The more time goes on, the closer I am to the ground. I've been exposed to so many issues and people living under different pressures. It's helped me realize that a lot of glamorous things that people prioritize really don't matter.

We shouldn't judge people through the prism of our own stereotypes.

The hardest [part] is some of the misperceptions that are leveled against me as a person and against Muslim women.

We're programmed to believe that time is the enemy, that it takes away from us or that it diminishes us. I have found that it's done the opposite to me. Life is in perfect balance. It's just that our perception of it isn't.

Children keep us in check. Their laughter prevents our hearts from hardening. Their dreams ensure we never lose our drive to make ours a better world. They are the greatest disciplinarians known to mankind.

There are so many misperceptions and stereotypes out there that I would love to see clarified one day.

Educate a woman and you educate her family. Educate a girl and you change the future.