Sumbul Ali-Karamali

Sumbul Ali-Karamali earned her B.A. in English from Stanford University, her J.D. from the University of California at Davis, and her L.L.M. in Islamic law from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. She has practiced corporate law, taught Islamic law, and been a research associate at the Centre of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law in London. Her first book, "The Muslim Next Door: the Qur’an, the Media, and that Veil Thing," was published in 2008 and was a Bronze Medal Winner of the 2009 Independent Book Awards; it was also chosen for Silicon Valley Reads 2012, a 14-city-wide reading program. "The Muslim Next Door" also appeared on the American Academy of Religion’s Islam section list as a recommended text for teaching Islam in classrooms and the Huffington Post’s Eleven Must-Read Books by Muslim Authors. During Sumbul’s book tour, several teachers complained to her of the absence of age- appropriate books on Islam for middle-school and high-school students. As a result, she wrote "Growing up Muslim: Understanding the Beliefs and Practices of Islam," a nonfiction chapter book for ages 10 & up, though it is appropriate for any age. Sumbul is a frequent speaker and writer on Islam-related topics. She’s been invited to speak at hundreds of venues and has given numerous media interviews. She serves on the steering committee of Women in Islamic Spirituality and Equality (WISE) and on the Muslim Women’s Global Shura Council, both of which aim to promote women’s rights and human rights from an Islamic perspective. She’s currently working on her third book.