We All Have a Voice: My Mother’s Story

Amina’s 14-year-old daughter, Maha Al Fahim, skillfully brings her mother’s story to life in these pages, creating an inspiring testament to the power of speaking the truth, of bringing meaning to suffering, and of discovering what truly matters in this life. Amina grew up in a Middle Eastern home where, from the time she was seven, she was responsible for the housework and for the care of her four younger siblings. Brutally beaten by her father throughout her childhood, Amina later faced cruel discrimination in favor of her brothers. Amina nonetheless persisted in her studies and eventually received a university degree in business. She then married and had the opportunity to live for a time in the West where equality, universal education and recognition of the rights of women and children were part of daily life. She returned home a changed person and saw her family’s treatment of women and children with new eyes. No longer willing to observe injustice from the sidelines, Amina had to speak up, no matter what it cost her. At age 14, Maha is the first young person of Middle Eastern origins to have undertaken the challenge of writing a book about her mother’s experiences, highlighting the denigrating effects of discrimination, the abuse of labor laws, and the corrupting power of greed. Mindful of the anguish of countless others who have been similarly abused, Maha found power in her pen and liberty in her voice, thereby inspiring us all to speak the truth, to bring meaning to suffering, and to live a courageous life.