Such beautiful reflections! I would love to know more about what you mean by "faith is the frame everything else sits inside." So looking forward to reading more of your writing! <3
Thank you, Grace! What I mean is that faith isn’t one identity among others—like race, gender, or nationality. It’s the frame through which I see everything else: how I understand what happens to me, what I owe other people, what a good life looks like, and even how I make sense of the other things I consider core to who I am.
And I think that’s true of the altMuslimah ethos more broadly.
Sometimes it unsettles me to look back at who I used to be and how I responded to all the things that was my life. But I’m also grateful for that woman who helped me become the woman I am now - all my wrestling with faith and iman and parenting and autism. I related hard to your piece.
I think we’ll always look back and think we could have done something differently. But what we did is often what we had to do. Tbh the one thing that’s made clear for me is that even what I’m doing now, my future self will question and wonder about.
What a wonderful piece of writing Asma! Just stunning, you had me in tears. Love your loving and anguished reflections about your evolving relationship with Z and how seeing her grow up connects you deeply to your own teenaged self. And how did we never discuss Sarah McLachlan before? I'm also a mega-fan - Afterglow ran on repeat on my head through the final two years of law school! I'm very excited to keep reading your writing and especially for the relaunch of altM - which always meant so much to me for so many reasons.
Such beautiful reflections! I would love to know more about what you mean by "faith is the frame everything else sits inside." So looking forward to reading more of your writing! <3
Thank you, Grace! What I mean is that faith isn’t one identity among others—like race, gender, or nationality. It’s the frame through which I see everything else: how I understand what happens to me, what I owe other people, what a good life looks like, and even how I make sense of the other things I consider core to who I am.
And I think that’s true of the altMuslimah ethos more broadly.
Sometimes it unsettles me to look back at who I used to be and how I responded to all the things that was my life. But I’m also grateful for that woman who helped me become the woman I am now - all my wrestling with faith and iman and parenting and autism. I related hard to your piece.
I think we’ll always look back and think we could have done something differently. But what we did is often what we had to do. Tbh the one thing that’s made clear for me is that even what I’m doing now, my future self will question and wonder about.
What a wonderful piece of writing Asma! Just stunning, you had me in tears. Love your loving and anguished reflections about your evolving relationship with Z and how seeing her grow up connects you deeply to your own teenaged self. And how did we never discuss Sarah McLachlan before? I'm also a mega-fan - Afterglow ran on repeat on my head through the final two years of law school! I'm very excited to keep reading your writing and especially for the relaunch of altM - which always meant so much to me for so many reasons.
Why am I not surprised that you and I share a soundtrack for our lives? And thank you for your too-kind words. Would love to see you writing again!