Canada Reads 2020
Canada Reads has always been important to me. For a few years, I have been fortunate to have a group of friends who gather to discuss each book before the televised discussion.
The theme this year is:
"One book to bring Canada into focus"
The author of this book describes the book as "a Queer Muslim memoir". I am uncomfortable with the word queer used in this context, but there were other vocabulary challenges- tawaif, hijra, qawwlis, shalwar, dupatta, jannat, etc.
Samra Habib was born in Pakistan where she was persecuted because she was Ahmadi Muslim, which is a group formed in 1887 to reform Islam and follow Muhammad in a non-violent and tolerant manner. But the ruling power in Pakistan contained extremist Islamists, who believed in whipping, amputation and stoning. They had declared Ahmadi Muslims were not Muslims in 1977. Samra needed to hide her identity as Ahmadi.
The role of women that Samri saw in Pakistan was 'pious wife/ attentive mother'.
Quote: "I've only ever been surrounded by women who didn't have the blueprint for claiming their lives."
When the family came to Canada, there was less physical danger, but Samra lost her childhood. She was the only one with a good understanding of the language, so she was involved in 'adult business'. Soon she discovered that her parents had decided on an arranged marriage for her, where even her complete name was changed. She felt that her identity was disposable.
The stage is set for a very difficult struggle for identity.
The author is a very good writer, who specializes in photography and activism for gay Muslims, and speaks out about Islamophobia.
As a journalist, she writes about fashion trends and Muslim dating apps. She is very concerned about the rise of Islamophobia in the U.S.A.
Samra Habib was born in Pakistan where she was persecuted because she was Ahmadi Muslim, which is a group formed in 1887 to reform Islam and follow Muhammad in a non-violent and tolerant manner. But the ruling power in Pakistan contained extremist Islamists, who believed in whipping, amputation and stoning. They had declared Ahmadi Muslims were not Muslims in 1977. Samra needed to hide her identity as Ahmadi.
The role of women that Samri saw in Pakistan was 'pious wife/ attentive mother'.
Quote: "I've only ever been surrounded by women who didn't have the blueprint for claiming their lives."
When the family came to Canada, there was less physical danger, but Samra lost her childhood. She was the only one with a good understanding of the language, so she was involved in 'adult business'. Soon she discovered that her parents had decided on an arranged marriage for her, where even her complete name was changed. She felt that her identity was disposable.
The stage is set for a very difficult struggle for identity.
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| Samra Habib |
The author is a very good writer, who specializes in photography and activism for gay Muslims, and speaks out about Islamophobia.
As a journalist, she writes about fashion trends and Muslim dating apps. She is very concerned about the rise of Islamophobia in the U.S.A.
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