Ruby: Revisiting our early lives to tell the story of how we evolved from being the people we once were - who exalted first and foremost our own faiths and ethnicities-to more mature people who believe deeply in the American ideal of “all human beings are created equal.” It was also so fascinating to discover the many similarities in our faiths - Islam and Judaism - and in the nations of Israel and Pakistan where we spent much time in our youths. The process was not easy, but ultimately it came together beautifully.ĬALS: What was your favorite part of the writing process? The great challenge was to weave our respective sections of the book-and our life histories-together seamlessly, which we did by editing each other’s sections and writing certain bridging sections together (in the “we” voice). Once we had fleshed out the basic structure and content of the book, each of us began writing our respective sections separately since we live in separate cities (Washington and New York) and could only get together every few months. Ruby: We began writing our book together in early 2017 and finished the last of many revisions to the book in late 2020. They also address sensitive issues that had the potential to divide them and share a roadmap based on lessons learned.ĬALS was able to ask both Ruby and Rehman a few questions about their book prior to the Fest.ĬALS: What was the process involved with writing your book? Ruby and Rehman’s coauthored We Refuse to Be Enemies: How Muslims and Jews Can Make Peace, One Friendship at a Time, a featured book at this year’s Six Bridges Book Festival, addresses how the two authors overcame their biases about “the Other,” the principles in their respective faiths that unite them, the impact of interfaith dialogue, and their personal experiences and challenges in bringing the two faith communities together.

Sabeeha Rehman’s memoir, Threading My Prayer Rug, was a finalist for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, received the San Francisco Book Festival Award, and was a Top 10 Religion and Spirituality Book and Top 10 Diverse Nonfiction Book in 2017. Ruby has received numerous awards for excellence in Jewish journalism. A veteran journalist, he has written articles for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Jerusalem Post, and Forward.

Walter Ruby is an activist in Muslim-Jewish relations who has organized hundreds of twinning events bringing together thousands of Jews and Muslims in countries around the world. 6BBF Author profile: Walter Ruby & Sabeeha Rehman

Threading my prayer rug