CAIRO: In 1973, Zainab El-Berry fled war in her native Egypt and moved to the United States. She found peace, a successful career, and a new home in America, but she never lost her identity as an Egyptian, Muslim woman.
Acting as a cultural ambassador, she was back in Cairo last week to promote a popular American book, “The Face Behind the Veil, which tells her story, and the stories of dozens of Muslim women in the US.
The author of the book is acclaimed journalist Donna Gehrke-White of the Miami Herald who has shared in two Pulitzer Prizes. In her book, she gives over 50 Muslim women the opportunity to explain their faith and prove that they are no less American than their Christian counterparts.
Including African Americans, immigrants and converts, the women she features cover a diverse sector. And despite their status as a minority, they have managed to involve themselves in society and political affairs. These are American women who, since Sept. 11, have been forced to defend Islam and engage in inter-faith dialogue in order to correct misunderstandings about Muslim women abroad and in the US.
Fortunately their stories are coming out at a time when many Americans are curious about their Muslim neighbors, and there is a growing audience eager to hear these stories and look at contentious issues from the perspective of Americans who practice Islam.
“The Face Behind the Veil provides both Americans and non-Americans with this opportunity.
Aiming to reach a new audience, El-Berry has begun promoting the book in Egypt. Last week, she gave a lecture at the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs (ECFA) in Maadi. Attended by guests from academic, political, and international circles.
El-Berry’s lecture encouraged the audience to read the book, which clarifies any misunderstandings about the lives of Muslim women in America.
She highlighted the importance of supporting a book that “seeks to end the viewing of Muslim women in America as a novelty, proving that American Muslim women love their country and live relatively ordinary lives.
She has hopes that “The Face Behind the Veil will be translated into Arabic and will be available to Egyptians at local bookstores and libraries.
“It is crucial that we as Muslims help those who are trying to help us, she said in reference to the book, which also combats the negative image of Islam found in American media.
The book is currently available on amazon.com and other online distributors.
