When We Were Twins

Taher

A young Egyptian man who joins the mujahideen in Afghanistan as a medic during the Soviet invasion, against killing himself and his enemies.

Omar

Husband to Laila and Fatima, father to Taher and Aisha, who died in a plane crash when the twins were between 9 and 16.

Laila

Mother to both Taher and Aisha, she dies when the twins are 9.

Aisha

Taher's twin sister who loves the arts and becomes increasingly concerned about her brother's choices.

Rumaisa

Grandmother to Aisha and Taher.

Fatima

Omar’s first wife.

Ahmed

Cousin to Taher and Aisha, who gifted Taher a blood-stained Quran and tried to radicalize him.

Khaled

A former inmate who explains the meaning of the photo in Taher's Quran.

Marek

Also known as Abdullah, he joins the fight against the Soviets after his mother is killed.

Little Omar

A young boy met by Taher and Ahmed who dies later.

Irene

A Polish journalist who challenges Taher’s beliefs and is Marek's wife.

Naim

Talks to Taher about killing himself and the enemy, advocating for murder that Taher ultimately rejects.

Grandfather Muhammad

Provides Taher with an early understanding of faith and morality.

Yussef

Wants to be a martyr and is likely involved in hijackings.

Hassan

A jihadist who is involved in planning or knows about the 9/11 hijackings.

Summary

• Main Characters: Twins Taher and Aisha, once inseparable, take divergent paths.

• Taher’s Journey:

  • Abandons plans to study medicine to join the mujahideen as a medic during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

  • Becomes radicalized during the Taliban-Northern Alliance civil war.

  • Makes small, seemingly justifiable choices that ultimately lead to his involvement in the 9/11 attacks, betraying his core values.

• Aisha’s Perspective:

  • Embraces a Western outlook, growing increasingly alarmed by Taher’s radicalization.

• Themes:

  • How political forces manipulate loyalty and innocence.

  • The devastating consequences of seemingly minor choices.

• Imagery: Illustrates the human cost of war and the fragility of values under pressure.