Stories
Assam Women's Hajj Travelogues Unveiled in New Book "Her Hajj Story"
- •A new book, "Her Hajj Story" by journalist Teresa Rehman, compiles the insightful Hajj memoirs of 11 women from Assam, offering a unique glimpse into their pilgrimage experiences.
- •These narratives, often circulated privately among family and friends, provide raw examples of courage, kindness, healing, and agency, highlighting a unique tradition among Muslim women in Assam and Meghalaya.
- •The book features diverse stories, including Abida Khatun, who completed her Hajj alone after her husband's death in Medina, and Syeda Suraiya Begum, who published a bilingual memoir to make her experience accessible.
- •Rehman meticulously collected these memoirs, some dating back to arduous ship journeys, translating original texts and transcribing oral narratives to preserve these cherished family histories.
- •The collection showcases the varied experiences of women, from navigating travel challenges to finding spiritual solace, and includes accounts from social workers, poets, and politicians.
Key Questions Answered
A new book titled "Her Hajj Story" by journalist Teresa Rehman, published by Speaking Tiger, brings together the insightful Hajj memoirs of 11 women from Assam. These narratives cover practical advice, real-life concerns, reflections, and emotions related to their pilgrimage experience.
Teresa Rehman is a journalist who collected, translated, and transcribed oral narratives for "Her Hajj Story". She gathered these exhaustive women-written memoirs from various sources, sometimes obtaining photostat copies from families who possessed the single surviving editions.
The memoirs feature diverse experiences, such as Abida Khatun completing her Hajj alone after her husband passed away in Medina, and accounts of women who undertook the arduous journey by ship from Mumbai. Other writers include former FCI worker Syeda Suraiya Begum, social worker Mallika Rahman, and politician Khairun Nessa Choudhury.
