Every girl and woman should read this book, says Dr Fadilah Allie, of her autobiography which details her experience with abuse, religion and her relationship with God.
Her book Saved in Three Days – A Muslim girl’s journey to Christ tells the story of her life, taboo issues and experiences of abuse.
“They will find something, in the book, which they can relate to, learn that you need to know God. It is not going to work without Him,” she says.
Dr Allie, born in Manenberg, raised in Rocklands and who lived away from home intermittently now lives in Edgemead.
She received her doctorate in Education from Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in December last year and has written a few books on education.
She has 15 years experience in education as a writer, teacher and lecturer in early childhood development and school leadership.
In the first chapter of her book, she writes: “This life was rooted in sexual and physical abuse, Satanism, bulimia, anorexia, adultery, fornication; a life absent from God.”
This was before she accepted that God was in control and that she had to fulfil her purpose in life, she says.
Dr Allie says throughout her life she knew God existed but in her weakest moments she challenged and questioned why he would not rescue her during the most traumatic moments of her life.
The book details how a close relative abused her daily, which tainted her sense of self-worth, but also tells how her dedication to her school work showed at an early age, as she would wait up at night for her parents and siblings to go sleep, before settling down to study.
Dr Allie was the only child of four siblings, who matriculated as a teen.
“I was very dedicated to my school work. It was the only thing I could succeed in,” she says.
She, her two brothers and two sisters were born into a Muslim household because her father was Muslim.
But when she was 10 years old, Dr Allie’s mother reverted to Christianity and looking back, she says, their view of God was distorted.
“Knowing God simply involved going to church, getting punished and sometimes asking God’s help,” she writes.
“I didn’t know Jesus. I knew very little of Him. I didn’t have a relationship with God.”
The book has biblical passages, which respond to some of the thoughts Dr Allie had during different periods in her life.
Dr Allie started writing a letter last year requesting funding for her Christian organisation called Gifts of God, but six weeks later she had completed a book.
It took three weeks to edit and today, she is looking for sponsors to help her print the book. In the meantime, it is available in eBook format on Amazon.
For more information and copies of the book email, giftsofgod2019@gmail.com