus
"An entertaining and honest story of one woman's journey to fuse
the cultures of her past and present to create her own experience .
. . Her story is permeated with hilarious personal experiences and
asides as she adapts to the country she will soon call home. Rehman
lends a strong and compelling voice to moderate Muslims, and her
discussion of her faith and the areas she believes need
modernization illustrate the different opinions within the Muslim
community." -Library Journal
"The country needs this counterbalancing personal story to correct
the pervasive misunderstanding of what Islam is truly about and the
contributions to our American democracy that most American Muslims
make every day of their lives. Exceptionally well written and
consistently compelling read from beginning to end. . . . Somebody
donate a copy of Threading My Prayer Rug to every Republican member
of Congress, every Republican member of a state legislature, and
every Republican governor who advocates for preventing Muslims from
settling in their state." -Midwest Book Review
"That one masterstroke of penmanship and objective thought is the
ultimate grand finale to a lifelong effort of understanding not
only other faiths, but also her own." -Dawn newspaper
(Pakistan)
"Take this journey on Sabeeha's prayer rug, and you will be
enchanted as she vividly and beautifully transports you through
rich and elaborate threads of a lifetime lived with love,
intelligence, and compassion-an inspiration to all." -Ranya Tabari
Idliby, coauthor of The Faith Club and author of Burqas, Baseball
and Apple Pie
"Funny and frank, acute, and compassionate, this story of an
immigrant 'fish out of water' who falls in love with her adopted
American home is for all of us, and for all times-but current
events also make it the story for this time. As Americans consider
who they were, are, and want to be in the future, they could have
no better guide than Sabeeha Rehman. I can't imagine our country,
or my bookshelf, without her." -Susan Choi, Pulitzer Prize finalist
and author of A Person of Interest and My Education
"With anti-Islamic sentiments on the rise in this country,
Threading My Prayer Rug is a refreshing look at what it is really
like to be a Muslim in the US today. With humor, charm, and great
insight, Sabeeha Rehman recounts how one can be both a devout
Muslim and an American wife, mom, grandmother and community
activist." -Jan Goodwin, award-winning author, journalist, and
Senior Fellow at Brandeis University's Schuster Institute of
Investigative Journalism
"Coming to America is seldom associated with discovering one's
faith-let alone Islam. Rich in exotic detail, Sabeeha's true-life
story is funny, sweet, beautiful, warm, and deeply touching to any
reader, who will note how much the heart and soul of a Muslim
mother is like that of any other." -Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder
of Cordoba House, author of What's Right With Islam and Moving the
Mountain
"Sabeeha Rehman's prose resonates with intimacy, wisdom, and wit.
She achieves a richly textured narrative that introduces readers to
the rituals and enduring values of her Muslim faith as she, her
husband Khalid and their sons Saqib and Asim integrate into the
American melting pot. At the conclusion of her classic text, Ms.
Rehman affirms, 'Together we will change the discourse, quell
violence with knowledge, and banish phobias to the fringe as we
work together in unity of the spirit.' This reader was moved to
respond, 'Ameen . . . Amen.'" -Sidney Offit, former president of
the Authors Guild Foundation and Authors League Fund and author of
Memoir of a Bookie's Son
"A charming and engrossing book, Threading My Prayer Rug provides a
window to a culture and people we do not know enough about. . . .
Readable, easy to relate to, and inspiring!" -Sumbul Ali-Karamali,
author of The Muslim Next Door: the Qur'an, the Media, and that
Veil Thing
"Threading My Prayer Rug is a beautifully written memoir of a
cosmopolitan and faithful Pakistani-American Muslim woman. It's
recommended for all who want to have a sense of how the tapestry of
American Islam is shaped by the contributions of a variety of
Muslims, including those from South Asia." -Omid Safi, Director,
Duke Islamic Studies Center
"Threading My Prayer Rug is a warm, wise, and wonderful book. Ms.
Rehman writes in a wry and often humorous style that is
understanding of human foibles yet gently pushes readers of all
backgrounds to become fuller and more engaged human beings. As an
Orthodox rabbi working to strengthen cooperation between Jews and
Muslims, I was moved by her involvement in Muslim-Jewish
coalition-building efforts." -Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the
Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and coauthor with Imam Shamsi
Ali of Sons of Abraham
"Rehman's personal journey is her own, but speaks broadly to all
immigrant journeys in contemporary America. With so much discussion
about immigrants from Muslim in the national conversation, it's
good to have a story with this unique perspective." Booklist,
starred review
"Rehman's spirited debut memoir illuminates the challenges of
living an authentically Muslim life in America. . . . With
sparkling anecdotes about everything from the 'Christmas-ization of
Eid' to engineering her son's marriage, Rehman lends a light heart
and an open mind to the process of becoming a multicultural
'hybrid.'" Publishers Weekly
"A heartfelt memoir plumbs the multilayered experience of being
Muslim in America. With a steady infusion of verve and personality,
Rehman immerses readers in the traditions of a Middle Eastern
culture. . . . Rehman's memoir offers a deeper understanding and
appreciation for Muslim lifestyles while imparting a message of
unity and international fellowship. A culturally rich and rewarding
personal chronicle of ethnic faith and intermingled tradition."
Kirkus
"An entertaining and honest story of one woman's journey to fuse
the cultures of her past and present to create her own experience .
. . Her story is permeated with hilarious personal experiences and
asides as she adapts to the country she will soon call home. Rehman
lends a strong and compelling voice to moderate Muslims, and her
discussion of her faith and the areas she believes need
modernization illustrate the different opinions within the Muslim
community." Library Journal
"The country needs this counterbalancing personal story to correct
the pervasive misunderstanding of what Islam is truly about and the
contributions to our American democracy that most American Muslims
make every day of their lives. Exceptionally well written and
consistently compelling read from beginning to end. . . . Somebody
donate a copy of Threading My Prayer Rug to every Republican member
of Congress, every Republican member of a state legislature, and
every Republican governor who advocates for preventing Muslims from
settling in their state." Midwest Book Review
"That one masterstroke of penmanship and objective thought is the
ultimate grand finale to a lifelong effort of understanding not
only other faiths, but also her own." Dawn newspaper (Pakistan)
"Take this journey on Sabeeha's prayer rug, and you will be
enchanted as she vividly and beautifully transports you through
rich and elaborate threads of a lifetime lived with love,
intelligence, and compassion an inspiration to all." Ranya Tabari
Idliby, coauthor of The Faith Club and author of Burqas, Baseball
and Apple Pie
"Funny and frank, acute, and compassionate, this story of an
immigrant 'fish out of water' who falls in love with her adopted
American home is for all of us, and for all times but current
events also make it the story for this time. As Americans consider
who they were, are, and want to be in the future, they could have
no better guide than Sabeeha Rehman. I can't imagine our country,
or my bookshelf, without her." Susan Choi, Pulitzer Prize finalist
and author of A Person of Interest and My Education
"With anti-Islamic sentiments on the rise in this country,
Threading My Prayer Rug is a refreshing look at what it is really
like to be a Muslim in the US today. With humor, charm, and great
insight, Sabeeha Rehman recounts how one can be both a devout
Muslim and an American wife, mom, grandmother and community
activist." Jan Goodwin, award-winning author, journalist, and
Senior Fellow at Brandeis University's Schuster Institute of
Investigative Journalism
"Coming to America is seldom associated with discovering one's
faith let alone Islam. Rich in exotic detail, Sabeeha's true-life
story is funny, sweet, beautiful, warm, and deeply touching to any
reader, who will note how much the heart and soul of a Muslim
mother is like that of any other." Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder
of Cordoba House, author of What's Right With Islam and Moving the
Mountain
"Sabeeha Rehman's prose resonates with intimacy, wisdom, and wit.
She achieves a richly textured narrative that introduces readers to
the rituals and enduring values of her Muslim faith as she, her
husband Khalid and their sons Saqib and Asim integrate into the
American melting pot. At the conclusion of her classic text, Ms.
Rehman affirms, 'Together we will change the discourse, quell
violence with knowledge, and banish phobias to the fringe as we
work together in unity of the spirit.' This reader was moved to
respond, 'Ameen . . . Amen.'" Sidney Offit, former president of the
Authors Guild Foundation and Authors League Fund and author of
Memoir of a Bookie's Son
"A charming and engrossing book, Threading My Prayer Rug provides a
window to a culture and people we do not know enough about. . . .
Readable, easy to relate to, and inspiring!" Sumbul Ali-Karamali,
author of The Muslim Next Door: the Qur'an, the Media, and that
Veil Thing
"Threading My Prayer Rug is a beautifully written memoir of a
cosmopolitan and faithful Pakistani-American Muslim woman. It's
recommended for all who want to have a sense of how the tapestry of
American Islam is shaped by the contributions of a variety of
Muslims, including those from South Asia." Omid Safi, Director,
Duke Islamic Studies Center
"Threading My Prayer Rug is a warm, wise, and wonderful book. Ms.
Rehman writes in a wry and often humorous style that is
understanding of human foibles yet gently pushes readers of all
backgrounds to become fuller and more engaged human beings. As an
Orthodox rabbi working to strengthen cooperation between Jews and
Muslims, I was moved by her involvement in Muslim-Jewish
coalition-building efforts." Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the
Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and coauthor with Imam Shamsi
Ali of Sons of Abraham
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