Across Faiths, Mothers Share a Common Humanity

May 7, 2004

Source: The St. Louis Dispatch

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/St.+Charles/02CFB

On May 7, 2004 The St. Louis Dispatch reported, "According to Humera Qalbani, there is a Muslim saying that heaven lies under a mother's feet. Qalbani is the daughter of Hyder and Zereena Qalbani of St. Charles. The family operates two Subways Sandwich and Salad restaurants in St. Charles. Humera Qalbani said that a respect for mothers is inherent in the Islamic faith and that her mother taught her and her siblings to stand proud as Muslims even during hard times. Not easy, said Humera, when you live in a society where the majority of one's peers dress, eat and worship differently. Qalbani and members of other faiths in St. Charles County shared their relationships with their mothers recently and how those women influenced their lives. Those interviewed ranged in age from 22 to 86. They included a nun, a college professor and a social justice advocate. A couple of the mothers were immigrants, including Zereena Qalbani, a native of Pakistan. They seemed to share certain personality traits, whether they were Sikh, Muslim, Jewish or Christian. They were described by their children as selfless, hard working and tolerant. All were stay-at-home mothers."