I never dreamt of becoming an
author or having my name printed on a book cover. I guess it was destiny that
allowed me to be a part of the “Riding the Samoosa Express” journey. The book
launched successfully on Saturday the 21st of March at Skoobs
theatre of books located at Montecasino. I am extremely proud to have been a
part of this project alongside 27 other strong and dynamic South African Muslim
women. Through my travels I have observed that many westerners actually have a
very warped sense of how a Muslim woman should be. We are always portrayed in
newspapers and in the media as being pitiful or hailing from a culture that
supports male domination and patriarchy. “Riding the Samoosa Express” is an
anthology that brings to the fore true life experiences of 27 strong willed and
strong minded Muslim women. It is a
narrative that explores various themes including love, life, divorce and the
concept of marriage as seen through the eyes of well educated South African
Muslim women who have went against the norms of society and achieved their
goals in life. It is a celebration of women and in particular Muslim women who
have steered away from stereotypes and started questioning the idea of a
patriarchal male dominated society. Islam has always placed women in extremely
high esteem but we have allowed a patriarchal system to hijack our role and
place within the Islamic world.
I would like to thank Zaheera Jina Asvat and Hasina Asvat for granting me the opportunity of being a part of
this wonderful initiative. The Nisaa institute for women’s development has been
adopted as the beneficiary for the book. The institute is an NGO organization
that renders services to abused women and children. Hence I urge all my fans
and friends to purchase this book and make a contribution towards a worthy
cause. This book has proven to the world that Muslim women have a voice and we
are willing to stand up against all odds in order to achieve success. I hope
that this book will also be an inspiration to women out there who find
themselves in abusive or submissive relationships. May this book arouse within
you a desire to break free and ignite within you a passion to achieve all your
goals in life.
