Six months after the Sept. 11 attacks, Sarwat Husain realized she could not be the sole spokesperson for the Muslim community in San Antonio. So she started a newspaper. Now, five years later, she
distributes the paper throughout the Lone Star State and to paid subscribers in other cities. The paper, called "Al-Ittihaad," (which means unity) is a compilation of articles related to Islam and the
community. She says she doesn't print anything explicitly against the United States or the Bush administration, but that her newspaper is becoming an alternative source of news. She has a reporter
covering local Muslim issues in Texas, which is home to a large number of Muslims. Since its debut, both circulation and hate mail have increased, but she says the latter doesn't bother her. "They're
just trying to harass me, so I'll stop doing my work," she says, noting that her husband and children are actually more afraid for her than she is. While she does run ads in the paper, she refuses to
run those that she considers offensive--and that has hurt the paper's revenue. The newspaper is a labor of love for Husain, and a significant financial commitment.
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