Category Archives: Blog

This fall, when I was in Sudan following in the footsteps of Malcolm X, I visited Ahfad University for Women in Omdurman. In 1959, Malcolm X learned about girls education in Sudan when he visited Ahfad. In Arabic, “Ahfad” means “grandchildren.” Several days ago, the female students at Ahfad University joined in the One Billion Rising festivities to celebrate all of the changes that have improved women’s lives in Sudan–like access to higher education…

One of my favorite buildings in India is the “Baby Taj” (Itimād-ud-Daulah)–which served as a draft for the Taj Mahal. The polychromatic patterns decorating this 17th century marble jewel are breathtaking…

While in India last week to speak at a conference on Sufism in India and Central Asia, I had the opportunity to visit Qutb Minar–an enormous red sandstone minaret, decorated with beautifully carved Qur’anic inscriptions. This impressive 12th century minaret was commissioned by Qutb ud-din Aibak, the first Muslim Sultan of Delhi, and finished by his successor, Iltutmish​​. In the past, ​visitors​ could climb to the top of the minaret’s 7 story staircase–but in 1981, 45 people ​died when the electricity in the stairwell went out and caused a stampede. Due to this incident (and previous suicides from the tower), the interior of this minaret remains closed. Though admiring this stunning minaret from all angles was entertaining, ​I especially enjoyed wandering through the ​crumbling ​medieval ruins scattered around ​its base​​. If you travel to India, don’t miss this amazing UNESCO World Heritage Site​…​

While exploring India’s Amber Fort, I was drawn to the beautiful frescoes on the Ganesh Pol–the Ganesh Gate. This 17th century structure served as the entrance into the private palaces of the Maharajas. Above the doorway is a representation of the Hindu god Ganesh. From behind the gate’s latticed windows, women from the royal family could watch official palace functions taking place below…

I marveled at the magnificent architecture of the Mubarak Mahal, while exploring the City Palace of Jaipur…

While wandering through the City Palace of Jaipur, I was drawn to the peacocks decorating this detailed doorway…

When I turned on my phone today after returning from India to Lebanon, I found it buzzing with whatsapp messages from some of my young Syrian refugee friends who shine shoes on the streets of Beirut. A new study by UNICEF and Save the Children International reports that there are now over 1,500 street children working on the streets of Lebanon–a large percentage of whom are illiterate. According to the shoe-shiner kids I know in Beirut, there’s nothing they want more than to return to school in Syria–even though they’ve fallen years behind in their education because of the war…

At the Sufism in India and Central Asia International Conference at Jamia Millia Islamia where I spoke last week, we were treated to an amazing qawwali performance by musicians from the Sufi shrine of Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki. I was so happy when they opened with my favorite qawwali song–which you can listen to in the video below. At a time when media attention is focused on terrorism, division, and war, it was inspiring to witness so many people from different regional, religious, and ethnic backgrounds coming together in the spirit of love and devotion to enjoy the ecstatic music and spiritual poetry of qawwali…

This week, I had the honor and pleasure of speaking on Sufism at an international conference on “Sufism in India & Central Asia” at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. It was wonderful to meet scholars, diplomats, and students from around the world with similar research interests, and I enjoyed speaking with the other participants in Persian, Russian, Arabic and Uzbek. It was an extraordinary opportunity to discuss the historical and philosophical connections between Sufism, Hinduism/bhakti yoga, Buddhism, and shamanism in India and Central Asia, and I’m very grateful for all that I learned at this truly stimulating conference in India…

I’ve been in total awe of all the beauty I’m beholding while traveling through India–an absolute dream come true…