Seeing a victim's side

The Favored Daughter Womans Afghanistan

As a Muslim I am grateful to Fawzia Koofi to have expressed the strength and ease I find in Islam in a book that is relevant and accessible to readers beyond those who read religious texts. Describing the kindness of others in extreme adversity, she writes, "Even though they didn't have much for themselves they still gave what little they could. This is what it means to be a true Muslim." Clarifying the essence of Islamic modesty, regardless of cultural or governmental dictates, she writes, "Covering the hair with a head scarf and wearing a long loose tunic that covers one's arms, chest and bottom is enough to satisfy the Islamic rule of being modest before God." Her vivid and horrifying stories of Taliban rule support my opinion of "how much the Taliban had damaged Islam." Above all, Fawzia Koofi gives voice to the dignity and respect Muslim girls and women are due within the tenets of the religion. Yes, many people will credit Islam with allowing the father to beat the wife, and I think the author makes it clear that her father's actions were a cultural practice well beyond what the Qur'an condones. May God bless her and keep Fawzia Koofi strong in her faith and good health. She is a voice of moderation in Islam and a sensible interpreter of living a productive, active life in the modern world as an observant Muslim.

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