Ayman Ismail

I hope we get to stay friends.

Yes, let's do it.

This felt like a family reunion for some reason.

I don't want to have kids who can't speak Arabic or read Arabic.

This is the only chance I get to do this, right, when they're really, really young.

I won't get another chance to help guide them and help them learn Arabic for the sake of them being connected to this massive heritage that they're inheriting.

I don't want to have kids who can't speak Arabic or read Arabic.

This is the only chance I get to do this, right, when they're really, really young.

I won't get another chance to help guide them and help them learn Arabic for the sake of them being connected to this massive heritage that they're inheriting.

I won't get another chance to help them learn Arabic for the sake of them being connected to this massive heritage that they're inheriting.

So in that context, it has to happen now.

And if you're going to ask me how important is it that they get that connection, I'm going to tell you it's everything.

Wow, what an intro.

You almost do this for a living or something.

I don't want to get mad, Muslim.

When I was growing up, the question of whether or not I would go to Islamic school when it came up with my parents had nothing to do with money.

In fact, it made zero money sense.

The Islamic school they chose to send us to was the local one.

It was in Jersey City.

So it was one town over.