Hannah Shah is an Imam's daughter. She lived the life of a devout family of Muslims in England but, behind the front door she was a caged butterfly. For many years, her father abused her in the cellar of their home. At 16 she discovered a plan to send her to Pakistan for an arranged marriage, and she ran away. Hunted by her angry father and brothers, who were intent on making her an honour killing, she had to keep moving house to escape them, and complete her education. Worst of all, from her family's point of view, she converted to Christianity and eventually found freedom - to live (and marry) as she wished, and to be free of the shame of her childhood. Offering a remarkable look at the lifestyle and beliefs of her family, and the rigid ideas of 'shame' and 'honour' they used to oppress her, "The Imam's Daughter" also shines a light on contemporary Western culture. Most of all, though, this is the inspiring story of Hannah Shah herself. How, through her courage and tenacity, she broke free from her background and embraced a new life in the world beyond its confines.
The Imam's Daughter
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more. |
Book Description
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Review
Brilliant and compelling...raises issues which are worthy of serious consideration and discussion -- The Baroness Cox of Queensbury
Book Description
The extraordinary true story - an imam's daughter escaping her abused childhood - now in paperback
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
41 of 43 people found the following review helpful
By M. Briscoe
Format:Hardcover
This is one of the few books I have read in a day, I just couldn't put it down. How sad that we could let a girl suffer like this. Shame on social services, as most of their staff staff let her down so badly. Vital reading for teachers who really care for their kids. Hannah you are an incredibly brave and resilient person, or you had a great God who was their all the time to support and be your real father when your own father let you down so badly.
Its not for me to judge but you mention the hipocrisy of our society who turns a blind eye to these things in case we upset our Muslim brothers. Yet am I not right in thinking that your Father remains unpunished for what he did because you dont want to upset the honour of your family? - Are you not falling into the same trap? Should not society be protected from a man like that whether he is a Christian a Muslim or an Athiest, whatever the risks to his family's honour?
Its not for me to judge but you mention the hipocrisy of our society who turns a blind eye to these things in case we upset our Muslim brothers. Yet am I not right in thinking that your Father remains unpunished for what he did because you dont want to upset the honour of your family? - Are you not falling into the same trap? Should not society be protected from a man like that whether he is a Christian a Muslim or an Athiest, whatever the risks to his family's honour?
66 of 70 people found the following review helpful
By D. D. Hannah
Format:Hardcover
This book should be required reading for all involved in inter-faith dialogue with Muslims. It tells the story of a young woman born into a Pakistani Muslim family somewhere in the North of England--she has changed her name, the names of others and the name of her home town in order to protect herself and those who helped her. Her father was both the local Imam, and an abusive husband and father. Some the author's earliest memories is of the beatings her father meted out on her mother. When she, at the age of five, intervened to protect her mother, "Hannah" herself became the object of his violence. That violence soon became sexual in nature. "Hannah" endured some ten years of beatings and rapes at the hands of her father before she left home, helped by a teacher at the local six-form college. Her conversion to Christianity resulted in threats, and indeed attempts, of further violence from her family and former community, because of "the shame" her apostasy from Islam occasioned. After resettling in the South of England she eventually gained a measure of peace and happiness through her new found faith and a happy marriage. I could not put the book down. It is a compelling narrative--horrifying and yet truly hopeful. It exposes the corrosive force the sub-continent's culture of shame and honour has on its form of Islam and the resulting hypocrisy of those who should be committed to the principal "No compulsion is there in religion" (Qur'an 2:256 [Arberry's translation]). The book also brings to light the disturbing reality of religious persecution in modern-day Britain. I cannot recommend the book highly enough; it is an immensely important and timely book.
49 of 52 people found the following review helpful
By RK
Format:Hardcover
This thoughtfully written memoir is a horrifying walk through one young woman's experiences of growing up in an abusive and love-less family within a particularly closed Pakistani Muslim community in the north of England. Amidst the horror there are familiar references to life in the 80s (well known soap operas, musical fads, penguin biscuits and shell-suits), which keep the narrative - strange and unbelievable as it is in places - grounded and real.
Hannah's real gift though is the authenticity with which she uses her experience to help the reader understand just how great are the disconnections between different communities in our 'green and pleasant land', and how the most well-meaning interventions from the state can - through ignorance and political correctness - achieve the exact opposite of what was intended. It's a powerful challenge to the 21st Century relativist philosophy prevalent in the West: there are consequences of the beliefs and cultures by which people choose to live, and the more we understand these, the better able we will be respond appropriately, to live in community, and to support those who are vulnerable.
Hannah is a courageous young woman, who - without denigrating Islam overall (she is clear that she knows that all women's experience of Islam is not the same as hers, and notes that the abuse in her family was not necessarily related to their faith per se) - offers and eloquent wake-up call to the rest of us.
Hannah's real gift though is the authenticity with which she uses her experience to help the reader understand just how great are the disconnections between different communities in our 'green and pleasant land', and how the most well-meaning interventions from the state can - through ignorance and political correctness - achieve the exact opposite of what was intended. It's a powerful challenge to the 21st Century relativist philosophy prevalent in the West: there are consequences of the beliefs and cultures by which people choose to live, and the more we understand these, the better able we will be respond appropriately, to live in community, and to support those who are vulnerable.
Hannah is a courageous young woman, who - without denigrating Islam overall (she is clear that she knows that all women's experience of Islam is not the same as hers, and notes that the abuse in her family was not necessarily related to their faith per se) - offers and eloquent wake-up call to the rest of us.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see the review
5.0 out of 5 stars
Was this review helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Shocking.
I enjoyed reading this book as it gave an insight into how a close Muslim community protect their own people and shun someone who dares to leave even though it is for their own... Read more
Published 18 days ago by Susan Collngton
2.0 out of 5 stars
Wouldn't recommend
I thought the main theme of this book would be about the hardship and abuse the author had to overcome,which I found heartbreaking to read, but instead it's emphasis seems to be... Read more
Published 1 month ago by shabnam
4.0 out of 5 stars
THE IMAM'S DAUGHTER by Hannah Shah
Well written, sad story of family abuse. This is an eye opener as to what goes on in this particular culture. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jennifer H.
4.0 out of 5 stars
anonymous
I was deeply moved by this true story of abuse suffered by the author in her childhood at the hands of her wicked,violent father and his twisted,repressive interpretation of the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by anonymous
5.0 out of 5 stars
Frightening truth
A friend of mine recommended this book to read. It's about the strength, hope, love and Courage. One of the books you won't be able to put it down till you read last line. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Cuandor
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
This book was really touching! I would truly recommend this book to everyone!! I'm a hard to please person when it comes to books but this really pleased me from the beginning. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Yas
5.0 out of 5 stars
Couldn't put down from first page! Excellent read
Excellent, such a moving story I couldn't put it down. It's a tragic reflection of our society that such dreadful abuse does not only happen but also dealt with in such an awful... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Jules 1703
5.0 out of 5 stars
The imams daughter
I didn't know what to expect when I read this book but I couldn't put it down as I really felt strong emotions for Hannah. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Lpryce
5.0 out of 5 stars
great read
This is a book that is so revealing as to what goes on that alot of us do not know about.
Published 4 months ago by katrina
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very real, very moving
I took this book with me, to read on holiday. From the very start, I was gripped... wanted to go on reading and see what happened. I can certainly recommend it.
Published 10 months ago by Paula
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
