Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir

Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H. concerns a Muslim immigrant to America. She writes anonymously to tell her story about growing up Muslim and gay. She provides a lot of details while hiding others.

Lamya's parents are dark-skinned and speak Urdu (India?). They move to an Arab country where her mother cannot drive (Saudi Arabia?). She is in her early thirties by the end of the book. She earns a graduate degree though is vague about what she does for a living. She lives in New York City. 

The book's chapters are built around her Islamic faith. The chapter titles are the names of prophets and other figures in the Quran. The stories are familiar if with somewhat different names. She first gained inspiration from Maryam (Mary), who was "touched by no man" and at one part wanted to die. 

Mary in the Muslim version gives birth alone under a palm tree. The baby Jesus then miraculously speaks when she brings him back. Maryam has her own "surah" (chapter) in the Quran, but this is misleading. Only a small portion of the chapter is about her. The first part is about John the Baptist. Her part alone only is a fraction of the chapter. 

Lamya does not try to defend her faith to those who do not believe. It is a basic part of her life, including wearing a hijab, even when her family opposed it. She is a vegetarian, which is not required to be a Muslim. She carefully studies her holy book, including chapter by chapter with a close friend. A careful study of holy books can be a useful thing.

She dealt with racism all her life, including being the "wrong color" in her Arabic country. We have our own shades of racism in this country. Light-skinned black people have traditionally had higher status. Italians had lower status. 

(She does not "hate white people." She speaks of various white friends who are her allies. The woman she falls in love with is a white non-Muslim.) 

The book is well-written. It provides insights from a perspective that shows the complexity of intersectionality. Each aspect of herself is a fundamental part of her life story. 

Check it out. I generally like to know the whole story. So, it bothers me somewhat that a few details are left out. But, we learn most of her story. She has a reason to be anonymous. She ends the book without coming out to her family. She did take her partner to see her uncle's family as a "friend." 

You can listen to the author in conversation here.