Filles du djihad

by Tabish Khair

Deux adolescentes, dans une banlieue du nord de l’Angleterre. L’une, Ameena, est délurée, fume des cigarettes et sort avec des garçons, tandis que l’autre, Jamilla, est une fille réservée, musulmane pratiquante, portant le hijab et obéissant à l’autorité paternelle.

Une rupture amoureuse laisse Ameena totalement désemparée. Elle se rapproche alors de Jamilla et commence à s’intéresser aux enseignements de la religion. Elles passent toutes deux de plus en plus de temps à la mosquée ; enfermées chez elles, elles regardent des vidéos de prêche sur Youtube et discutent via Internet avec des femmes prônant le djihad. L’une d’elles, Heijye, femme charismatique se disant à la tête d’un orphelinat syrien réservé aux enfants des combattants de Daesh, les convainc de partir pour la rejoindre.

À leur arrivée en Syrie, via Istanbul, elles rejoignent l’institution dirigée par Heijye, une vaste bâtisse située à quelques kilomètres d’une ville tenue par Daesh. Bientôt, Ameena est mariée à un djihadiste qu’elle suit dans ses divers déplacements, tandis que Jamilla reste à l’orphelinat où elle mesure peu à peu l’impasse terrible dans laquelle elle se trouve, privée de liberté et confrontée à un monde terriblement plus cruel et hypocrite que celui qu’elle a quitté. Se met alors en place un huis-clos éprouvant, glaçant. Jusqu’au terrible dénouement.

Dans ce livre, Tabish Khair déploie avec virtuosité une véritable intensité dramatique, dans une construction originale – la confession de Jamilla à un écrivain qu’elle rencontre à Bali –, laissant à intervalles réguliers le lecteur entrevoir l’issue tragique.

Ce roman donne à comprendre les rouages de la radicalisation, du recrutement et du basculement dans l’extrémisme (notamment via les réseaux sociaux) dans une langue simple, imagée, pleine d’esprit et d’humour – aussi surprenant que cela puisse paraître étant donné la gravité du sujet. Il permet également – chose rare – d’aborder le mal-être des musulmans pratiquants en Europe, face à une société sécularisée

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Religion, Adult, Literary Fiction, Book Club, British Literature

307 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2016

About the author

Tabish Khair was born and educated in Bihar, India. He worked in Delhi as a Staff Reporter until his late twenties and is now a professor at Aarhus University, Denmark. Winner of the All India Poetry Prize, his novels have been shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize (Hong Kong), the Hindu Best Fiction Prize and the Crossword Vodafone Literature Awards (India), the Encore Award (UK) and for translation prizes in Denmark and France.

Reviews

[Aditi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Terrorism has no nationality or religion."

----Vladimir Putin


Tabish Khair, an Indian author, pens an extraordinary and brutally honest story about terrorism and Islam religion in his new book, Jihadi Jane that unfolds the story of a British Muslim woman who follows her best friend to the unknown and terrorism-gripped lands in Syria as this friend wants to get married to a jihadi man, in order to honor herself in the name of her religion and her holy god, Allah.


Synopsis:

High-school best friends Ameena and Jamilla couldn’t be more different: while one smokes cigarettes in their school playground, the other is a member of her mosque’s discussion group in suburban Yorkshire. When heartbreak and doubt leave Ameena bereft and alone, she turns to Jamilla’s beloved Allah for solace and purpose.

It is then that both girls find themselves entranced by a powerful Internet preacher—Hejjiye, a woman running an orphanage-home in support of the men fighting in the name of jihad. Leaving their families and country behind, they run to join the Islamic State in Syria to serve a cause they unquestioningly believe in.

However, things begin to change for the worse once Ameena marries Hassan, a jihadi leader, and suddenly Jamilla begins to see the world that she left everything for differently. Getting out is almost impossible, but there is one way. Will the girls choose a path which might change their lives beyond recognition forever?

Heart-wrenching, masterful and stunningly powerful, Jihadi Jane paints a vivid picture of militant-brides operating around the world and the terrifying cost of religious fanaticism.


Ameena and Jamilla, the two high school best friends and Muslim girls, are so different from one another. Jamilla is the decent and obedient girl, whereas, Ameena is the rebellious and defective girl, who plays against the rules. In her high school days, Ameena falls head over heels in love with the hottest boy of their school, but within a few days, that guy breaks her heart, and that is when, Ameena slowly decides to be someone like Jamilla, a religious young lady. Eventually, within few years, Ameena turns into an extremely religious woman who is obsessed about Islamic fanaticism, and on her quest, to fight for the injustice happening against the Muslims, she finds herself allured by the teachings of an online Islamic preacher cum owner of an orphanage in support of the men fighting in the name of religion, Hejjiye. And soon, Ameena, along with her friend Jamilla in tow, finds herself on the dusty and sandy roads to that orphanage located in a nameless town in Syria. Little did she knew, that the man she is going to marry won't provide her any salvation or that it would change hers as well as Jamilla's lives for worse, getting out of which only means the inevitable death.

The book's synopsis instantly arrested my mind and soul, so when I got my hands on this book, I immediately got glued into the story line and could not even once look away from it, even though the story is high on some raw violence and heart-breaking moments. The story is very much real, even though it is fiction, but it somehow screams the modern era's biggest plague that is paralyzing the whole planet- terrorism. And the author has vividly capture this disease and the never ending war with this story of two friends.

The book not only features terrorism as its central theme, but also explores a sweet and strong bond of friendship and trust between two high school friends who end up together even long after their high school days are over. The author's writing style is not only evocative and articulate but has an extremely lyrical prose that will please the literary fiction readers a lot. The narrative is captivating and is laced with deep, heartfelt emotions that hold the power to move the readers deeply. The readers will at times find themselves crying over or getting mad or terrified or even feeling remorse all through out the story. The pacing is moderate and thus the readers will flow freely and swiftly with the course of the story.

The characters in this book are very much well-developed as they project their flaws and authenticity through their demeanor. The characters are, in short, highly appealing and realistic enough to make the readers feel that they exist somewhere in this planet. The main character, Jamilla, who narrates this whole story to the author about her friend, Ameena, is not that much of a brave hearted Muslim lady, instead, she is god-fearing woman who knows that keeping her mouth shut and obeying the orders will help her achieve a peaceful existence in this world. And actually this story mainly features Ameena, who is in the beginning, is projected as a badass girl who loves to break rules, then eventually evolving into someone mature, brave, determined and extremely religious woman, whose one goal is to eradicate the injustice done over Muslims all over the world, thereby joining in a hold matrimony with a jihadi man to support the cause, but there are so many layers in the story that are later revealed in the story, that changes Ameena completely into someone quite ideal and understanding.

The author peels away each layer and folds with the flow of the story and the readers will then understand that what actually happens in the name of religion, how illogical human beings are lusting for bloodshed and how some are fed with confusion to kill innocent people just in the name of Allah. People think that terrorists are evil, but that's not true, terrorists are not born evil, instead they are taught to be evil and those people are most evil and demonic who are actually teaching wrong and using innocent and illiterate minds to do their dirty work. And that message is strongly conveyed through this story and I bet the readers will ponder about these notions long after the end of this novel.

The backdrop of this novel depicts a beautiful yet a frightening portrait of Syria. The author has strikingly arrested and painted the grayish, sandy landscape with a patch of green wormwood here and there and the dilapidated, white and bombed architecture of the buildings and the souks that the readers will be instantly transported to this less traveled part of the world which is plagued by terrorism so badly in the recent times. Through the protagonist's account, the readers too can smell the gunpowder in the air and can also hear the sirens, the vibrations, the machine guns and the ghastly sounds of bombs dropping, and the author has penned each and every scene with such great detail, that the readers can simply visualize those terror-stricken scenes right before their own eyes.

In a nutshell, this story is not only opens so many eyes and enlightens so many minds, but also feels up the readers with hope, but this is just fiction. Overall, this is a compelling story that will instantly grip the readers with the pain, fear and violence but will also touch their souls with a strong bond of friendship between two women.

Verdict: If you're a literary fiction reader, then grab this intensely alarming book now!

Courtesy: Thanks to the author's publicist for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.

[Gry · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have seen media reports on schoolgirls who elope to Syria as jihadi brides, and if (not satisfied to simply dismiss them as fanatics) you wondered why they had decided to do it and what would become of them, then this is definitely a book for you.

Jamilla comes from a family of Pakistani immigrants, orthodox Muslims compared to her friend Ameena’s Indian parents, who are westernized and divorced. Their story is told by Jamilla to an unnamed writer, an author insert for Khair. This device lends her narrative a sense of realism and seems to indicate that we should read it as first-hand account, a “true story”. However, it is not really a sensationalist true crime story or account by a survivor of some shocking ordeal. Rather, the novel plays down the media sensationalism of the jihadi bride cases, making a sustained attempt at understanding these girls on their own terms. Khair summons Jamilla’s voice with the insight and empathy which lies at the heart of literature: the magic that brings characters to life and expands our ability to understand the feelings and perspectives of others.

The serious, hijab-clad Jamilla and the rebellious Ameena (with a smoking habit and an eye for the boys), are clearly foils for each other, representing opposite types. This difference in background and temperament turns out to have consequences for the way they are “radicalized”, their motives in going to Syria, and ultimately the climax of their story. Other characters in the novel represent different Muslim identities, and though some at times drift close to stereotype (like Jamilla’s father, a Pakistani cab driver, bitter and put-upon), most are infused with individuality. Perhaps the greatest strength of the novel is its lucid and astute observations on the differing mindsets and motivations of its characters, as when a mutual diatribe against the hypocrisy of Western policies in the Middle East leaves Jamilla’s brother, Mohammad, feeling validated in his righteousness (his personal failures and grievances conveniently projected onto an unjust world), while Ameena, in contrast, turns this same anger and resentment against herself in an indictment for not doing anything to fight the injustice.

Although the paraphernalia of Islamic fundamentalism (martyr-praising YouTube videos, Quran-thumping imams, jihadist Twitter-recruiters) is present, it is clear that the determining factor in Jamilla and Ameena’s fateful decision has more to do with their limited sense of agency, in particular in relation to their male peers. If Ameena’s rejection by her schoolgirl crush, smarmy white boy Alex, is symbolic of rejection by the wider British society, the attempt by Jamilla’s family to maneuver her into an arranged marriage with a suitable Muslim boy, Iskandar, is equally emblematic of the Muslim community’s confinement of women. (That the names of both these boys refer to Alexander the Great, all-conquering male of west and east, is probably no coincidence.) Perhaps the most hair-raising aspect of the novel is that by the time Jamilla and Ameena decide to run off to Syria, it seems an almost reasonable choice.

Of course, the reality of jihadi life is not what they imagined. Ameena’s husband, Hassan, is aptly described as making a career out of fanaticism. His gun-toting swagger is subtly contrasted with Jamilla’s memories of James, the school friend she always perceived as somewhat emasculated, only now coming to a belated appreciation of his openness and generosity of spirit. The only boy to ever relate to the girls as people in their own right, James is ultimately incapable of reaching them as they become radicalized. His impotence functions as the reverse of Hassan’s hypermasculinity, the cruelty of which eventually sets in motion not only the girls’ disillusionment with Daesh, but also the remarkable twist at the end of the novel.

Just Another Jihadi Jane raises some pretty profound questions about the causes of extremism and its relation to more moderate forms of belief. It’s also a novel about friendship and the ability to know what goes on in another person’s mind. Would someone like Ameena really have reacted the way she does? Would someone like Jamilla really have reasoned the way she does? Maybe not. But you have to wonder.

I was gifted this book for review. The views voiced here are my own, however, and I genuinely recommend this novel.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Girish · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I had not lost my faith—I still have not—but I had lost my belief in the exact ways I had been brought up to follow my faith in. It did not make sense any more—this intense hatred and violence being practiced in the name of a religion that stood for peace, this endless nitpicking bureaucratic intolerance being practiced in the name of a God whose most common attributes, as I had been told from the time I was an infant, were mercy and forgiveness!”

This coming from a militant bride in a camp in Syria is the fine balance that the book is able to establish - especially in times we live in. Tabish Khair has handled some really tough plots, but this book was raw and real unflinching from the consequence of choices.

Ameena and Jamila are in high school in London from two very different families but both essentially muslim. While Jamila is the devout one with hijab and mild serious orientation, Ameena is courting boys and smoking cigarettes. Jamila's branded unquestioning faith helps Ameena recover from a breakup and soon the two girls are attending mosque discussions. They come across a charismatic internet influencer Hejjiye who is on the lookout for brides for the Syrian jihadis. When developments in London increases the gap between Hejjiye's strict Islam and their parent's diluted Islam, and the disinformation between western media, it makes them run away to Syria.

The next section set in the orphanage run by Hejjiye in Syria almost reads like a documentary with almost no stereotyping - just people with extremely strong convictions. The slow change in Jamila's beliefs is shown very well with minor episodes. When two Kurdish women soldiers are taken prisoners Jamila is suddenly rethinking her choices. Of course, the story gets much bigger and dramatic after Ameena comes back.

The core of the book is compassion towards all it's characters. From the POV of Jamila, every influence of her's loves Islam including the peace loving family, revolutionary Kurds, Ameena in her own way and of Hassan and the other Jihadis. And so the realisation that the religion doesn't have anything to do with the actions of it's characters. The subtext speaks louder. The only nitpick was the lack of flow despite some very clever reveals to keep you hooked.

Definitely worth a read

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a unique story, showing a point of view which I had never before encountered.

Jamilla, born to Muslim immigrants in England, chronicles her tale to a writer as she now resides in Indonesia.
Jamilla and her best friend Ameena discover the radical Islamic cause (here in the beginning stages) online and eventually decide to move to Syria to join the Jihadists.

The author does an excellent job of inspiring empathy towards Jamilla even through prejudices. The story makes you question the power of choice, friendship and redemption.

[Matthias Stephan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Another Jihadi Jane is a novel that explores fundamentalism, but with a sympathetic face. Rather than presenting Jane as evil, and other, and inexplicable, Khair weaves a delicate story of two young women who, in each their own way, don’t fit into their families, social networks, or expected roles. That this story leads in unexpected directions, giving at times the feel of a thriller, while still presented from a single compelling narrative voice, is testament to Khair’s storytelling ability – and this represents him at a height equal that of his Man Asian shortlisted novel The Thing about Thugs.

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the novel is the protagonist. Jamilla is a convincing voice of a disaffected British teen who struggles with and against her faith, the specific expectations of her family (younger sister, a strong Muslim faith, the loss of a father figure, marital expectations), and trying to fit into a society which is itself becoming more and more polarized. Jamilla is a human face of a complex problem, allowing the reader to gain insight into how one might choose to leave one’s family, friends, even country in search of somewhere to belong. That Khair maps such a story, naturally and convincingly, onto the highly topical discussion of ISIS/Daesh, embroiled in one of the political and humanitarian crises of our times, is testament to his strong political voice and cultural understanding. That he uses literary techniques (hesitation, second person narration) to draw you into the story, and make you uncomfortable yet glued to the page while there, is testament to the level of his literary ability.

Of all the books about ISIS, Al Qaeda, and radical fundamentalism, this novel finds a way to condemn the actions of the jihadis, and to clearly separate them not only from the ultimate actions of our protagonists, but from the values and culture the jihadis purport to represent. Khair exposes the underlying ideology of these movements and shows that it isn’t Islam that is at stake, but that Islam for the jihadis represents solely an excuse for their own political agenda and its violent undertones. It is a novel that condemns the jihadis, while not blaming Islam, tells the story of “Jane”, without judging her actions.

Yet, even with the important political message, and the cultural understanding of radicalization, at its heart this is a coming of age story, not just for Jamilla – who is our narrator – but also for her friend Ameena. This rendering of a female protagonist, the furthest Khair has gone from his comfort zone narratorially, sets the perfect tone to understand the dilemmas and hesitations, the developments of their individual backgrounds which lead both girls to give up their lives, get on a plane to Istanbul, and join the jihadi movement in Syria. Khair’s own background provides him valuable insight into the culture, and the feeling of being an outsider even as one seemingly enjoys many of the benefits of living, for example, in the UK. That tension in Jamilla’s story is palpable, and it makes one want to turn page after page.

[Mandy Doss · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more- the topic is so timely, but I felt the characters were not well developed enough to fully understand their motives.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very insightful narrative - gripping and heartbreaking. It follows two British school girls and their relationship with Islam. They eventually end up in Syria after conversing with a woman online to join the IS and get married. We follow their time there, learning of the terror and evil which unfolds ‘under the cloak of Islam’, that rules with an iron fist and allows jihadism to prosper. The role of women is particularly interesting. The men are reminding their wives they are the ‘weaker sex’ yet it is Ameena’s intelligence that allows Jamilla to escape. It was published in 2016, a year after Shamima Begum fled to Syria to join the IS. I found there were slight inaccuracies in language, using the words ‘graduation’ and ‘semester’ despite Ameena and Jamilla attending school in the UK. I think the way Kahir wrote to portray their thick Yorkshire accents provided a real sense of verisimilitude. At its core, it is a story of friendship.

[Cecilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, gut-wrenching, and terrifying.

[Vaibhav · Rating 5 out of 5]

A horrible memoir cloaked in a tag of fiction, I guess.

Story of two fanatic girls which made their way to ISIS and end up doing which they've never thought before. I personally felt bad for Ameena and Jamilla for the circumstances they were going through. As they made conscious choices, we, as readers, can't have much choices only to feed bad. To know or conclude something one must detach from it for some time and drone over it. If it really mean and true in its own manner, you'll find very hard to land on something else. Thereafter everything else is secondary, I believe. Ameena and Jamilla realized it when they saw brutality and vague afterlife conclusions to fanaticism.


I've grown up in an environment in which Muslims visited temples and I, as a Hindu, visited mosques with them. We visited because we respected each other religions. We didn't compare religions as they are good in their own manner. We humans will only trigger fear and insecurities after the comparison. And, then I read about a guy Hassan, a jihadits and husband of Ameena, which beheaded as 10 year old kid at the Town square because he thinks he's Shaitan worshipper and worships idols. Speechless.


Lines from the book which I think worthy enough to be shared -

"Evil, I'm certain now, arises whenever a person believes that only what he considers purely good has right to exist."

"Goodness has to live with the possibility of evil, not to eradicate it. "

Book is good in narrative style and have details to the scenario. Author put much energy in building up the characters of the story. Fine story orientation, I would say.

[Anushree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immensely moving and terrifying, Jihadi Jane should be on everyone's immediate to-read list.

[Mdg2810 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je suis contente d’avoir lu ce livre. Il m’a clairement fait sortir de ma zone de confort.
La plume est vraiment très intéressante. L’auteur arrive à nous transposer dans cette situation?
Mais quelle situation?
Celle d’une jeune fille née dans une famille musulmane orthodoxe mais qui vit en Angleterre et qui doit faire face chaque jour à des remarques concernant sa foi, ses choix vestimentaires etc. Elle convertie l’une de ses amies et c’est là que l’histoire subit un véritable tour de force. Elles vont finir par aller jusqu’en Syrie en devenant extrémiste jusqu’à ce que le doute face son apparition! Et c’est ce doute, bien raconté par l’auteur qui est très intéressant.
Je n’irai pas jusqu’à dire que j’ai adoré cette lecture car ce n’est pas mon genre de prédilection mais j’ai franchement grandit avec!

[Hannah Siegle]

Moving, insightful, but first and foremost heartbreaking. I especially liked the protagonists reflection on the past events, as she tells them.

[Srijoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some books that you read that you forget about the next day and then there are some books that you read and it never leaves your mind. Jihadi Jane is a book of the second category.

Jamilla is a god loving Muslim who follows Islam very strictly whereas in the starting of the book, Ameena is a very liberal hearted Muslim. After Ammena faces heartbreak from Alex, she resorts to the teachings of Islam to find a safe haven for her. During the first half of the book, we see how Ameena is transformed from a girl with liberal religious views to an extremist. This extremism is what leads to them giving up their families and life and go to Syria to help the jihadis. What follows is the story of them in Syria and how they survive in the war torn area and manage to adjust there after living in England for their whole lives.

We see what goes to with women there and how they are willingly oppressed. They are not allowed to leave without a male relative and the rules they live by sometimes seems like we are in the 19th century instead of the 21st.

The fact that appealed to me about this book is that it gives us what it is, it doesn't sugar coat it's views for the most part. Some parts, I do agree were a bit slow but the end result was amazing. Another aspect of the book that I really liked, is that even though it is a story about militant brides, it is also a story of friendship and sacrifice. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading it.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't manage the writing style--very melodramatic, and the narration was annoying. The accents, too, were odd and not very even. And it felt preachy to me, like an after school special about radicalization.

"Why don't you go and fight then?" asked Ameena, "You know t' 'oly Quran as well as A do. Yer know it says: Allah shall grant to t'jihadis above t'holders back a mighty reward." (p.60)

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

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"...can one really believe if there is no freedom to disbelieve? What is the credit in having faith if you allow others and yourself no real choice at all?”

If you read the news, you are probably aware of the countless stories of ‘ISIS brides’. It started in the year of 2012 when women and girls all over the world travelled to Syria and Iraq to become the wives of ISIS fighters and thus lend their support to a greater cause. Some of them went voluntarily while others were coerced into it. ‘Jihadi Jane’ written by author Tabish Khair, presents one such story. The story revolves around two high school best friends, Ameena and Jamilla. The novel is presented as a first-hand account and narrated by Jamilla.

Though they were both brought up in England, Ameena and Jamilla are poles apart. Jamilla comes from a very orthodox and religious family and she takes the ideals of her religion very seriously. Ameena comes from a broken family. Her parents are divorced and neither of them was overly religious. Jamilla is very conservative whether it’s dealing with the opposite gender, her dressing sense or general views. Ameena is anything but conservative and is quite free-spirited.

Ameena falls in love with a guy in school and it doesnt end well. High-school breakups are anything but unusual but for Ameena its yet another wound on top of the existing wound of her parents not being emotionally invested in her life. Soon enough she decides to turn to religion for solace. Both she and Jamilla spend most of their time watching videos of preachers, reading the Quran and attending religious sessions. Strangely, the tables turn and Jamilla realises that Ameena has become more obsessed and passionate about the word of God to a point where it translates to anger.

Both Ameena and Jamilla are practising Muslims in a Western country and as they grow up, this becomes a cause of great discomfort and sadness for both of them. Western countries often pride themselves for being liberal but get easily threatened or offended by conservative opinions or lifestyles. That is precisely the reason why Ameena and Jamilla end up doing what they did-travelling to ISIS territories. They wanted to serve their God by devoting themselves to what they think is a noble cause.

Once the girls make the tough journey to an ISIS-occupied town, Jamilla starts doubting her own reasons for coming here in the first place. Ameena, however, seems to be in a trance. She is excited and motivated. She gets married off to a fighter. Jamilla, however, stays behind in an orphanage with other women. As days go by Jamilla realises and in fact, even compares the militant group to a corporate in any western country. There will always be those higher up in the hierarchy for whom people in the lower ranks will have to sacrifice themselves. She even compares the fighters to regular employees for whom the fight is nothing but a means to level up in the organization. She starts observing and seeing the less ‘pure’ and ‘religious’ side of things.

The book does come to an end which is very upsetting, to say the least. This book made me think a lot about how something as pure and beautiful as religion can be used as a means to threaten people or justify mass killing. Being over-obsessed over anything let alone religion has never proven to be healthy. In today’s world, we call it ‘religious fanaticism’. This book gives us an insight into what goes on inside the head of a religious fanatic and what drives them to do what they do.

[Joelendil · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a Muslim raised in the West joins ISIS or murders in the name of Allah, there is talk of "radicalization." In this book, Tabish Khair tries to show what that looks like from the inside by having a disillusioned young woman narrate her journey from a conservative Muslim family in England to an ISIS stronghold in Syria and beyond. Inextricably woven into her story is that of her best friend who comes from a much less rigid Muslim family but follows a similar path.

Since this is fiction, I don't know how closely it resembles an actual experience of "radicalization," but it was believable and thought-provoking. Coming from a pretty conservative Christian background, I recognized the attitudes of resentment, alienation, and self-righteousness that a "fundamentalist" worldview can generate. In this case, those feelings are fanned into the flames of an ever-narrowing and increasingly violent "us vs. them." Who or what does the fanning? There seems to be no pat answer as Jamilla blames radical clerics, ISIS propaganda, prejudice from non-Muslims, biased media, etc.

The narration itself is presented as Jamilla telling her story to an unidentified author who seems to be a nominal/liberal Muslim. She occasionally answers questions or comments that are "unheard" by the reader, so it's a bit like listening to one side of a telephone conversation. Her speech is sprinkled with religious and cultural terminology that goes largely undefined and whose meaning isn't always obvious from context so have Google handy if you're not up on Islamic culture. Toward the end there were a few parts that felt unnaturally preachy in advocating a moderate uncertainty-filled version of tolerant Islam, but the author mostly does a good job of keeping it conversational and making his points naturally.

Overall, I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style (more of a personal preference than anything the author did wrong), but this was an excellent look inside radical Islam (and had a satisfying ending).

[Kamal Latif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great novel.
I really enjoyed reading this and highly recommend it.
The characters are written with great depth and realism.
You really feel empathy and understanding for the main characters and the complex reasons behind their extreme decision to leave their families and lives behind and venture into a world they think will be their salvation.
It was an engrossing read and I really got sucked into the world of these 2 girls, whom the story is based around.

The author, Tabish Khair, gets across their feelings of alienation, lack of fulfilment and powerlessness in such a humanising way that you understand their motivations without feeling like you are reading a lecture on the causes of radicalisation.
We are taken on a very human journey, albeit a misguided one fraught with danger and foreboding.

The subject matter the novel deals with is complex and often dark and distressing but the author balances the futility, darkness and hope of the events in the story in such a way that you finish reading the novel feeling more empowered about life than depressed.

You also feel more tolerant about other people, even if you don't agree with how they live their lives or the choices they make.

Opening our minds to being less judgmental and more inquisitive about other people we can't relate to is one of the great achievements of this novel.

We are all complex beings and there are many diverse, often competing reasons why we do or think the things we do and think.

Tabish Khair helps us realise this is the truth of all human journeys, in what is a beautifully written and highly accessible story about a very complex and important issue of our times.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was hard to read but so very well done that it was worth it. The novel offers insight into two devout Muslim teens from the UK, and then their travel to Turkey, Syria and Iraq. It culminates in a daring act by one of the friends - but it is the insight into the thoughts and feelings of the Daesh women that made this such a strong read for me. I started it on vacation -- it's not really a beach read -- but as a paperback, it was easy to pack, and it was really a good read.

It also provided some insight into a topic I am investigating professionally - how we read and understand the news. Jamilla, the main character, articulates why she doesn't believe the western media and then describes how she begins questioning the veracity of the religious tracts and news that the jihadi groups permit her to read.

I appreciate the insight into a world I hear and wonder about -- this book is a perfect example of how fiction engages our empathy for those with different life experiences. Highly recommended.

[Tazeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many ways this book resonated with me. For starters, both the main characters were beautifully fleshed out and real. Secondly, their journey towards become Jihadi Janes was different yet quite believable. I also found writer's insight into writing isolated Muslim immigrant characters like Jamila's mom quite profound. I honestly wasn't expecting that from a male writer.
We don't see a lot of friendship stories between women outside romcoms, this is one book which is supposedly about terrorism but it is actually about friends who grew up together, grew apart, rebonded, and face some truly terrifying times together ...
PS: Tabish Khalid always comes up with excellent titles for his books

[Anne Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although both willing to give up certain freedoms for their religion, the young women become increasingly disillusioned by the restrictions and violence of life under Islamic rule. Once again, they feel like outsiders, but the consequences of dissent are more brutal in Syria than back home. We know that Jamilla gets out, because she’s narrating her story to a writer in Indonesia. But what about Ameena? Is she merely a pawn in her husband’s war?
Full review:
Alienation in contemporary England: Missing Fay & Jihadi Jane http://annegoodwin.weebly.com/1/post/...

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't decide how to feel about this book. The topic is vital and Khair attempts to address it as fully and seriously as possible. The premise is fascinating. All of that being said, the actual execution of the writing doesn't quite live up to all of that. For a short book, it felt like it dragged at times. The characters weren't as well drawn as I wanted them to be. And the device of having the whole book narrated with an intrusive second person to an interviewer who we only get dribs and drabs of feels unnecessary and distracting. And yet, in spite of all that, I still think it's a book worth reading.

[SUBRATA DATTA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Khair is a poet and journalist.

This is a novel about two young British Muslim girls – one of Indian origin and other Pakistani.

They became disillusioned about life in the “corrupt” West.

They travel to Syria in search of an ideal Islamic state.

What they found there and what they did about that is what the novel is about.

Like much of Islamic fundamentalism, the novel is disturbing.

But it provides for a fast-paced reading.

[Chandre · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. While it was a short and fairly easy read, the subject matter and themes were very heavy. The sneak peek into a world of religious fundamentalism was both fascinating and terrifying. The style of writing; as if the storyteller is being interviewed, I found unnecessary and sometimes just confusing. I also really struggled with the way the accents were written (I wish the author didn’t do this). All things considered, this felt like an important read. This book is not one you put down and forget about, this book is one that will live with you.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

For many students events in the Middle East are distant things that could never happen to them. Jamilla, for all intents and purposes, grew up Muslim in a western society. This story of her transition from a student to being caught in the midst of a war was eye opening.

This would be a great book pre-research for our Global students.

Favorite quote:

"...evil, I am certain now, arises whenever a person believes that only what he considers purely good has the right to exist." (118)

[Amanda Kingswell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed thoughts about this book. The writing was weird but, I think the author wanted to give the reader a taste of who the girls were. He wanted the reader to be able to see where the characters came from and for you to see their personalities. I kept reading because the opening of the book makes you want to figure out what happened. But, I will admit there are moments where it is a bit slow.

[Deep Driven · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good when I read it. I said bapou7tn it. I didn't read it I enjoyed it a good tale with full humanity and jihadi and how Muslim country leads onto the jihad and all Muslim leader community

gripping, and compassionate truthfully a goof take merciful rate when you read it so basically I wanna say that in tarting we are good to read but in end it's entertaining.

how they lead and describe the world onto the mujahidin and all the land of Muslim leaders and countries.

[Sheela Rahman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that is not meant to be great literature, but that gives insight into the reasons why two British muslim girls of South Asian immigrant families chose to join ISIS, and their recruiter. If it is based on facts, it is yet another tragic protrayal of the ease with which the vulnerability of young girls are exploited by women. The book protrays familiar expectations for the girls to conform to a foreign culture while living in the culture they were born into.

[Anya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the first half of the book and the nuanced and detailed build up of social and cultural context that motivates two girls who grew up in England to participate in Jihad. But, in the second half, the lack of character development becomes more obvious and makes it difficult for the novel to stay engaging. The end is predictable, rushed and one-dimensional.

[Manu Smriti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm mostly atheist bordering agnostic. Picked up the book out of curiosity to understand the psychology that goes behind an extreme step as these. Made the resolve stronger to steer clear of religion or rather any form of extremism. Facts as these are living proof.
Gripping and sordid, but necessary nonetheless!