The Rose of Jericho

Like the legendary Rose of Jericho, some people survive in the harshest of proverbial deserts without knowing how much they can bloom in the right oasis. Set against the backdrop of the Iraqi war, Nora (a Muslim) and John (a Christian) crossed paths as compassionate fighters for the weak and downtrodden. Both estranged from their faiths, they yearned for more grounding in the world they found themselves in. The Rose of Jericho personifies the significant psychological struggles that progressive female Muslims shoulder due to the underlying tensions between long-standing traditions and changing social norms.

Like the legendary Rose of Jericho, some people survive in the harshest of proverbial deserts without knowing how much they can bloom in the right oasis. Set against the backdrop of the Iraqi war, Nora and John crossed paths as compassionate fighters for the weak and downtrodden. Both estranged from their faiths, they yearned for more grounding in the world they found themselves in. Later reunited in the United States, the radicalization of Nora's nephew Ismael led to a covert operation to save him. In the process, John and Nora found themselves in love and at odds with faiths and traditions that spanned more than a thousand years. Their love now grounded, John and Nora became a political force in the United States. Their message of tolerance, epitomized by their union, galvanized an already electric movement in the United States to foster inclusion and acceptance. Nora found herself at the forefront of the movement when she created a platform that gave a voice to women in Islam. Nora's courage in striking a balance between tradition and the present sowed the seeds of courage in her aunt Dounia, who found it in herself to accept the love of Dr. Barzani. All seemed well, with Nora and Dounia heading an operation to save priceless art pieces that had been taken during the Iraq War. Nora's vision of the future was shattered by a revelation: a mysterious benefactor was closer to her than she realized. The secret threatened to unravel Nora and the tight threads she'd woven with the people she loved. Nora would have to find the courage to face that secret and reconcile with a past that she had not yet come to terms with. Perhaps then the Rose of Jericho, Nora, would bloom at last.

Dr. Dahman A. Touati is a Senior Research Scientist with more than 25 years of experience in the field of environmental emissions and biochemical defense. in Noticing a dearth of stories that highlighted Muslim women as progressive agents who could usher positive changes in society, he wrote the Rose of Jericho to address that gap. The story further illustrates the significant psychological struggles such as progressive agents shoulder due to the underlying tensions between longstanding traditions and changing social norms.