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A review by khairun_atika
The Pact We Made by Layla AlAmmar
3.0
"We are, all of us, accumulations of memories, reservoirs of revised history. Like magicians, we pull stories from our pasts - some we remember, some are pieced from the memories of others, some are partially or entirely appropriated." - The Pact We Made by Layla AlAmmar
Compelling and shocking from start to finish, this is the kind of book that leaves you with a heavy feeling of trepidation. It is a story of Dahlia, who feels the strain of getting married at thirty, who struggles with anxiety disorder, who yearns to live elsewhere and who is desperate to escape a terrible past.
As a Muslim, I felt disappointed with how things seemingly unravelled time and again for Dahlia. How she seems to rebel although she knows the repercussions, and how she acknowledges what is haram (forbidden) in her religion.
Yet if you take a step back and read through the context of it, you would understand the foundation for her misgivings. Dahlia was a victim of a terrible crime, who was stifled and held back by culture and reputation. The tragedy seemingly continued after the betrayal - Dahlia never dealt with the trauma, and instead developed an anxiety disorder of sorts, yearning to make decisions for herself after so many choices were taken away from her.
While we may believe everything is divided into black or white, or halal and haram, this book raises the issue of preserving your reputation versus dealing with the repercussions of a heinous act. How do we deal with these tragedies healthily, for the sake of the victim? It is important for us to show empathy, and not to be judgmental. Everyone has secrets, everyone has their vices, and there is always a foundation to how someone either strays, or comes back to the right path. And as fellow humans, even if we cannot seem to help them, what is important is that we continue to pray for them.
As I read this, I truly hope and pray that any woman who might face what Dahlia faced finds a way out of their misery. May Allah protect us all. Ameen.
Compelling and shocking from start to finish, this is the kind of book that leaves you with a heavy feeling of trepidation. It is a story of Dahlia, who feels the strain of getting married at thirty, who struggles with anxiety disorder, who yearns to live elsewhere and who is desperate to escape a terrible past.
As a Muslim, I felt disappointed with how things seemingly unravelled time and again for Dahlia. How she seems to rebel although she knows the repercussions, and how she acknowledges what is haram (forbidden) in her religion.
Yet if you take a step back and read through the context of it, you would understand the foundation for her misgivings. Dahlia was a victim of a terrible crime, who was stifled and held back by culture and reputation. The tragedy seemingly continued after the betrayal - Dahlia never dealt with the trauma, and instead developed an anxiety disorder of sorts, yearning to make decisions for herself after so many choices were taken away from her.
While we may believe everything is divided into black or white, or halal and haram, this book raises the issue of preserving your reputation versus dealing with the repercussions of a heinous act. How do we deal with these tragedies healthily, for the sake of the victim? It is important for us to show empathy, and not to be judgmental. Everyone has secrets, everyone has their vices, and there is always a foundation to how someone either strays, or comes back to the right path. And as fellow humans, even if we cannot seem to help them, what is important is that we continue to pray for them.
As I read this, I truly hope and pray that any woman who might face what Dahlia faced finds a way out of their misery. May Allah protect us all. Ameen.