A novel that counters terrorism

Social media has taken over the habit of book reading. Hence it is courageous writing a book that attracts social media’s attention too. Hafsa Rehan, a medical doctor, proves it as true. She tells our land is not as barren as others badmouth. We are able to produce a good writing that fascinates viewers.

Daam-e-Lahoo is a worth reading novel by the young and talented writer, Dr Hafsa Rehan. She takes the challenge of extremist views head on and fights it by using her pen. Based on a fiction story leading to the APS Peshawar tragedy, she highlights the issue as to how and why a commoner becomes terrorist, how it impacts social life of a citizen and what are the solutions of this menace. Her novel tries to differentiate between terrorism and religion and conveys that terrorism is something opposite of the concept of Islamism.

Hafsa describes the brain washing of a person by terrorist elements in a way that readers understand their modus operandi. She makes aware the society to recognize those elements hiding within and take preventive measures.

In a novel everything must not be real; but her pen makes the fiction as if it is real. So the reader enjoys the novel while going through suspense and thrill, romance and agony. The topic of the novel seems to be dry though, yet it maintains its attraction. It looks as if the reader watches being part of a character.

Hafsa’s are real life common characters; the reader smiles with the innocence of character and brings tears in the eyes while painting a tragic situation. Novel ends in a very tragic way that makes the reader sad, but it speaks all about reality. She combines different characters while gathering them at one place.

In the Preface of the novel she says, “it’s the toughest moment on earth when a father takes his 25-year long hard work, his son, to the graveyard; the son falls prey to terror”.

It is the toughest of moments in someone’s life; the writer herself belongs to the area that has been affected the most by such incidents, she pens it down like an eye witness account.

Good thing is the young novelist doesn’t criticize anyone or any class of society as she believes there are good and bad people everywhere. One may find technical wrongs in the novel but this is her solo and such mistakes are very few. However, it proves that she has all the ingredients of becoming a novelist of fame. Writing on the subject of terrorism is a daring step, and certainly a first of its kind, which others need to follow.

She deserves to be appreciated, encouraged and protected. Let us follow her to write and help de-radicalize the society so, as broader part of Radd-ul-Fasaad, the menace of terrorism can be eliminated.

Fawad Khan

Islamabad