Rukhsana Hasib
Rukhsana Hasib
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Born in Bangladesh, Rukhsana Hasib experienced genocide firsthand when the Pakistan army occupied Bangladesh in 1971. Her mother was thrown in a prison camp, and her father was taken away by armed military men. Months later, his remains were discovered in a mass grave among the five hundred bodies, blindfolded and shot.
Hasib then came to America and earned her MBA at Rutgers University in New Jersey and worked as a commercial lending officer for Citibank, NA in New York. Later, she pursued a career in business. Hasib was appointed Commissioner of Asian American Affairs by Philadelphia’s first black Mayor, Wilson Goode, and was elected President of the Delaware Valley Bangladesh American Association.
In Shadows in the Sun, Hasib tells a story of courage, struggle and triumph against monumental odds: Female infanticide, discrimination and injustice in a culture dominated by men. "Women give birth, nurture the young, comfort the old and pray over the dead," Hasib says. "They value traditions and rituals that connect generations. But in many parts of the world, women are brutalized and regarded as inferior in a culture controlled by men."
By discussing the choices women must make and the consequences of those decisions, Hasib hopes to create a better world for future generations. “The birth of a daughter is still considered a misfortune by a vast number of people,” says Hasib. “The birth of a son, on the other hand, is celebrated. That discrepancy must be ended.”
“Through the story of Shadows in the Sun, I add my voice to the millions of women who have stood up and fought for women’s rights with the hope that eventually, our collective voices will ring loudly enough to be heard in every corner of the world,” she says. “We will command the respect and honor we deserve as mothers, daughters, sisters and wives.”
Since the publication of her second novel, Shadows in the Sun, Rukhsana Hasib contributes regularly as a blogger to the Huffington Post.
