I Would Rather Clean Than Beg.

The Christian Take On Hellfire Seems Less Dramatic Than The Muslim Vision, Which I Grew Up With, But Christian Magical Thinking Appeals To Me No More Than My Mother's Angels And Djinns.

I Would Rather Clean Than Beg.

It Was Friday, July 24, 1992, When I Stepped On The Train. Every Year I Think Of It. I See It As My Real Birthday: The Birth Of Me As A Person, Making Decisions About My Life On My Own. I Was Not Running Away From Islam, Or To Democracy. I Didn't Have Any Big Ideas Then. I Was Just A Young Girl And Wanted Some Way To Be Me; So I Bolted Into The Unknown.

I Don't Believe In Hell And Heaven Anymore. Or Angels. I Think Islam Is A Superstition Like Every Other Superstition. But Now Because It's A Superstition, Unlike Christianity, That Hasn't Been Tested And Hasn't Gone Through A Process Of Enlightenment, I Think It's A Dangerous Superstition.

There Are Some Mosques With Facilities For Women; It's Usually A Back Room With A Back-door Entrance.