A Thousand Splendid Suns

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	History
Author:	Khaled Hosseini

This depicts the story of two Muslim women, Mariam and Laila, who lived their life during the heights of changing wars in Afghanistan. Both women struggled to fight for their own rights as a woman under the banner of Islam. Unfortunately for them, they live in a country whose laws misinterpret, took advantage of and abused the true teachings of Islam and thus making it appear to the world how radical the religion is. It is pitiable for them that they are being treated as donkeys by their own husbands, given away by their fathers without their due consent, that they are not free to practice the profession they desire, that the laws are hard on them (wearing burqa, not being able to walk on the streets alone without the accompaniment of a mahram, prohibition of talking to a man who is not a relative..etc)—all because apparently, according to the teachings of Islam. I beg to disagree. As far as I know, Islam gives equal freedom and rights to both man and woman. Although we have given different liberty from that of men, that is because we have different roles to portray in this life—mother who nurtures and a father who provides. Women must not be deprived of education, our fathers should not allow marriage without our consent, we are only to cover the parts of our body that would draw attention from men, and most importantly, our husbands must treat us like a queen—with all love, kindness and respect that we deserve. Alhamdulillah, I am born to a society that accepts and makes me exercise my rights and freedom as a Muslim woman. Tashakor, Ya Allah.