Intisar, a veiled African-American Muslim student, thought she might finally fit in when she enrolled for a year abroad at the American Egyptian University in Cairo. Samar, her Egyptian, non-veiled roommate, enlists Intisar’s help in creating an internet blog about the controversial practice of wearing veils..or not and hopefully helping to bridge the gap between the West and the Middle-East. They and their project, however, are overtaken and in danger of being overwhelmed by events leading up to and including the beginnings of the recent Egyptian revolution. In struggling with events such as a university ban on wearing burkas, an anti-American protest/riot, and Samar’s arrest and forced virginity test, Intisar and Samar are surprised to find themselves on opposite sides of a bitter cultural divide. Will the violent events and emotions leading up to the revolution salvage their friendship or shatter it?
