I guess I’m not enchantingly handsome after all

Me in Panama with Salma, 2007.

Wael Abdelgawad | WaelAbdelgawad.com

At a Muslim community center fundraiser tonight, I listened intently as the speaker (Alaeddin Al-Bakri), who stood at the far end of the hall, spoke about the meaning of the month of Ramadan. The room was roughly segregated, with men on one side and women on the other.

I noticed that a few of the women at the table facing mine were watching me intently. I focused my gaze on the table in front of me, but every time I looked up...