What do you think?
Rate this book
A Father's Plea
When Mariam married her childhood sweetheart in a fairytale Sydney wedding, her father Kamalle dreamed of a beautiful future for his family. When the young couple and their baby daughter went on an overseas holiday, he couldn't have been happier. But a dark secret was lurking on the horizon. They would not be coming home.Mariam disappeared. Months later, Kamalle was informed by the Australian government that his daughter had been coerced into Syria. He later learnt that she had been forced at gunpoint, by her husband, across the border into Syria and into the clutches of ISIS. When her husband was killed, Mariam was forced to marry another ISIS fighter, with whom she had another child. When he was killed she was forced to marry again; she was trapped. But since the defeat of ISIS, instead of being brought home, Mariam and her three young children have been demonised as 'foreign fighters', forced to languish in refugee camps while their home country refuses to repatriate them.Kamalle has been working with international agency Save the Children for over two years trying to bring home his daughter and grandkids, who have been abandoned amongst the 20 Australian adults and 47 children. Interacting with law enforcement and government agencies in Australia, he was told that keeping quiet would be in their best interests. That has achieved nothing. Now he tells his story
Paperback
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 4, 2022
Wow, this book really got to me!
Like many people, no doubt, I had thought that those silly girls who go with their men to Syria etc, clearly have only themselves to blame if they get stuck there. This book made me change my view on this issue, completely.
Naturally enough, this book is written from a father's point of view and as such, you need to remember that of course the author is unlikely to say that his daughter was fully aware of what she was getting into, and yet, I completely believe him. I can see that she was in love with her husband and she followed him, not to Syria at all, but close by so they could help her sister-in-law. I am sure that once Mariam realised what was happening, she was completely panic stricken. But there isn't that much that you can do if you are in a completely different country and you are wholly reliant on someone else....
I have long thought that the so-called "ISIS brides" were only used as convenient baby making machines and there is no woman more compliant than a pregnant one. I can't imagine that being able to access birth control would be that easy in that part of the world either. Modern-day slavery is what it is. And the fact that poor Mariam was then forced to get married again when her husband was killed (of course, makes sense because without protection from a man, she couldn't do much of anything) and then it happened again. The poor girl is so young, younger than my own daughter actually, and she is a single mother of 3 small children and widowed at least twice over. On top of that, she is trying to get by in a refugee camp. And the Australian government don't want to know. I have this horrible feeling that they really wouldn't care if these women and children just died, to save them the trouble of making decisions.
How long are the Kurds prepared to take care of these women? Is the fact that they (the Australian women and children in al-Roj camp) are known to NOT be hardliners, mean anything to the government?? At all?? Surely, the fact that the women are prepared to jump through any hoop the government specifies, should go a long way to ensuring that anyone panicking about bringing these super vulnerable women and children home, feels ok about it all.
I feel desperately sorry for women like Mariam and others like her. I can't even imagine what life is like for her and her children. And I am ashamed to be Australian right now.
Kamalle, I just want to give you a big hug. Your book has opened my eyes and this non-Muslim woman wishes I could actually do something to help.
Like many people, no doubt, I had thought that those silly girls who go with their men to Syria etc, clearly have only themselves to blame if they get stuck there. This book made me change my view on this issue, completely.
Naturally enough, this book is written from a father's point of view and as such, you need to remember that of course the author is unlikely to say that his daughter was fully aware of what she was getting into, and yet, I completely believe him. I can see that she was in love with her husband and she followed him, not to Syria at all, but close by so they could help her sister-in-law. I am sure that once Mariam realised what was happening, she was completely panic stricken. But there isn't that much that you can do if you are in a completely different country and you are wholly reliant on someone else....
I have long thought that the so-called "ISIS brides" were only used as convenient baby making machines and there is no woman more compliant than a pregnant one. I can't imagine that being able to access birth control would be that easy in that part of the world either. Modern-day slavery is what it is. And the fact that poor Mariam was then forced to get married again when her husband was killed (of course, makes sense because without protection from a man, she couldn't do much of anything) and then it happened again. The poor girl is so young, younger than my own daughter actually, and she is a single mother of 3 small children and widowed at least twice over. On top of that, she is trying to get by in a refugee camp. And the Australian government don't want to know. I have this horrible feeling that they really wouldn't care if these women and children just died, to save them the trouble of making decisions.
How long are the Kurds prepared to take care of these women? Is the fact that they (the Australian women and children in al-Roj camp) are known to NOT be hardliners, mean anything to the government?? At all?? Surely, the fact that the women are prepared to jump through any hoop the government specifies, should go a long way to ensuring that anyone panicking about bringing these super vulnerable women and children home, feels ok about it all.
I feel desperately sorry for women like Mariam and others like her. I can't even imagine what life is like for her and her children. And I am ashamed to be Australian right now.
Kamalle, I just want to give you a big hug. Your book has opened my eyes and this non-Muslim woman wishes I could actually do something to help.
August 22, 2021
Couldn’t put it down.
This story was heart wrenching. I wish there was more we, as Australians could do to bring Mariam home.
This story was heart wrenching. I wish there was more we, as Australians could do to bring Mariam home.
May 8, 2023
Opened my eyes to the premediated plots and lies these men put their wives, children and families in. Beautifully written, and I hope these victims are assimilating back into Australia where they deserve to be.
August 30, 2023
3.5 Very interesting to learn what happens in this part of the world in refugee camps and govt intervention and non interventions
Of course a little biased as it was his daughter and grandchildren but they went through a harrowing and inhuman ordeal. Recommended
Of course a little biased as it was his daughter and grandchildren but they went through a harrowing and inhuman ordeal. Recommended
June 9, 2025
This book is so incredibly powerful, the kindness of this man might just stretch around the world multiple times, this book is wrapped up by every emotion possible and makes you want to scream, cry and drop everything to help these women. Would recommend to everyone.
February 7, 2022
This gave me some insight into a world, I could not even imagine. A telling true story of a father’s heart wrenching struggle to bring his daughter home, against all the odds.
February 18, 2023
This book had me from the start. It certainly makes you look at situations like this with a different perspective
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews