In the 1990s, the UK made significant strides in addressing women’s rights, with issues such as workplace discrimination, maternity leave, and equal pay coming to the forefront of societal awareness. Despite these advancements, certain harmful practices, like underage and arranged marriages, persisted, particularly within Asian and African communities. Many families, holding onto the traditions of their original cultures from former British colonies, failed to recognize the conflict this caused with their UK-raised children, who embraced different values and lifestyles.The novel centres around Jameela, a young woman tragically caught in such a cultural rift. Her story unfolds against the backdrop of her forced marriage and subsequent life in a tribal society, just as the fanatic militia known as the Taliban begins to rise in power. Years later, Jameela’s sister and a friend, both medical graduates, journey to this tribal land on a mission to help and to search for Jameela. Their efforts lead to arrest and near despair, until a nurse, partially educated in the UK, and her influential uncle intervene, enabling a poignant reunion with Jameela. Now a widow, Jameela has been deeply indoctrinated by the Taliban’s extremist teachings, viewing even the simplest acts of affection as forbidden.Through an intensive rehabilitation program, Jameela gradually recovers from her indoctrination. Together, the three women return to the UK, united by a resolve to establish a charity dedicated to combating arranged and underage marriages. Their mission is bittersweet, however, as their success is overshadowed by the tragic death of their mother, who is overwhelmed by the shock and joy of seeing Jameela alive.This poignant tale not only highlights the stark realities faced by women caught in the crosshairs of cultural tradition and modernity but also celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the power of redemption and advocacy.

Early in his life in Iraq, Dhirgham Jawad Kadhim earned a B.A. degree in English literature. This enabled him to further his education in the UK. He chose to attend a post-graduate course in management studies at Buckinghamshire College for higher education, High Wycombe. He continued his self-education through readings, participating in conferences that advocate human rights, in particular the rights of women among the minorities in the UK. In the meantime, he became concerned about the violence that prevailed around the world in the name of religion. Hence, he published his book, Terrorism under the Banner of Islam in 2017. However, and though he is over occupied with his writing, he continues to follow up with deep concern the issues of gender equality, and the environmental tasks and their impending developments.

Customer Reviews

5.0

1 reviews

Ali Al-Badry

Once I started reading the novel “Tragic Wedding,” right from the presentation to the conclusion, I felt the sensation of a live drama that pinpointed a social problem objectively. When I rested the book next to my pillow, the classic writer, Charles Dikens and his great novel “Tale of Two Cities” started brewing in my mind. Of course, Mr Kadhim is not Charles Dickens, nor the province of Hounslow Central is the whole of London. By the same token, neither Kandahar nor the Trib`s land of Afghanistan is meant to be Paris. However, the author manages skilfully to build up his fictional characters, framed by some historical facts and follow them to those two separated parts of the world aiming to achieve his wise objective. If we agree that one of the major goals of literature is to teach and delight, I believe that the author has achieved his objective. The issue of underage marriage and the nostalgia for a foreign land usually push parents to wed their daughters to the lands of their origin, unaware of the suffering and the damage that may cause to their offspring. The expansion liability of the British Empire after the Second World War caused a variety of people to seek refugee status in the UK. Naturally, the majority of them couldn’t be harmonised with British liberal society. Here come the conflicts and the tragedies that were not exposed thoroughly before. Congratulations to the writer who uncovered these facts and made women's rights his concern in life.