The Doubt and Faith of a Journalist, Parent, and ‘Full-Time Arab American’

Aymann Ismail has a variety of identities that keep him busy. When I asked him to tell me about himself, he replied, “I’m a journalist, a parent, and a full-time Arab American.” He is also the author of the new memoir, Becoming Baba: Fatherhood, Faith, and Finding Meaning in America.

One of the things I appreciate most about Ismail, who is Muslim, is the way he subtly incorporates reflections on his faith into his writing. In Becoming Baba, Ismail relates how he sat down to read the Quran, only to vehemently disagree with what he read. This led him to explore his doubts and questions, which Becoming Baba explores in an engaging and refreshing way.