By Pramod Prabhakaran
Saida Sherif has witnessed many turmoils of history and has braved many personal tragedies, which would have devastated any weak person. But Saida, who is called a fighter by her brother, came out stronger from these experiences and took on life brimming with positive energy and optimism.
This strong woman born in Old Delhi in 1932, who became a legendary aid worker, most notably in Bosnia during the 1990s, gives us a glimpse of what she has endured in life –personally and professionally - in her powerful memoir Sparks of Fire, published by Ta-Ha Publishers.
She credits her daughter, Jasmine, for encouraging her to write down her autobiography. Jasmine handed her mother all the letters she wrote to her during her years as a relief worker. Saida’s children, like her parents, had a deep impact on moulding her personality into a well known and award-winning Muslim aid worker.
Her strong belief in Islam and the support of relatives and friends from different parts of the world helped her face many adversities in life and emerge stronger and contribute to the betterment of fellow human beings in war-torn places like Bosnia and Albania.
Born in Old Delhi before the partition, she witnessed many defining moments in history like the messy and tragic division of India, which claimed many lives on both sides of the border.
She narrates with the rare poise of a seasoned writer the horrific incidents during partition and the struggle her family had to go through during those dark days of Indian Subcontinent. Her family had to give up all their comforts and possessions in Delhi and travel to Karachi via Bombay living in different refugee camps or cramped flats of relatives, while worrying about brothers who were missing in the violence flaring up all over the country.
During all these hardships and violence Saida remained optimistic, holding on to her dear faith in God, and in simple words explains the birth pangs of Pakistan and how refugees from India coped and adjusted to the new conditions and realities.
Educated in prestigious schools and bought up in a loving and caring household Sherif displays a rare gift of compassion, which many writers lack, while describing the chaos and destruction around her during the partition and also later in her life when she had to confront the chilling brutality in Bosnia.
The Balkan crisis compelled Saida to rise above domesticity, and her heart went out to do whatever possible to help the Bosnian Muslims facing ethnic cleansing. Her personal encounters and portraits of the people she met are very moving and paint a dark picture of a horrendous tragedy. Amongst the tragedies of Bosnia there are also important lessons of human solidarity and an appreciation of the work of other individuals and institutions.
Sparks of Fire is not just a historical anecdote of various events and happenings; it also looks into the tumultuous life of a young mother with three children, who had to juggle many jobs and an indifferent husband to bring up her children in a foreign country.
As a newlywed in Geneva, she adapted to the ways of the West to please her husband and picked up the language very quickly and assimilated to the social circle her husband belonged to. This quality to adapt and learn stands her in good stead when she goes back to Pakistan when her husband loses his ILO job and later when she heads to London with five pounds in her pocket and three young children to feed and school.
Saida built her life from scratch in London and succeeded in providing for kids reasonably well and these years are laid bare for the readers in a very emotional and eloquent style. The words tug at your heart and pull you into a world of compassion, grit, selfless service and complete devotion of a Muslim woman who has faced the world with great inner strength – a true fighter.
Sparks of Fire also details Saida’s experiences in establishing schools in Bosnia, Kosova, Azerbaijan and Pakistan struggling against the rampages of war, natural disasters and poverty. Her determination in rebuilding mosques and institutions will be an encouragement for all of humanity and will remind everyone how important it is to contribute to the society through selfless service.
Saida, who has travelled all around the world for work and personal needs, has built a strong network of friends who are more than willing to extend a hand in support when it is needed. Be it in Canada, Malaysia, Turkey or Spain she always manages to find a kind person and brings out the best in them. Sparks of Fire, while providing a glimpse of the past, will spark a fire in every reader’s heart.The Peninsula
