Side A of the songAsk my heart . . .
Ask my heart when it repents
Perhaps it will hold beauty to blame.
I began to visit Umm al-Mujahid regularly. I never once saw her face, although she’d always make sure she looked at mine to check it was really me under the veil and abaya. ‘You are to go to the library every day between 8 and 10 am. You will spend this time in the newspaper archive, reading the papers that print articles offensive to the faith. Make a note of the authors’ names and the subjects of their articles. If you believe a writer has violated sharia, especially if he’s written about what they call ‘women’s freedom,’ write his name down separately and make a summary of the article and the offending opinions.’ This was my first assignment from Sheikha Umm al-Mujahid.
One day I
