Asma Hasan Writes of the Muslim-American Experience

April 16, 2004

Source: The Dallas Morning News

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/religion/stories/041704dnrelhasan.a65a9.html

On April 16, 2004 The Dallas Morning News reported, "When she was in kindergarten, Asma Gull Hasan was sent to the principal's office at her Catholic school for telling the class that Jesus was not the Son of God. Muslims, she explained, believe that Jesus was a prophet, but not a divine being. After that episode, Ms. Hasan kept her religious beliefs under wraps, but she recalls now that she enjoyed knowing that she had her own identity and views different from her classmates. 'I kind of felt like it was a little secret I had to myself,'she said. Ms. Hasan no longer keeps her secret. The 29-year-old daughter of Pakistani immigrants has just published her second book designed to educate non-Muslims about Islam and present the religion in a way that clarifies the basics and provokes discussion about the world's second-largest religion. The book, Why I am a Muslim: An American Odyssey is a follow-up to her 2002 volume, American Muslims: The New Generation. In sharing her faith through her writing and public speaking engagements, Ms. Hasan articulates the experience of many young American Muslims who are working out their religious identities within the context of American culture."