Aishah Schwartz

"I have always been a compassionate person by nature, but now I find such happiness in knowing that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is using the talents and gifts He has given me to communicate with people in so many ways!"

(Image: Aishah Schwartz Protesting Against French President Jacques Chirac's Proposed Ban of Hijab; Embassy of France, Washington, D.C., January 17, 2004.)

By Heather El Khiyari
March 18, 2006

After spending countless sleepless nights reading the Quran and studying Islam from online sites, Sister Aishah made her Shahada on April 19th, 2002.

Since her reversion to Islam Sister Aishah has taken on many tasks, including but not limited to volunteering her time to create and moderate an online women's discussion forum called Sisters4Dawah, whose goal is to help new Muslimah reverts. Since it was first launched in May of 2003, the S4D forum has grown to over 225 internationally based members.

In January of 2006, Sister Aishah took another step towards reaching out into the world's Muslimah population in creating the Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA). She established MWA to encourage the writings of today's Muslimahs. "Muslimah Writer's Alliance was organized with the goal of offering Muslim women writer's information, tools, resources and opportunities for the purpose of supporting one another's aspirations to write!"

Hijab on the outside, being viewed by many as just another Muslimah, Sister Aishah is working hard day by day willingly volunteering her time to communicate and reach out to other sisters. Her hard work and diligence does not just stop with Sister4Dawah and the Muslimah Writers Alliance. When not working on her groups, Sister Aishah is highly dedicated to encouraging the growth of other sisters' understanding and education of Islam, dedicating her time to help sisters who are in need, being a good friend to many, as well as a public speaker and columnist.

One question that comes to mind; How does she have the time to tackle so many tasks and help other Muslimah's in so many ways? Just like staying up late at night to study Islam, which led to her reversion, Sister Aishah stays up late into the night working on her groups, writing articles and emailing or chatting with friends in need of help.

Sister Aishah is truly a hard working sister in Islam and her reverence for Allah and dedication to being the ideal Muslimah figure is just some of the ways that demonstrate the true compassion of this exemplary sister.

When interviewed on August 16, 2002 at the 39th Annual ISNA Convention, referring to before she reverted to Islam Sister Aishah stated, "My sole purpose in life seemed to be to live to work. That was the sum of my existence, which doesn't make for much of a life, by any stretch of the imagination!"

Now that Sister Aishah has been a Muslim for nearly 4 years it seems that her sole purpose is to please Allah through outreach to her sisters in Islam, encouraging their growth, and continuing the journey of strengthening her own deen. Sister Aishah went from a workaholic in her professional life as a 22-year career legal assistant, to an Islamaholic whose sole purpose in life is to please Allah.

On the web:
http://www.sisteraishah.com
http://www.muslimahwritersalliance.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sisters4Dawah
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Muslimah_Writers_Alliance
http://mwapeopleschoice.blogspot.com
http://aishahsjourney.blogspot.com
Biography
Protest Speech Given at Embassy of France, Washington, DC

Published United Views Newspaper - Toronto, Canada 4/06
Copyright © Heather El Khiyari 2006. All Rights Reserved.