Sema
Paperback
Publisher: Saja Ibrahim
Published: Mar 24 2026
Pages: 110
Weight: 0.30
Height: 0.26 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
A daughter of a wealthy Pakistani residing in Dubai, grows up with a dual personality disorder she manages to keep hidden until the wild untamed part of her, finds herself fascinated by the liberating movement of ecstatic dervishes in a Sema performance and when lost and in search for her true self, she secretly assumes a personality of a semazen. The spinning of the body round and round is a symbolic movement. The real journey takes place in the mind. As she ascends from the material world to a higher state, as she leaves behind worldly distractions and seeks a higher truth, at every turn, she finds herself in the captivating presence of Omar. A self absorbed, Pathan.
Omar whose mother moved him away from the mountains to Karachi. To protect him from tribal conflicts and bloodshed, but failed to transform him into a domesticated city boy.
The out of control visitor from Dubai finds salvation in his company. She sees something no one else recognizes. Wisdom beyond the years of the young man. She sees the freedom she is seeking.
There is young love, social anarchy and communal laws. There are expectations, submission and rebellion. There is mature courtship and disapproval. There are verses of virtue and echoes of chaos.
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