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Born with Wings: The Spiritual Journey of a Modern Muslim Woman
The dramatic, spiritual memoir of a prominent Muslim woman working to empower women and girls across the world—for readers of Malala Yousafzai and Azar Nafisi.
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.
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.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published April 24, 2018
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683 people want to read
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April 24, 2018While’s Daisy Khan’s life is fascinating and her work is admirable, her memoir is alienating and reads more like a résumé than a biography.
Born in Kashmir, Daisy Khan moved to the US in high school to study design. She went on to found WISE, the Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality, an organization that works for women’s rights. Born with Wings is her memoir and first book.
The book tells Khan's life story chronologically, with each chapter focusing on one event in her life: a specific problem she overcame or an issue she explored. Interspersed between the chapters are snippets that highlight specific initiatives of her own or of other women. For example, one snippet tells the story of Misbah, a Pakistani beautician who helps the survivors of acid attacks receive medical and cosmetic treatment and regain their confidence.
This repetitive format didn’t work for me. While the early part of the book is a fascinating look into her childhood, as soon as she arrives in the US, the narrative reads like a curated list of her accomplishments, with each chapter representing another challenge, idea, or initiative in her life. Her beautiful story is reduced to a 350-page résumé.
Despite my dislike of the structure in general, Khan's story is engaging and her perspective is unique. Here are some quotes that showcase her writing and ideas:
Khan’s thoughtful and nuanced understanding of the way many of us manage our myriad identities was a definite strong point in this book for me. Another strong point was her struggle with her spirituality. While I was able to relate to those parts of the book, I found other parts alienating.
Women
One unfortunate motif in this book is the woman-starstruck-by-knowledgeable-and-prestigious-Muslim-man-leader motif. For example, Khan talks about being a modern woman, but she repeats (at least 6 times) the fact that she is an imam’s wife. Here is an especially worrying passage (not counted in the six times): "Here I was, living in the most powerful country in the world; I was empowered by all the men in my family; I was married to an imam of global influence. That made me, by association, an influential woman. And what was I doing in the fight for women’s rights? If not me, then who?" I understand that she references the men in her life as a way of acknowledging her privilege. But I find it problematic that she sees their support of her as the most empowering thing in her life, instead of the God-given talent and personal ambition that she so obviously has.
Later, she says, "I was increasingly feeling the responsibility of what it meant to be a Muslim woman—an educated Muslim woman who had been empowered by all the men in her family and was heavily involved in the work of her husband, a religious leader." In terms of responsibility, the fact that she's "a Muslim woman" is enough. Why the focus on the men in her life?
Yet another example of this is when Khan is interested in the idea of women calling the adhan. She gives her father-in-law, who is a scholar, a demonstration. Afterwards, "[he] stood, kissed my forehead, and proclaimed it one of the most beautiful things he had ever heard. His approbation was both a spiritual and cultural milestone for me." While I understand that she wants her father-in-law’s "approbation" because she respects his status as a religious scholar, these kinds of scenes irritate me because Khan never shows similar scenes with women that she respects and admires.
Us and Them
In 2014, Khan and a group of women planned an Eid celebration. About the green lights lighting up the top of the Empire State Building in commemoration of Eid, "one mother told her son, 'See how much they love us? They lit up the Empire State Building just for us!' " Khan includes this anecdote as proof that the Muslims at the event enjoyed themselves, and I believe she wants to show that Muslims want to love and be loved by everyone. But this specific quote veers too close to an open-armed embrace of white savior complex for my personal taste.
Bias
And finally, here’s one last thing that really bothered me. When she discovers that Egypt has women mazoonas (marriage registry officials), she says, "The thought that Egypt was ahead of the United States in advancing women’s roles in Islam was disconcerting." Why is that disconcerting? Because Egypt is backward and the US is so good at women’s rights? Khan insists in this book that Islam gave women human rights 1400 years ago. So I'm not sure why it's surprising for her to see a Muslim-majority country upholding some of those rights.
While I deeply admire Khan and the work that she’s doing for women’s rights and for peace, this memoir missed the mark for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Born in Kashmir, Daisy Khan moved to the US in high school to study design. She went on to found WISE, the Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality, an organization that works for women’s rights. Born with Wings is her memoir and first book.
The book tells Khan's life story chronologically, with each chapter focusing on one event in her life: a specific problem she overcame or an issue she explored. Interspersed between the chapters are snippets that highlight specific initiatives of her own or of other women. For example, one snippet tells the story of Misbah, a Pakistani beautician who helps the survivors of acid attacks receive medical and cosmetic treatment and regain their confidence.
This repetitive format didn’t work for me. While the early part of the book is a fascinating look into her childhood, as soon as she arrives in the US, the narrative reads like a curated list of her accomplishments, with each chapter representing another challenge, idea, or initiative in her life. Her beautiful story is reduced to a 350-page résumé.
Despite my dislike of the structure in general, Khan's story is engaging and her perspective is unique. Here are some quotes that showcase her writing and ideas:
My identity was still in formation. I was no longer just a Kashmiri. I was also an Indian and an American, a New Yorker and a Muslim. As a designer, I understood that colors individually are crystalline and clear, but when you mix the, their essence can be enhanced, diluted, or lost, depending on the proportions. Mix yellow and blue together, and you can have a myriad of greens. Red and yellow can produce a sherbet orange or a fiery coral. But if you blend shade upon shade upon shade, the color wheel fails you, and you end up with shades of gray or black.
I am a living example of how Muslim women can balance faith with modernity.
The more we share our stories, the more we open ourselves to one another, the more respect and even love can flow between us. Once we see ourselves in the faces of others, we can stand side by side on the basis of our human identity, as Westerners or Easterners, as religious or not, as black, white, yellow, or brown. With layers of our identity nested within a larger sense of identity—"out of many, one," in a single space.
Khan’s thoughtful and nuanced understanding of the way many of us manage our myriad identities was a definite strong point in this book for me. Another strong point was her struggle with her spirituality. While I was able to relate to those parts of the book, I found other parts alienating.
Women
One unfortunate motif in this book is the woman-starstruck-by-knowledgeable-and-prestigious-Muslim-man-leader motif. For example, Khan talks about being a modern woman, but she repeats (at least 6 times) the fact that she is an imam’s wife. Here is an especially worrying passage (not counted in the six times): "Here I was, living in the most powerful country in the world; I was empowered by all the men in my family; I was married to an imam of global influence. That made me, by association, an influential woman. And what was I doing in the fight for women’s rights? If not me, then who?" I understand that she references the men in her life as a way of acknowledging her privilege. But I find it problematic that she sees their support of her as the most empowering thing in her life, instead of the God-given talent and personal ambition that she so obviously has.
Later, she says, "I was increasingly feeling the responsibility of what it meant to be a Muslim woman—an educated Muslim woman who had been empowered by all the men in her family and was heavily involved in the work of her husband, a religious leader." In terms of responsibility, the fact that she's "a Muslim woman" is enough. Why the focus on the men in her life?
Yet another example of this is when Khan is interested in the idea of women calling the adhan. She gives her father-in-law, who is a scholar, a demonstration. Afterwards, "[he] stood, kissed my forehead, and proclaimed it one of the most beautiful things he had ever heard. His approbation was both a spiritual and cultural milestone for me." While I understand that she wants her father-in-law’s "approbation" because she respects his status as a religious scholar, these kinds of scenes irritate me because Khan never shows similar scenes with women that she respects and admires.
Us and Them
In 2014, Khan and a group of women planned an Eid celebration. About the green lights lighting up the top of the Empire State Building in commemoration of Eid, "one mother told her son, 'See how much they love us? They lit up the Empire State Building just for us!' " Khan includes this anecdote as proof that the Muslims at the event enjoyed themselves, and I believe she wants to show that Muslims want to love and be loved by everyone. But this specific quote veers too close to an open-armed embrace of white savior complex for my personal taste.
Bias
And finally, here’s one last thing that really bothered me. When she discovers that Egypt has women mazoonas (marriage registry officials), she says, "The thought that Egypt was ahead of the United States in advancing women’s roles in Islam was disconcerting." Why is that disconcerting? Because Egypt is backward and the US is so good at women’s rights? Khan insists in this book that Islam gave women human rights 1400 years ago. So I'm not sure why it's surprising for her to see a Muslim-majority country upholding some of those rights.
While I deeply admire Khan and the work that she’s doing for women’s rights and for peace, this memoir missed the mark for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 4, 2018
I learned a lot reading this book. I have recently read many books written by people proclaiming the dangers of Islam. The author attempts to reclaim Islam as a religion that can unite and promote peace. This book tries to dispel many of the falsehoods people have about the Quran and many of its teachings. Khan reveals the prophet Muhammad as a peaceful man who gave women rights that were unheard of during his time period. I have read so many different things about the Quran that I think I need to read it for myself.
I found Khan's personal story to be very interesting and I like how the book was presented as a series of stories that wove the bigger picture together. I like story time. I liked this book. I hope to see more from Daisy Khan in the future.
I found Khan's personal story to be very interesting and I like how the book was presented as a series of stories that wove the bigger picture together. I like story time. I liked this book. I hope to see more from Daisy Khan in the future.
June 2, 2019
The book is well written and talks about the spiritual transformation of a simple girl from a remote area who explores a new culture as she moves to a new and modern land. However, she clings on to her values and finds peace within her own religion.
Sadly, the Islamic values and rules mentioned in the book are not at all true. It might sound intriguing to those who don't know Islam but it is surely a wrong portrayal of the religion.
Sadly, the Islamic values and rules mentioned in the book are not at all true. It might sound intriguing to those who don't know Islam but it is surely a wrong portrayal of the religion.
November 2, 2020
The narrator has an excellent speaking voice but that is the only nice thing I can say about this. It seems to be coming from a tradition of memoirs that make the narrator and their journey larger than life. This falls so short, and very shortly falls into a boring litany of vaguely interesting things the narrator has done. The structure doesn’t help. The vignettes of other characters mar the timeline, and are only interesting if you are invested in the coincidences of life that are often attributed to god. I’m not, and had prior to listening to this book exhausted my patience for those kind of stories. This was just bad, and had I read it instead of listening it would have only had one star.
March 7, 2018
An informative read about a Muslim woman who has tried to bring peace among faiths and expose Islam for its truest essence, and not the violence it's usually associated with. It was interesting reading about 9/11 from her persepective and the after,ate that followed. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read.
June 20, 2018
It wasn't exactly what I expected. I think I was expecting more of a spiritual growth than the life story of her every action. But that being said, maybe her actions of helping other Muslim women in learning to speak up and speak out was her spiritual growth.
Something that caught my eye, "Freedom of expression must include the license to offend". Then she went on to explain, "The freedom we have to express ourselves does in fact enable us to offend.... The appropriate question to ask is whether freedom of expression is absolute and limitless, or should it come with some social responsibility". This was in reference to the cartoon that showed the Prophet of Islam with a bomb in his turban, sword in hand and a menacing look. It was the author's contention that this type of "freedom of expression" serves to suppress constructive dialogue by fueling extremist sentiments. And she is right, because a handful of Muslim terrorists took aim at the USA and now the entire Muslim community has been shellacked with the same brush as the terrorists are perceived.
This has happened with the Jewish population, the Irish, the Native Americans and on and on. A community should not be tarnished by the actions of one person or a handful of people. And the Quran does not promote this type of violence.
There were a lot of similarities in the Muslim community that we are now dealing with in the US political regime of the current president. If we continue to divide ourselves in this manner, we may never be able to unite again!
Something that caught my eye, "Freedom of expression must include the license to offend". Then she went on to explain, "The freedom we have to express ourselves does in fact enable us to offend.... The appropriate question to ask is whether freedom of expression is absolute and limitless, or should it come with some social responsibility". This was in reference to the cartoon that showed the Prophet of Islam with a bomb in his turban, sword in hand and a menacing look. It was the author's contention that this type of "freedom of expression" serves to suppress constructive dialogue by fueling extremist sentiments. And she is right, because a handful of Muslim terrorists took aim at the USA and now the entire Muslim community has been shellacked with the same brush as the terrorists are perceived.
This has happened with the Jewish population, the Irish, the Native Americans and on and on. A community should not be tarnished by the actions of one person or a handful of people. And the Quran does not promote this type of violence.
There were a lot of similarities in the Muslim community that we are now dealing with in the US political regime of the current president. If we continue to divide ourselves in this manner, we may never be able to unite again!
July 6, 2019
Every American should read this book.
Although Kahn was apparently raised in privilege with servants etc in Kashmir, her outlook is open minded, open hearted and open eyed. She gently teaches her reader about the true Islam as opposed to the warped view so many have of this peaceful religion, thanks to the extremists responsible for 9/11 and many other horrors. These perpetrators represent Islam no more than Fundamentalist LDS represent the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The bottom line is love and respect for all our brothers and sisters.
"Years later when I had found my voice I was often asked to explain why veiling was part of the Islamic religion. The Koran certainly does not advocate this kind of protection. It is not a religious issue. The Koran does not sanction the taking of a human life or defacing a woman or robbing her of her dignity; but by corrupting scriptures militants find justification for their actions. Sadly, the practice of attacking or defacing women is not uncommon in many societies where women are oppressed and men find strength as maintainers of women's morality."
Although Kahn was apparently raised in privilege with servants etc in Kashmir, her outlook is open minded, open hearted and open eyed. She gently teaches her reader about the true Islam as opposed to the warped view so many have of this peaceful religion, thanks to the extremists responsible for 9/11 and many other horrors. These perpetrators represent Islam no more than Fundamentalist LDS represent the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The bottom line is love and respect for all our brothers and sisters.
"Years later when I had found my voice I was often asked to explain why veiling was part of the Islamic religion. The Koran certainly does not advocate this kind of protection. It is not a religious issue. The Koran does not sanction the taking of a human life or defacing a woman or robbing her of her dignity; but by corrupting scriptures militants find justification for their actions. Sadly, the practice of attacking or defacing women is not uncommon in many societies where women are oppressed and men find strength as maintainers of women's morality."
July 22, 2020
So there are memoirs that inspire and then there are memoirs that make you get up and DO SOMETHING! This is one of those memoirs.
Khan is an amazing Muslim American who thrives in interfaith conversation and knowledge. More than that she is an activitist of not just Islam but women and humans in general.
This book isn't just about her childhood in Kashmir or her adolescence in Long Island; nor is it about her faith journey or her amazing acts of courage. It's an inspirational tale that inspires anyone who reads it to stop sitting here and get up and do something for someone else. Whether that be writing a letter to your local government or supporting local NPs, you can't read one chapter in the book without researching something, listening to a new type of music or figuring out how to change the world.
It's not a book about Islam. It's not a book about activism. It's an incredible story of a woman's life that should be known and read by all.
Khan is an amazing Muslim American who thrives in interfaith conversation and knowledge. More than that she is an activitist of not just Islam but women and humans in general.
This book isn't just about her childhood in Kashmir or her adolescence in Long Island; nor is it about her faith journey or her amazing acts of courage. It's an inspirational tale that inspires anyone who reads it to stop sitting here and get up and do something for someone else. Whether that be writing a letter to your local government or supporting local NPs, you can't read one chapter in the book without researching something, listening to a new type of music or figuring out how to change the world.
It's not a book about Islam. It's not a book about activism. It's an incredible story of a woman's life that should be known and read by all.
January 8, 2020
It seems to be an uphill battle with respect to reforms in Islam, but I'm glad to hear there are people like Daisy Khan. Based on the title, I had expected more commentary about her inner spiritual thought processes.
March 27, 2018
If you have a fragmented picture of Muslim women, Daisy Khan’s memoir is a must-read. Not only does she describe her own interesting life, she tackles the serious problems faced by many Muslim women throughout the world, such as acid attacks, child marriages, genital mutilation, IRIS recruiters, etc. Moreover, she repeatedly offers proof that the Quran does not encourage violence against women, including wives, or anyone else. It’s all in the interpretation or misinterpretation, according to Ms. Khan. In addition, she rightfully points out Muslims aren’t the only ones who have killed in the name of God.
Don’t think this is an exclusive, “poor persecuted us” type of book, though. It’s no such thing. Daisy Khan attended a Catholic school run by Irish nuns as a child in India; came to the United States to attend high school, living in a predominately Jewish neighborhood in Long Island; and then moved to New York City, where she worked as an architectural designer, and acquired a diverse group of friends. Like so many other Muslim women, she is intelligent, well-educated and not under a husband’s thumb. (Plus, she's very likable and seems like she'd make a great friend.) She didn’t even marry until her late 30s, and one of the most amusing parts of the book is when her parents met the man she wanted to marry--an imam who was not only older, but had two ex-wives and children. Since he had some gray hair, her distressed mother told him he must dye it if he married her daughter!
Yes, there are both very serious and very amusing stories in Ms. Khan’s memoir. The most stressful times of her life were when she had to deal with the aftereffects of 9/11, and when she and her husband hoped to build a Muslim community center two blocks away from Ground Zero in 2009. Things got so bad, when the community center was being debated, that law enforcement individuals informed her husband that there were "credible threats" against him, and he moved to a safe house. And Daisy Khan, who was just as much in the spotlight campaigning for the center? Well, she stayed home and continued fighting on her own. That’s the brave type of woman she is. Yet she does not come across as a caped crusader, or a martyr, or anything but a dedicated woman who wants to help others, particularly Muslim women who need empowering; and wants to remind others that we’re all the same, regardless of our religions or nationalities.
(Note: I received a free-ARC of this book from Amazon Vine.)
Don’t think this is an exclusive, “poor persecuted us” type of book, though. It’s no such thing. Daisy Khan attended a Catholic school run by Irish nuns as a child in India; came to the United States to attend high school, living in a predominately Jewish neighborhood in Long Island; and then moved to New York City, where she worked as an architectural designer, and acquired a diverse group of friends. Like so many other Muslim women, she is intelligent, well-educated and not under a husband’s thumb. (Plus, she's very likable and seems like she'd make a great friend.) She didn’t even marry until her late 30s, and one of the most amusing parts of the book is when her parents met the man she wanted to marry--an imam who was not only older, but had two ex-wives and children. Since he had some gray hair, her distressed mother told him he must dye it if he married her daughter!
Yes, there are both very serious and very amusing stories in Ms. Khan’s memoir. The most stressful times of her life were when she had to deal with the aftereffects of 9/11, and when she and her husband hoped to build a Muslim community center two blocks away from Ground Zero in 2009. Things got so bad, when the community center was being debated, that law enforcement individuals informed her husband that there were "credible threats" against him, and he moved to a safe house. And Daisy Khan, who was just as much in the spotlight campaigning for the center? Well, she stayed home and continued fighting on her own. That’s the brave type of woman she is. Yet she does not come across as a caped crusader, or a martyr, or anything but a dedicated woman who wants to help others, particularly Muslim women who need empowering; and wants to remind others that we’re all the same, regardless of our religions or nationalities.
(Note: I received a free-ARC of this book from Amazon Vine.)
May 31, 2018
I received this book through NetGalley and its publisher, Spiegel & Grau, and sure am glad I did. From the first page, it grabs your attention. If I could give partial points, this book would actually be 4.5 stars.
It is a memoir about Daisy Khan’s life (from birth to current times). It brings insight into her childhood in Kashmir and her experience with Islamic religion with an exposure to a Christian education, family, relationships, and career. It provides some history of Pakistan, Kashmir and Ayatollah Khomeini’s revolution.
I found the book very interesting and loved learning more about Muslims, the Quran and the five pillars of the Muslim faith. Daisy describes her family and religion: “My entire family were devout Muslims. The adults generally prayed five times a day…” Daisy’s parents sound amazing: “My parents placed great value on education, even while most Kashmiris did not.” It was helpful to understand Daisy’s perspective on how Americans reacted to Muslims especially after 9/11. The book also shares details about the organizations Daisy and her husband spearheaded.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it. It gave me more respect and understanding of Muslims which I believe is one of the goals of the book -- educating on American Muslims and misunderstandings of the Islamic religion: “We fear what we do not understand. It is our place to not judge but to learn and understand.” Well said, Daisy.
It is a memoir about Daisy Khan’s life (from birth to current times). It brings insight into her childhood in Kashmir and her experience with Islamic religion with an exposure to a Christian education, family, relationships, and career. It provides some history of Pakistan, Kashmir and Ayatollah Khomeini’s revolution.
I found the book very interesting and loved learning more about Muslims, the Quran and the five pillars of the Muslim faith. Daisy describes her family and religion: “My entire family were devout Muslims. The adults generally prayed five times a day…” Daisy’s parents sound amazing: “My parents placed great value on education, even while most Kashmiris did not.” It was helpful to understand Daisy’s perspective on how Americans reacted to Muslims especially after 9/11. The book also shares details about the organizations Daisy and her husband spearheaded.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it. It gave me more respect and understanding of Muslims which I believe is one of the goals of the book -- educating on American Muslims and misunderstandings of the Islamic religion: “We fear what we do not understand. It is our place to not judge but to learn and understand.” Well said, Daisy.
May 17, 2018
I recommend this memoir, which I picked up in the New Books section last week and started to read. Caught my attention so I decided to borrow it. Set it aside for a few days while I read other books, & came back to it. As a memoir, it is her story as she has lived it and understood it so far.
Fascinating account of her early life as a determined child in Kashmir, supported by her father's teaching her to box, and the influence of her grandmother and grandfather(who had gone to the US for post-secondary education) in her life. She talks about her learning about religion and what Islam meant there. She moves then her life in the US, starting with the challenges of gaining education and experience to become and architect, in the face of considerable culture change. She gives many examples of the course of her evolution to the current stage of her life, in both trying to encourage others, and particularly women, to re-interpret Muslim teachings and the Quran based on examination of their early feminist roots, and in promoting inter-faith as well as intra-faith actions and strategies. The challenges of the World Trade Centre bombings to Islamic people, particularly in the US, are described through some electrifying examples.
I found it interesting that Irshad Manji was one of the women in in one of her networks in the early 2000's. All in all, a highly suggested read to anyone who has been wondering about the challenges of the Islamic faith, some of what may be seen as real problems of misogyny both in North America and other areas of the world, and a better understanding of the different sects within the larger Muslim umbrella.
Fascinating account of her early life as a determined child in Kashmir, supported by her father's teaching her to box, and the influence of her grandmother and grandfather(who had gone to the US for post-secondary education) in her life. She talks about her learning about religion and what Islam meant there. She moves then her life in the US, starting with the challenges of gaining education and experience to become and architect, in the face of considerable culture change. She gives many examples of the course of her evolution to the current stage of her life, in both trying to encourage others, and particularly women, to re-interpret Muslim teachings and the Quran based on examination of their early feminist roots, and in promoting inter-faith as well as intra-faith actions and strategies. The challenges of the World Trade Centre bombings to Islamic people, particularly in the US, are described through some electrifying examples.
I found it interesting that Irshad Manji was one of the women in in one of her networks in the early 2000's. All in all, a highly suggested read to anyone who has been wondering about the challenges of the Islamic faith, some of what may be seen as real problems of misogyny both in North America and other areas of the world, and a better understanding of the different sects within the larger Muslim umbrella.
March 18, 2024
It's my first biography that I read and I absolutely liked it, not because it highlighted major issues regarding women, from religion as well as social perspective but because it was written so well.
I didn't expect it to be this good. When I read the first page , the girl who's story I'm reading, I was like, oh she is from Kashmir, it's based on East Asian culture it might not be that good, but to my surprise, I had a very good experince reading Daisy Khan's life.
Even if we conflict with her dreams and stuff, we should read it from a reader's perspective. It's not a textbook or a guide but we sure can learn lots of good and influential stuff from Daisy's life.
She has highlighted major issues addressing Mulsim Women and a large portion of her life story is concerned with American Muslim Women. It's hard to follow religion in a country where your religion and followers of your religion are in minority. Daisy spoke on behalf of those women who couldn't possibly go their way because of certain barriers.
This is a never ending fight. She started something for the betterment of Muslim Women and whoever her successor will be, shall continue her work. The main lesson I learnt from the book is to view things from positive perspective and not to blindly follow just anything and everything.
I liked this book. It's 5/5 for me.
I didn't expect it to be this good. When I read the first page , the girl who's story I'm reading, I was like, oh she is from Kashmir, it's based on East Asian culture it might not be that good, but to my surprise, I had a very good experince reading Daisy Khan's life.
Even if we conflict with her dreams and stuff, we should read it from a reader's perspective. It's not a textbook or a guide but we sure can learn lots of good and influential stuff from Daisy's life.
She has highlighted major issues addressing Mulsim Women and a large portion of her life story is concerned with American Muslim Women. It's hard to follow religion in a country where your religion and followers of your religion are in minority. Daisy spoke on behalf of those women who couldn't possibly go their way because of certain barriers.
This is a never ending fight. She started something for the betterment of Muslim Women and whoever her successor will be, shall continue her work. The main lesson I learnt from the book is to view things from positive perspective and not to blindly follow just anything and everything.
I liked this book. It's 5/5 for me.
October 21, 2020
this is a book by daisy khan.
she has give details about how she was growing up as a child in srinagar,kashmir.
she was a little child back then.
she was one of three sisters and when a son called abid was born, they were happy.
she came from a very religious family who prayed five times a day.
there is mention of sharmeen obaid chinoy.
she then goes to america to study where she has a culture shock by meeting different people and she goes there to study.
then there is talk about salman rushdie and the fatwa against him.
she continues to live in america where one day a friend suggested that she visit a sufi mosque in tribeca.
so then she goes over there and gets married to the imam over there who is called feisal abdul rauf.
she lives in new york city.
she tries to have children but is unable to do so
then 9/11 happens and there is chaos every where.
there is talk about genital mutilation and other issues.
in the end , she returns to srinagar,kashmir and meets people over there.
this is a nice book and i liked it.
she has give details about how she was growing up as a child in srinagar,kashmir.
she was a little child back then.
she was one of three sisters and when a son called abid was born, they were happy.
she came from a very religious family who prayed five times a day.
there is mention of sharmeen obaid chinoy.
she then goes to america to study where she has a culture shock by meeting different people and she goes there to study.
then there is talk about salman rushdie and the fatwa against him.
she continues to live in america where one day a friend suggested that she visit a sufi mosque in tribeca.
so then she goes over there and gets married to the imam over there who is called feisal abdul rauf.
she lives in new york city.
she tries to have children but is unable to do so
then 9/11 happens and there is chaos every where.
there is talk about genital mutilation and other issues.
in the end , she returns to srinagar,kashmir and meets people over there.
this is a nice book and i liked it.
June 28, 2018
I loved this book. I picked it up after interviewing Daisy for my own book last year parly, I’m ashamed to say, because I liked the cover. And while not judging a book by its cover is the advice we’re all given from a young age, I’m so happy I ignored the advice for this book.
While I am not a Muslim woman (I’m a secular man), I’m deeply interested in learning about people with lives that, for the most part, have been different than mine. From reading about Daisy’s childhood all the way up to her recent work (several times I found myself exclaiming “That was her?!” to famous news events she brings up in the book), I really felt like a part of Daisy’s extended family by the end of the book; a sure sign that the author has left nothing on the table. Highly recommended read.
While I am not a Muslim woman (I’m a secular man), I’m deeply interested in learning about people with lives that, for the most part, have been different than mine. From reading about Daisy’s childhood all the way up to her recent work (several times I found myself exclaiming “That was her?!” to famous news events she brings up in the book), I really felt like a part of Daisy’s extended family by the end of the book; a sure sign that the author has left nothing on the table. Highly recommended read.
November 3, 2020
This book followed Ms. Khan's journey from Kashmir, India, to the U.S., while explaining the religion of Islam to its readers. The book ended in the year 2017, or about that time. Daisy explained her feelings of coming to the U.S. to study, earn several degrees, marry, and then work to improve the lives of Muslim women all over the world. There were stressful years during the time of 9/11 in New York, where she lived. She worked to open a center in NYC where all religions would be welcomed.
I would call this more of a memoire, since the author shares only her own thoughts about Muslim
women. It did enlighten me about the differences in interpreting the Quoran, depending on where one lives.
I would call this more of a memoire, since the author shares only her own thoughts about Muslim
women. It did enlighten me about the differences in interpreting the Quoran, depending on where one lives.
May 19, 2019
I feel this book is an important book for people to read so one can better understand Islam and what being a Muslim woman is like. This non fiction book details the spiritual journey of a modern Muslim woman who was born and raised in Kashmir and immigrated to the US as a high school student. She is doing outstanding work through and organization she helped found. WISE, (Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality). This book helped me to understand the teachings of Islam and to realize how the media misrepresents this religion.
May 22, 2018
A 15-year old Muslim girl comes from Kashmir to live with her uncle and aunt in Long Island, challenges norms, discovers her love for her faith, and grows up to marry an Imam. An architect by profession, and an artist, she puts her creative energies in mobilizing Muslim youth globally, and creating a global council of women to empower women. This book reveals how far one's ingenuity in the American landscape can take you. Its a personal story of empowerment.
September 27, 2018
An important book. It tells the story of a Muslim girl born in Kashmir who comes to the United States for her schooling and how she at first has lost touch with God. It goes to describe how she eventually finds a welcoming place to worship, how she deals with the anti-Muslim feelings after 9/11, how she marries an iman and they work together for interfaith peace and later on her own to develop anti-Isis training.
July 3, 2019
Goodreads Giveaway. I like the beginning of this book because it starts out positive and empowering for females but after a while I started to get stuck on how much the author brings up religion. It wasn't bad, it was just not for me because it came off too preachy for me. I do recommend it for anyone whose strongly religious and looking for a story about female empowerment and overcoming cultural obstacles.
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June 21, 2023This is a well.writtem book, and you get to learn many things from this, but sadly, not all the things mentioned about Islam are true here, or atleast i found them very different from the school of the thought we belong too. A difficult read of you belong to a diff school of thought altogether, but all in all a good work on the spritual journey to take the reader along for.
June 1, 2018
I so enjoyed Daisy Khan's thoughtful, well-written, entertaining, and educational new book, BORN WITH WINGS: THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY OF A MODERN MUSLIM WOMAN. I highly recommend you pick up a copy today! You won't regret it.
May 21, 2023
Inspiring...every single Muslim woman should read it ....it teaches tawakul which is one of the main precepts of life
October 8, 2023
Excellent read! I could relate so much with this book/story. What a splendid tale of a personal spiritual journey.
June 6, 2021
Good narration
March 26, 2018
This is a beautiful look at a religion that is often misunderstood. I like how the author is trying to bring peace between different faiths. It is a must read.
I would like to thank netgalley and publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.
I would like to thank netgalley and publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.
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