The Dress Maker Of Khair Khana Summary
The Dress Maker of Khair Khana Analysis
Women all over the world have made great accomplishments for themselves over the course of the century. The Dress Maker of Khair Khana, written by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, is an inspirational story based in the country of Afghanistan. The Sidqi family is rather lucky in comparison to many other families living under the reign of the Taliban. Kamila Sidqi is a bold young woman born into a culture dominated by men, and she must overcome many obstacles if her family is to survive. In Afghanistan, there are many different beliefs, but the prominent religion is Islam. Women in the Islamic culture are expected to remain pure and modest in public and not be seen without a veil or chadri by males outside of their
family. This rule was very strict under the rule of the Taliban, “If a woman dared to pull back her chadri to steal a look at something she wanted to buy at the market, or if a wrist accidently slipped out while she crossed an intersection, a member of the Amr bil-Maroof would appear from nowhere to apply a swift and brutal ‘justice,’ right there for all to see” (p.31). Women are also expected to pray behind the men in order to not give the men any reason to have impure thoughts. Another aspect of the Islamic culture is that it views women in a more negative light than the men. For example, a male son would receive a greater inheritance than a female daughter. In the eyes of God, women and men are seen as equals, yet they are treated differently. These women are treated differently than men, because of their religion and culture traditions. A last aspect of the Islamic culture under the rule of the Taliban is any crime, whether small or large, was punished severely. People were violently beaten in the streets and it didn’t matter if you were a man, women, or child. Crime went down during the rule of the Taliban, but so did the hope of the people. The culture in Afghanistan is far from the culture here in the United States, so it is not easy to understand their hardships. Kamila Sidqi is a bright, beautiful, and courageous young woman who cares for her family at the risk of her own life. Before the Taliban took over and her life changed forever, she had completed her schooling to become a teacher. She had a future ahead of her that was halted in an instant; however, she did not let that fact get her down. When her parents and brother had to flee the country, there was no longer a breadwinner for their family of seven. Kamila, being the oldest in the household took up the responsibility of caring for her sisters and younger brother, “Kamila felt tremendous pressure that weighed on her family, and she spent hours each day trying to think of ways she could help” (p.50). At this time in Afghanistan, the Taliban had banned women to their household and banned them from being employed. Kamila showed determination and management skills that any businessman would admire. She created her own dressmaking empire in the secret of her home. If she, her sisters, or the store clerks were caught doing business, they would have been severely punished. It took a tremendous amount of courage and a big heart to accomplish all that Kamila did.
Women all over the world have made great accomplishments for themselves over the course of the century. The Dress Maker of Khair Khana, written by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, is an inspirational story based in the country of Afghanistan. The Sidqi family is rather lucky in comparison to many other families living under the reign of the Taliban. Kamila Sidqi is a bold young woman born into a culture dominated by men, and she must overcome many obstacles if her family is to survive. In Afghanistan, there are many different beliefs, but the prominent religion is Islam. Women in the Islamic culture are expected to remain pure and modest in public and not be seen without a veil or chadri by males outside of their
family. This rule was very strict under the rule of the Taliban, “If a woman dared to pull back her chadri to steal a look at something she wanted to buy at the market, or if a wrist accidently slipped out while she crossed an intersection, a member of the Amr bil-Maroof would appear from nowhere to apply a swift and brutal ‘justice,’ right there for all to see” (p.31). Women are also expected to pray behind the men in order to not give the men any reason to have impure thoughts. Another aspect of the Islamic culture is that it views women in a more negative light than the men. For example, a male son would receive a greater inheritance than a female daughter. In the eyes of God, women and men are seen as equals, yet they are treated differently. These women are treated differently than men, because of their religion and culture traditions. A last aspect of the Islamic culture under the rule of the Taliban is any crime, whether small or large, was punished severely. People were violently beaten in the streets and it didn’t matter if you were a man, women, or child. Crime went down during the rule of the Taliban, but so did the hope of the people. The culture in Afghanistan is far from the culture here in the United States, so it is not easy to understand their hardships. Kamila Sidqi is a bright, beautiful, and courageous young woman who cares for her family at the risk of her own life. Before the Taliban took over and her life changed forever, she had completed her schooling to become a teacher. She had a future ahead of her that was halted in an instant; however, she did not let that fact get her down. When her parents and brother had to flee the country, there was no longer a breadwinner for their family of seven. Kamila, being the oldest in the household took up the responsibility of caring for her sisters and younger brother, “Kamila felt tremendous pressure that weighed on her family, and she spent hours each day trying to think of ways she could help” (p.50). At this time in Afghanistan, the Taliban had banned women to their household and banned them from being employed. Kamila showed determination and management skills that any businessman would admire. She created her own dressmaking empire in the secret of her home. If she, her sisters, or the store clerks were caught doing business, they would have been severely punished. It took a tremendous amount of courage and a big heart to accomplish all that Kamila did.