Born in Pakistan, the daughter of an air force officer, Mahjabeen Hassan knew early that she wanted to be a doctor. She chose New York for her surgical training and residency because Americans, she believed, would consider her competence as a doctor more important than her status as an immigrant, a Muslim, and a woman.
Her life took an unexpected turn 20 years ago, after she opened her practice, when her father died. His death coincided with her first pilgrimage to Mecca. Despite professional achievement and worldly comfort, she increasingly felt unfulfilled. Her spiritual journey culminated in 2001, when she covered her head with the hijab.
On 9/11, the world changed. Colleagues and patients regarded her with suspicion. During visits to family in Pakistan and other Muslim nations, she heard descriptions of America that bore little resemblance to the adopted country she knew.
She responded as a healer, correcting misperception about Americans with positive messages and countering the apprehension of her patients with compassion.
