I still remember exactly when I met the woman who would have such a significant effect on my life. I was in my mid-20s, working at Soas University of London, when I ventured out to Friday prayers at a nearby mosque and saw her – a towering figure, head held high and covered with a pristine white hijab. She drew me in like a tractor beam.
She was a young widow, around 40 years old. A fierce, strong-minded woman – the direct type who took no nonsense. If you were an idiot, she’d let you know it. Fortunately, she didn’t think I was one, and what began as a brief encounter at the mosque developed into a deep friendship.
