Of Hockey and Hijab

In these thoughtful essays, Sheema Khan—Canadian hockey mom and Harvard PhD—gives us her pointed insights on being a modern and liberal, yet practising, Muslim, especially in Canada. Tackling a host of issues, such as terrorism and fanaticism, human rights post 9/11, Islamic law, women’s rights, sharia, and the meaning of hijab, she explains Islam to the greater public while calling for mutual understanding and tolerance. She tells us “Why Muslims are angry,” and protests, "You can’t pigeonhole 1.6 billion Muslims,” while calling on Muslims to “acknowledge the rise of fanaticism.” She explains the plausibility of Islamic financing and applies the Charter of Rights to Canada . “Can there be Islamic democracy?” she asks, and then, “Will Quebec adopt France ’s peculiar brand of liberty?” Provocative and original, even-handed and conciliatory, these essays are an important contribution to an urgent modern debate. 

“I will never see my own country quite the same again. I thank Sheema Khan for lending me her eyes and giving all Canadians the precious and welcome gift of her words. Her insight into everything from religion to hockey—often thought to be the same thing in this country!—is blessed with intelligence and humour.”   
—Roy MacGregor, author of Canadians: A Portrait of a Country and Its People