Forced to marry at the age of 13, Sameem Ali is the quintessential survivor. Tim Bouquet in Times Online tells her story [via 3QuarksDaily]
Sameem Ali’s life is as neat and tidy as the small red-brick terraced house in which she lives in Moss Side, Manchester. She’s a first-time author, a happily married mother of two grown-up sons and, since organising her neighbours to lobby the city council to spend £1 million to clean up their area, renovate houses, plant trees and stop fly-tipping, a busy councillor. “This is my community now,” Sameem says. Even her book is called Belonging, but that is where the neatness ends and something altogether more alarming and brutal takes it place. “To this day I cry when I remember all the things that were done to me,” she says. “My memories are not a comfort to me, a place to retreat to; they are a curse.”
more
This entry was posted on
March 9, 2008 at 3:20 and is filed under Books, Women. Tagged: Belonging, forced marriage, Sameem Ali. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
June 13, 2008 at 3:20
Hi Sam, I have just finished reading your book and just wanted to say that I think you are a very brave and couragous women, and deserve the love and happiness you now have with your family.
June 20, 2008 at 3:20
Hello Sam, your book was very emontional through the hurt that you were put through by your own family after they pulled you away from a life fulled with love… Tara was evil and she should be honoured to be forgiven by you as that of your bother also.. I loved mena in the book and also your husband for being by you throughout and taking you away!! now you have two boys who you show nothing but the love you were entitled too and you are truly brave and strong to go through something so harming. I read your book within two days and you are a blessing to people who go through the same and your strength came through constantly!!! god bless you Sam and know your book will bring strength to over woman just like you.
i wish you only love and happiness throughout the rest of your live
June 20, 2008 at 3:20
hey sam, just read your book it took me 2days to finished and i cried so mch at the end it was realy emotional, and i can’t beleave what you have been though, what your family has put you though i really felt for your son when u found that bruise on his back… i’m proud of your courage you and your husband showed. i wish you both all the best and happinest because you, your husband and your both children truly deserve it…
all my love x