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Booknblues's Reviews > The Beekeeper: Rescuing the Stolen Women of Iraq
The Beekeeper: Rescuing the Stolen Women of Iraq
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I have a particular interest in refugees and their stories, especially those who may be excluded from immigrating to the US. When I read a review of the newly released book, The Beekeeper: Rescuing the Stolen Women of Iraq by Dunya Mikhail, I was intrigued . I began it right away and found it difficult to put down and through this review, I hope to encourage others to read it.
This is not easy or pleasant reading material as the story of refugees rarely is. I think though that it brings to light what happened in Syria and Iraq under Isis in a way that is not available through the news media and I appreciated that.
Dunya Mikhail is a poet and a teacher who fled Iraq over 20 years ago and became an American citizen. Through calls to Iraq she makes acquaintance with a beekeeper who currently works to free Yadizi women from Isis or as is used this book the more perjorative term Daesh. As the Yadizi are not Islamic, they were in grave danger when the Daesh invaded. They killed the men and older women and enslaved the women.
The women would attempt to escape when the opportunity presented itself. One of those they would call was Abdullah, the beekeeper. As he says:
"In our society women work and sacrifice for others without getting what they deserve, without enjoying the same privileges as men. Women are oppressed even outside the world of Daesh, which has nothing whatsoever to do with rational human life, of course. I had experience as a businessman, which required a reputation, many business relationships, and knowledge of the roads. With the money I made selling honey in Iraq and Syria I was able to help save female captives — and I rely upon the same skills in my new work. I cultivated a hive of transporters and smugglers from both sexes to save our queens, the ones Daeshis call sabaya, sex slaves. We worked like in a beehive, with extreme care and well-planned initiatives.”
We read many of the individual women's stories in this book and each one was heart rending.
This is not easy or pleasant reading material as the story of refugees rarely is. I think though that it brings to light what happened in Syria and Iraq under Isis in a way that is not available through the news media and I appreciated that.
Dunya Mikhail is a poet and a teacher who fled Iraq over 20 years ago and became an American citizen. Through calls to Iraq she makes acquaintance with a beekeeper who currently works to free Yadizi women from Isis or as is used this book the more perjorative term Daesh. As the Yadizi are not Islamic, they were in grave danger when the Daesh invaded. They killed the men and older women and enslaved the women.
The women would attempt to escape when the opportunity presented itself. One of those they would call was Abdullah, the beekeeper. As he says:
"In our society women work and sacrifice for others without getting what they deserve, without enjoying the same privileges as men. Women are oppressed even outside the world of Daesh, which has nothing whatsoever to do with rational human life, of course. I had experience as a businessman, which required a reputation, many business relationships, and knowledge of the roads. With the money I made selling honey in Iraq and Syria I was able to help save female captives — and I rely upon the same skills in my new work. I cultivated a hive of transporters and smugglers from both sexes to save our queens, the ones Daeshis call sabaya, sex slaves. We worked like in a beehive, with extreme care and well-planned initiatives.”
We read many of the individual women's stories in this book and each one was heart rending.
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THANK YOU!!!"
I hope you like it! I couldn't put it down once I started reading it.