How did I, as a Pakistani-born Canadian Muslim, get so fascinated by Israel that I've traveled there 13 times? (The last time I was there, an immigration officer asked me, "and where is your Israeli passport?") It could be that Israel is one of the best-kept secrets in the world.

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Growing up in Pakistan, I noted hate toward two entities — India and Israel. This was not a new phenomenon. When Pakistan was created in 1947, its founder clearly said Pakistan would not recognize Israel until the Palestinian issue was resolved.

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I knew no different because no one spoke about Israel and Jews. But my father, who was an army doctor, always encouraged me to read and think outside the box. He instilled in me the concept of inquiry. I could discuss my questions with him, and he would give me an alternate point of view.

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Thanks to my father's support, I came upon The Diary of Anne Frank, Exodus, and other books. I was instantly captivated by the stories and the people. When I read about the Holocaust, my heart stopped as I pondered on the cruelty that humanity can stoop to, as well as the courage and resilience of the survivors.

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I was curious to know more.

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Armed with this knowledge, we traveled to the Arab world in the late 1970s, where I discovered the mass hysteria against Israel. There, we met many Palestinians, most of whom were vehemently opposed to the Jewish state. At that time, the Arab Boycott Office would ban products if they were associated with Israel — like Coca-Cola. Ironically, Pepsi was allowed.

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Fast forward to Canada, where I migrated to in 1989. My interest in Israel grew as I met my first Jewish friends and started learning more. There were many questions on both sides.

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On Israel's 75th birthday, a lot has been written about the creation of this country. So, I won't go into the details because my feelings surpass all politics. I strongly believe that if both parties want peace, it will be resolved — Inshallah (God willing).

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All this played in my head when my husband told me that the airline he works for had started flights to Tel Aviv and said we should go. He, too, was intrigued by Israel. So we decided to take our first trip in 2007. Our friends (mostly Muslims) told us that as Pakistani-born Muslims, it would be dangerous for us; there would be fighting in the streets; they hate Muslims, etc. I have to admit we were very apprehensive, but we needed to know and see for ourselves. So we invited a Canadian couple to join us — Jim, a church minister, and his wife, Karen. "Don't worry," they told us. "We are with you as a white Canadian couple, and if you get into trouble, we'll bail you out."

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Our first trip was an eye-opener and an education in every way. While our friends were sometimes questioned, we sailed right through. We had been warned in Canada not to venture far from Tel Aviv, but we did. We had been told not to travel on buses, but we did. Safe and sound, we were not stopped or questioned. Every moment was an awakening about the misinformation that we had been fed.

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We spoke to different segments of the population and found a whole new perspective on this amazing country. We were blown away by the advances made in technology and medicine, in art and music. I also waited with bated breath for someone to ask me about who I was and what I was doing there, to comment on my being a Muslim, or say something negative. It never happened.

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But interesting things did happen. I was in touch with Haifa University, and when they heard we were in Israel, they invited us to visit. Here, we saw co-existence at its best. When we got there, the hosts told me that they knew of my interest in women's rights, so they had arranged for books on the subject for me, some even acquired from Jordan. They knew everything there was to know about me. We were impressed at the homework that had been done.

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We traveled across Israel by taxi, bus, and on foot. When we reached Jerusalem and saw the walled city, something moved inside me. It was a breathtaking moment. We prayed at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and at the Western Wall, and then I went to Al-Aqsa Mosque to pray. Here, as I sat inside the Dome of the Rock and took in the spiritual ambiance, I prayed that I could come back for a longer time as there was much more to experience.

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They say one should be careful of what you wish for. We had hardly returned when I was invited to speak at the Facing Tomorrow conference that was to be held in Jerusalem in 2008 and was to be hosted by the late President Shimon Peres. I was thrilled beyond words, and from there on, it was an affair of the heart. Facing Tomorrow was a gathering of global leaders, international scholars and activists, poets and scientists, artists and clergy, entrepreneurs, economists, and industrialists, including Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Elie Wiesel, Robert De Niro, Shakira, Rupert Murdoch, and Bernard-Henri Lévy. I returned to speak at the conference for five years until my last time when they celebrated Shimon Peres's 90 birthday, at which Barbra Streisand sang for him.

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I also attended other international conferences in Israel and was invited to visit the Knesset, the Israeli legislature, which was a unique experience. After we had proceeded through extensive security upon arriving at the Knesset, a group of Orthodox Jewish men passed us in the hall and stopped when they saw me. They said, "Hello Raheel, how nice to see you here." My hubby was a bit taken aback, like me, and asked them, "How do you know Raheel?" They said, "Oh, we are her Facebook friends, and we follow her activism." Some of them were members of the Knesset.

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During the years I traveled to Israel, I learned something new each time:

• Hate is a terrible ideology, and it feeds antisemitism, which is rampant in some parts of the Muslim world. Much of this is based on ignorance of facts and misinterpretation of the faith. While in Israel, I had many opportunities to speak about the similarities between Judaism and Islam — something that is denied and sidelined by many Muslims.

• You have to be there to speak with people and meet them face-to-face to fully understand the diversity that exists in Israel.

• I was amazed at how critical many young Israelis are of their own government policies.

• I learned that before any conflict can be resolved, both parties have to be sincere, and the right of Israel to exist must be acknowledged — only then can a dialogue of equals happen.

• Sadly, having spoken to Palestinian youth, I came to understand that most Palestinians have been so brainwashed by their leaders that they don't want peace — they want the whole piece.

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We have supported Israel consistently, although friendship with the Jewish state comes at a cost. Upon writing an article in support of a friend and her children who were assaulted by an anti-Israel mob in Toronto, I was told by a Pakistani lady from a Sufi mosque, "You are not one of us."

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The love and respect I have for Israel and the Jewish community is not one-sided. My mother-in-law, while traveling, was once stuck in the U.K. with a medical emergency. It was a terrible time for me and my husband, but we got hope in the first call from Israel, saying they had great medical facilities and we should take her there. As well, since I was diagnosed with CKD (chronic kidney disease) a year ago, I have had more support from my Israeli friends than anyone else.

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Now, with the advent of the Abraham Accords, I pray for peace and have great hopes of seeing more Muslim nations recognizing the Jewish state's right to exist and more Muslims visiting the remarkable country that is Israel with an open mind.