Hollow Fires Book Review by David Isibor – Ilford County High School

Samira Ahmed through Hollow Fires addresses an issue that has haunted America for decades if not centuries. Racism and Islamophobia. Set in Chicago we explore the issue of racism and islamophobia through 17-year-old Safiya Mirza. We get to understand what it’s like for Muslims in America living in a society that blames their faith (Islam) on despicable acts that their faith would never associate with. This book opened my eyes even more than before to the unconscious bias that lurks everywhere like a shadow. This book spreads a message that needs to be enforced around the globe. We need to be more accepting of others regardless of their faith or appearance. We should see them for who they are. Furthermore, Samira Ahmed also highlights the issue of police brutality but brings it to a new light. We hear in the the news that police brutality mainly affects Black people. However, we forgot to realise that many other groups in society such as Asians and Muslims face that same brutality from people who are meant to serve and protect them. Samira Ahmed portrays these messages as key themes throughout the book as Safiya digs deeper into the death of Jawad Ali, a 14-year-old boy who had once been accused of bringing a bomb into school. But that wasn’t the case. It had been a project, a cardboard jetpack made out of soda bottles. But that’s not what they saw when Jawad brought in his project. Not his wide-toothed smile. Not the twinkle of innocence, joy and satisfaction in his eye. They only saw the colour of his skin. And the fact he was a child of Iraqi immigrants . Samira Ahmed not only wants Americans to wake up to the cruel reality that occurs in the U.S, but for others around the world to take note of this and try and do something about it where they live. This book can be an example to us all of what to do in the face of racism and abuse. To never tolerate or let the roots of it grow too deep. Or else we will never be able to weed it out.