Exciting news!
My book – SHACKLED: A Journey From Political Imprisonment To Freedom – was published 3 weeks ago!
It’s available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other book retailers worldwide.
I wrote SHACKLED alongside my grandpa, as it chronicles his life from being imprisoned for decades when he was six-years-old.
The book has been receiving some incredible praise from readers already.
Here’s one review from a reader:
A beautiful, spellbinding historical account of Khaled Siddiq’s life with photographs throughout the book. Adam Siddiq, the author, captured the essence, magnificence, and radiance of his grandfather, Khaled Siddiq, in this remarkable and awe-inspiring true story. It takes place in Khaled’s homeland, Afghanistan. A government takeover results in terror used as an instrument to control people, and led to the imprisonment of thousands of political prisoners for many years including the very young Khaled and his many close family members. Khaled’s life, along with his family, was about survival, sorrow, bereavement, injustice, grief, and a love that transcended broken dreams. Adam’s grandfather is the embodiment of resilience powered by patience, hope, and the gift of love bestowed upon him by family and generations of ancestors. He learned patience at a young age, and held on to hope and love while he and his family endured unimaginable hardship, deprivation, and imprisonment. He witnessed indescribable cruelty and inhumanity. This story, for me, was about surviving unending darkness through the light of love. Adam Siddiq, how fortunate you are to be a recipient of your grandfather’s legacy of love.
– Ilaann White
[callaction button_text=”Order now” button_url=”https://www.amazon.com/SHACKLED-Journey-Political-Imprisonment-Freedom/dp/1946852007/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&keywords=shackled%20adam%20siddiq&qid=1513945600&ref_=mp_s_a_1_1_twi_pap_2&sr=8-1″ background_color=”#333333″ text_color=”#ffffff” button_background_color=”#32a1f0″ button_text_color=”#ffffff” rounded=”true”]Read SHACKLED today.[/callaction]
Now, let’s continue with the third segment of the SHACKLED interview series.
The SHACKLED interview series will appear here on the blog as well as my podcast and on YouTube.
Each day of the series will feature a question I ask my grandpa.
Here’s today’s episode.
Adam: How did you make it through all the years in jail?
Khaled: In Sarai Badam (prison), there was one woman, the wife of Ghulam Nabi Khan, who started a school for all us kids. “Come. It’s better to learn and make use of our time in prison as opposed to crying and feeling miserable. Come and I’ll teach you.”
Adam: Ku Ku jan.
Khaled: Yes, Ku Ku jan (Bi Bi Mariam). Also, her daughter Azra, and my oldest brother, Abdul Samad, and my cousin, Abdul Hamid, were all teachers as well for us. Ku Ku jan was our principal and also a teacher. Later on, when I was in the ward of Qala-e-Jadid in Dehmazang (prison), every day I had two lessons of German and two lessons of Arabic. And if I was free from class, I was reading books…these books I told you about.
Adam: So first it started when you were a kid when your aunt made a school for you.
Khaled: At first we learned the alphabet! We were writing with pebbles on the dirt ground first. Then, later I was writing on the wall with charcoal. After that, one water carrier who brought us the water was smuggling us paper and pens to write with. My mother and aunts were paying him to do this. It was very, very secretive.
Adam: How did he sneak the papers and pens to you guys?
Khaled: He brought us the water and then he’d go inside a small room where he’d fill up our jugs with his waterskin. One guard was watching at all times from outside the room because the room was so small, only one person could fit inside. When he went to fill our jugs with water, he’d take out the papers and pens and hide it behind the jugs.
Adam: So you were studying every day?
Khaled: Yea, everyday studying. That was the best occupation for us.
[callaction button_text=”Order now” button_url=”https://www.amazon.com/SHACKLED-Journey-Political-Imprisonment-Freedom/dp/1946852007/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&keywords=shackled%20adam%20siddiq&qid=1513945600&ref_=mp_s_a_1_1_twi_pap_2&sr=8-1″ background_color=”#333333″ text_color=”#ffffff” button_background_color=”#32a1f0″ button_text_color=”#ffffff” rounded=”true”]Read SHACKLED today.[/callaction]
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