Nadia Jamal – Headstrong Daughters (Literature Review)

According to the 2016 Census, 2.6% of those living in Australia identify as Muslim. They are, for the most part, just like you and me. They go to school, have jobs and enjoy time with friends and family on the weekends or holidays. Yet many Australians still associate Muslims with terror – something to be avoided at all costs.

In her latest book, Headstrong Daughters, former journalist turned lawyer Nadia Jamal seeks to break down these barriers and contradict the common stereotypes associated with Islam by sharing the stories of Muslim Australian women and the challenges they face on a day-to-day basis.

The stories told within this collection are as candid as can be – real women telling recounting their real experiences about how their faith has affected the way they live in Australia, and how they are viewed by others (both Muslim and non-Muslim).

Most of the women featured in Headstrong Daughters are from the new generation – those whose parents migrated to Australia when they were very young. While their experience may have been a little different to that of their elders, they are just as committed to their beliefs as anyone else in their family – and even more so in some cases. It is for this reason, perhaps, that they are so candid in sharing their stories, particularly if it will make even the slightest difference to how they and their faith is perceived by others.

The themes covered are vast – touching upon everything from how Islam forbids adoption, to whether deciding not to wear the hajib is considered haram. There are even stories detailing marriage and divorce, and how women are often forbidden from attending a loved one’s funeral. When being interviewed, these women apparently took a no holds barred approach.

Jamal, of course, is familiar with all the topics within this book, having written about her own experiences in Glory Garage: Growing Up Lebanese Muslim in Australia (which she co-wrote with Taghred Chandab in 2005). But these stories aren’t necessarily hers, and in re-telling them for a wider audience, one needs to have a certain amount of awareness and sensitivity towards both the person sharing the story, and the receiving party.

This is where Jamal comes into her own. I went into this book a little blind to Islamic culture. The only information I had to inform my reading was what I had heard through the media, which, if I’m honest, was a little negative.

At no time did I feel overloaded with information or forced into a certain way of thinking.  It is, as ABC writer and broadcaster Annabel Crabb, says, “an illuminating read; a book that teaches without lecturing. Jamal’s neutral yet gently perceptive style allows the stories of her women to shine through.” That is, for me, what makes this Headstrong Daughters such an intriguing and informative book, particularly timely for today’s society.

While Headstrong Daughters isn’t necessarily an enjoyable read, it is a compelling and necessary one that will no doubt help bridge gaps in society’s view of Muslim Australians and Islamic culture. It’s definitely set to become a non-fiction highlight of the year.

Nadia Jamal will be appearing at Brisbane Writers Festival on Saturday 8^th September 2018. To book your tickets, click here. Alternately, you can find out more about Headstrong Daughters (and other titles published by Allen and Unwin) via this website.