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We Refuse to Be Enemies is a manifesto by two American citizens, a Muslim woman and Jewish man, concerned with the rise of intolerance and bigotry in our country along with resurgent white nationalism. Neither author is an imam, rabbi, scholar, or community leader, but together they have spent decades doing interfaith work and nurturing cooperation among communities. They have learned that, through face-to-face encounters, people of all backgrounds can come to know the Other as a fellow human being and turn her or him into a trusted friend. In this book, they share their experience and guidance. Growing up in Pakistan before she immigrated to the United States, Sabeeha never met a Jew, and her view was colored by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In his youth, Walter never met a Muslim, and his opinion was shaped by Leon Uris's Exodus.



About the Author

Sabeeha Rehman

Sabeeha Rehman is an author, blogger, public speaker, a Muslim woman, and an American of Pakistani descent. She came to the U.S. in 1971 after a hurried arranged marriage to a Pakistani doctor. When her children started grade school, she started grad school, earning a masters in healthcare administration, and began a 25-year career as a hospital administrator. Before she could catch her breath, her boys had entered the pre-teen phase and knew next to nothing about their faith. With time running out, she, her husband and her friends scrambled to establish a Muslim community, build a mosque, and agonized over whether to put up a Christmas tree.After her grandson was diagnosed with autism, she cofounded the New York Metro chapter of the National Autism Association and served as its first president. She has spent several decades working for interfaith dialogue. Since the publication of her memoir, she has given over 240 talks in about 100 cities. She has lectured on the art of memoir writing at academic institutions including Hunter College, New York. She lives with her husband Khalid in New York City.



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