Amina was born in Dubai in the 1970s. As a child, Amina was brutally beaten by her father. As she came of age, she was cruelly discriminated against in favor of her brothers. But as a woman she nonetheless persisted in her love for her family, which was at the center of her life.
Managing to connect her father with life-saving medical attention at a time when he was dangerously close to death, she subsequently witnessed what appeared to be a miracle. Her grateful father became a famous businessman and a fervently devout Muslim. Delighted with his apparent change of heart, Amina felt as though her loyalty had been rewarded. Sadly for her and for many other people, she couldn’t have been more mistaken. She soon discovered that her father was, in fact, a gangster, hiding behind the shield of religion.
This true tale is more than a disturbing account of hypocrisy, corruption, and betrayal. Thanks to Amina’s 14-year-old daughter, Maha, who skillfully brings her story to life in these pages, it is also an inspiring testament to the power of speaking the truth, of bringing meaning to suffering, and of discovering what truly matters in this life.
Targeted Age Group:
Young Adults and Adults
For a number of years, I have seen my mother in an acute state of depression. Her tears troubled me greatly but I was too young to understand the complex reasons behind them. Finally, when I was 13, she was able to speak with me more openly and her story began to unravel. It was then that she made the courageous decision to emerge from the lonely underworld of silence and to share her experience publicly – not just to bring meaning to her own suffering at the hands of her parents but also to redress the profound physical, mental, emotional, financial, and spiritual suffering of their countless victims. My mother’s will to share this powerful account has been strong and unwavering, but her English skills are weak. And so she asked me to write her story on her behalf and to help her share it with the world.
My mother spoke to me in Arabic of her experiences as a child growing up in an abusive criminal family in the United Arab Emirates. Relying on her memory, she was able to recall some events as though they occurred yesterday, but with others the details are foggier, perhaps because of the pain that she endured. As I translated these events into English, there were times when hearing of her and others’ mistreatment made me so angry that my writing got larger and larger and I ran out of room on the page!
Reliving some of her upsetting memories, as she had to do in order to tell me her story, often reduced my mother to tears and caused her to experience many nightmares. This was painful for both of us and yet, having committed ourselves to this path, we had no choice but to continue.
She told me of the difficult struggles she had to overcome, the dark secrets she had discovered, not all of which she could share with me, and the lessons that her harsh life has taught her. But this is not just her story. It is the story of the lost lives and harsh fates of thousands of others. I was shocked that such cruelty could exist in this world, never mind in the hearts of my grandparents.
As a little girl, I had often visited my grandparents at their country estate outside of Dubai, but they never showed the slightest hint of their crimes. They would give my siblings and me a smile, say hello, and lead us to play with our cousins for the rest of the day.
I know that sharing this story means exposing the misdeeds of people with whom I am related. I understand the importance of family loyalty but that will not weaken my resolve to do what is right. As a young woman of Middle East origins growing up in Canada in the 21st century, I also understand that the whole world is our family. Writing this book and directly experiencing my mother’s lifelong suffering has shown me the terrible consequences of grieving in silence and the liberating power of speaking up against injustice. We cannot shut our eyes to reality. We cannot block our ears from the truth. And we cannot close our mouths from speaking that truth.
This book raises a number of important social justice abuses that festered in my mother’s life for decades without being challenged. The violation of children and the denigration of women are the backdrop of my mother’s story, as is the abuse of religion, the corrupting power of money, and the inflated importance given to one’s social position and status in society. It is important to me and to my mother that these wrongs are explored, understood, and rectified.
Author Bio:
Maha Al Fahim, who wrote Born a Gangster’s Daughter at age 14, is passionate about the role of education in ending social ills such as child abuse, discrimination, and criminality. She is a grade 10 honour roll student, student council president, and one of the youngest people ever to have been admitted to the Vancouver Youth Parliament.
A tireless volunteer, Maha has tutored children with special needs, assisted at children’s summer camps, helped seniors and the homeless, and has taken a leadership role in an organization promoting cycling in her community. She is also a committed practitioner of Kung Fu and was a gold medal winner at the 2012 Western Canadian Martial Arts Championship.
A lover of theatre and ballet, Maha is active in her school’s creative writing program and loves writing poems and essays, having won bronze in the 2012 Commonwealth Jubilee Time Capsule essay competition. This is her first book.
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?Maha Al Fahim, who wrote Born a Gangster’s Daughter at age 14, is passionate about the role of education in ending social ills such as child abuse, discrimination, and criminality. She is a grade 10 honour roll student, student council president, and one of the youngest people ever to have been admitted to the Vancouver Youth Parliament.
A tireless volunteer, Maha has tutored children with special needs, assisted at children’s summer camps, helped seniors and the homeless, and has taken a leadership role in an organization promoting cycling in her community. She is also a committed practitioner of Kung Fu and was a gold medal winner at the 2012 Western Canadian Martial Arts Championship.
A lover of theatre and ballet, Maha is active in her school’s creative writing program and loves writing poems and essays, having won bronze in the 2012 Commonwealth Jubilee Time Capsule essay competition. This is her first book.
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