The Fatwa Girl

The Fatwa Girl is a 2011 novel by Pakistani author Akbar Agha. It is a story of love and innocence lost in the Pakistan of today, where modernity is symbolized by the possession of a nuclear bomb, but where religious hatreds are as old as time itself.

Plot summary
Amor vincit omnia — love conquers all, but in a land which has been conquered from the Moguls to the British and now where the Taliban and fundamentalists strive for hegemony, a young man named Omar faces a battle in winning the hand of the girl he loves. It is in this milieu that two lovers try to forge not only a relationship for themselves but also a society where peace and sanity prevail, battling the forces of hatred and sectarianism that threaten to tear their worlds — and a nation — apart.

At once a quirky exploration of a society on edge and a tender tale of shattered innocence, The Fatwa Girl, reveals a deep understanding of the human heart and its often mysterious attachments.