This was a sore spot for Aya. She knew that whatever celebrations her family had, they did not rival Amanda’s family’s elaborate Christmas. Aya’s parents rarely took the day off for Eid, and her family didn’t really belong to a Muslim community anymore. Their small agricultural town only had a handful of other Muslims. They all used to take turns praying in each other’s houses, but a few years ago, when it was Aya’s parents’ turn to host the weekly prayers, her father had overheard someone remark that Shias weren’t real Muslims. Her parents had taken this as a hint that they weren’t welcome,
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