Fitting in

Re “Islam, punk and questions,” Column One, Nov. 19

Please contact the Pulitzer committee to nominate this exquisite article about the complexity of growing up Muslim, American, punk and authentic in a suburb of Houston.

As I found during researching and writing a book about the challenges of fitting in, the key for teens and young adults is to celebrate their own uniqueness and to form alliances with others who don’t fit the mold.

I applaud the young woman in the article, Hiba Siddiqui, and her mom, Samina Siddiqui, for opening up their hearts and minds to other diverse groups while at the same time exploring the richness of their own traditions.

This article should be required reading for every church, temple, mosque, counselor and school in America.

Leonard Felder PhD

West Los Angeles