Authored by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, this story is situated in Kabul, Afghanistan, and it tells the story of Kamila Sidiqi and her family when the Taliban seized control of Kabul in 1996. Aspiring to be a teacher, Kamila soon saw her dreams put on hold.
The Taliban ruled that women should not go to school or work; women should wear chadri (a tent-like cloak that completely envelopes a woman's body and face with only a small rectangular crocheted screen as an eye-piece) and be escorted by a mahram (male relative) whenever they go out from their home. The saddest part is when the Taliban ruled that women can not work, many widows whose husbands were killed in civil wars were now left without means of supporting their families. A woman caught outside her home without a mahram or lifting her chadri is punished, sometimes beaten, by the Taliban. Even elderly women were not spared.
When Kamila's father and brother had to flee Kabul, Kamila was left in charge of her younger sisters. Desperate to support her family, Kamila started mastering the art of dressmaking and together with her sisters started a dressmaking business. Whilst her sisters sew dresses at home, Kamila took charge of obtaining orders from shops. This required her to frequently make dangerous trips to markets. In order to support their business and help other women in their community, Kamila and her sisters also started tailoring school.
Afghanistan seemed far away. I never gave much thought to its civil wars or its citizen. Until this book. It is hard to believe that any regime in this century would ban women from school or work. As much as this book portrays the sad conditions of civil wars, it is much more a story of hope. Throughout these trying times, Kamila kept to her faith, believing her God will keep her and her family safe. Through courage and persistence, she became an entrepreneur. Her desire to help her community is inspiring. This world would be a better place if there were more like her.
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