Book review: Pakistani-British man shows courage in Orphan Of Islam



Orphan Of Islam
Alexander Khan
Harper

Alexander Khan spent seven years in the British army as a member of its elite Parachute Regiment, a decision that led to his estrangement from his highly conservative Pakistani-British family.

Despite its consequences, Khan, now a happily married telecommunications engineer, firmly believes he had nothing to lose from rebelling against the strict code of familial honour that had cost him most of his childhood.

Orphan Of Islam is a memoir by Khan of those lost years, tainted by the abuse he suffered at the hands of his own family. Born to a Pathan father and a white English mother, Khan's earliest memories of family life are of the cramped terrace house in which days were spent under the thumb of his domineering Aunt Fatima. Having already been whisked away from his "infidel" mother to be raised in a traditional Islamic environment, the death of his father unleashes a barrage of violent ill-treatment in the name of religion.

Khan's writing falls short of outstanding, but his courage is inspiring.

The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
 
Six tips to secure your smart home

Most smart home devices are controlled via the owner's smartphone. Therefore, if you are using public wi-fi on your phone, always use a VPN (virtual private network) that offers strong security features and anonymises your internet connection.

Keep your smart home devices’ software up-to-date. Device makers often send regular updates - follow them without fail as they could provide protection from a new security risk.

Use two-factor authentication so that in addition to a password, your identity is authenticated by a second sign-in step like a code sent to your mobile number.

Set up a separate guest network for acquaintances and visitors to ensure the privacy of your IoT devices’ network.

Change the default privacy and security settings of your IoT devices to take extra steps to secure yourself and your home.

Always give your router a unique name, replacing the one generated by the manufacturer, to ensure a hacker cannot ascertain its make or model number.

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

Price: From Dh79,600

On sale: Now

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The Arts Edit

A guide to arts and culture, from a Middle Eastern perspective

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