I didn’t believe in the concept that girls are underestimated in Muslim societies until I came across a book review session held at the School of Intensive Teaching, Hub. SIT Hub conducts book reviews of different authors on Saturdays. Still, the review of 15 July 2025 unveiled a harsh reality of Muslim societies to me. On the eve of the following Saturday, a female student reviewed a book by Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, which exposed the status of women in Muslim societies.
Khaled Hosseini’s book not only unmask the sufferings of Mariam or Laila who were kept from schools, forced marriage, domestic abuse, denial of education, and restrictions on movement in Afghanistan, but also exposes today’s customary laws. What left me heartbroken was that these injustices were often legitimized in the name of tradition or by using religion in the wrong way; women are being deprived of even fundamental rights.
The story painted a grim picture highlighting honor restrictions that are often faced by women in Muslim societies. Everyone must be evident of the fact that in June 2025 a video went viral. In the video, Sheetal Bano and her alleged husband, Ehsanullah Zark were mercilessly killed by Sheetal’s brother—only for choosing to marry of her own choice. Her cold-blooded murders were shamelessly masqueraded as ‘honor killings’, turning a sacred face among women in society. Sadly, such crimes are not rare; they continue in our society, villages, and cities. What makes it even worse is the silence—silence of neighbors, the silence of relatives, the silence of society. Each silence is another form of justice. These recent killings remind us that the story of Mariam and Laila is not confined to the past—it is alive and destroying our women’s lives.
As Dr. James Emmanuel Kwegyir-Aggrey once said, “If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.” However, Khaled Hosseini in the novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, exposes this reality through the forced marriage of Mariam and Laila. In most families, especially conservative, when girls are of the age of 15 to 17, they are married off—a family duty to be fulfilled too soon. It is an unfortunate that young girls during this age should be discovering their potential and gaining empowerment. Hearing that their parents are preparing for their marriage at such an early stage can shatter her dreams entirely. Many girls are even stopped from attending schools and other educational institutions. They are even prevented from girls’ rights. The novel reminds us that forced marriage is not part of history; it is still destroying the lives surrounding us.
The tale of Mariam and Laila, as presented in the novel, is not the story of a fiction, but it also highlights the grim reality of the thousand girls in our society who are married of against their will. The pain which Mariam and Laila endure in the story is the pain every woman who are kept silent, overlooked, and had their dreams shattered in the name of culture, and honor. It is unacceptable to decide girls’ future at fifteen, “yes”, their voices can be neglected, their choices can depend on others, but no one can deprive them of women’s rights. It is the fundamental right of every woman to choose their life partner, the right to education, and freedom of expression without any fear. Silently overlooking these injustices means allowing them to grow in society.
This book is not only to be read but to be felt. The story in the novel gives a clear warning and a call for action. We, as a society, should break the chains of ignorance and cruelty against women. Our society must be reconstructed in a way where women could walk freely with bright light like a thousand splendid suns that no one can ever dim.
About the author:
Shahque Baloch
SIT HubShahque Baloch hails from Mashkay. He is studying in the 10th class and is a student of the Level Three class at the School of Intensive Teaching, Hub.
