Finding Faith on the Final Frontier: Why I Wrote "The Gospel According to Uhura"

The Gospel according to Uhura book cover

It is a strange thing to lose your home. It is perhaps a stranger thing to lose the map that tells you who you are.

For years, I have been fascinated by the intersection of trauma and storytelling. How do we survive when the narratives that once sustained us - religion, nationalism, family history - shatter under the weight of experience? What do we build in the wreckage?

Today, I am proud to announce the publication of my new novel, The Gospel According to Uhura.

The Story of a Bridge-Builder

This book began with a question: What happens when a prayer goes unanswered, but a television show offers a reply?

The novel follows Hamid, an Afghan refugee who survives a perilous journey to the UK only to find himself spiritually adrift. The trauma of his crossing has silenced his faith. The God of his childhood feels distant, and the religious certainty offered by his local community feels suffocating.

Hamid is trapped in the "in-between" - no longer fully Afghan, not yet British; no longer a believer, but unable to be a cynic.

In this void, he discovers an unlikely scripture: Star Trek.

Why Uhura?

To some, mixing the harrowing reality of the refugee crisis with 1960s science fiction might seem jarring. But for Hamid, the logic is sound. When the real world is cruel and chaotic, the ordered, ethical universe of the Federation offers a blueprint for survival.

Hamid creates a "Captain's Log" to process his life. But it is not Kirk or Spock he ultimately turns to for his "gospel." It is Lieutenant Nyota Uhura.

In a world defined by walls, borders, and language barriers, Uhura represents the ultimate skill: Communication. She is the bridge-builder. She is the translator. She is the one who keeps the channels open when everyone else is ready to fire phasers.

Through Hamid’s journey, I wanted to explore the idea that "sacred" texts can come from unexpected places. Whether it is a surah from the Quran or a script from a Hollywood writers' room, a story becomes sacred when it teaches us how to be more humane.

Beyond the Fiction

While Hamid is a fictional character, the questions he asks are real. We live in a polarized time. We are constantly told to pick a side - tradition or modernity, faith or secularism, "us" or "them."

This book suggests a third way. It proposes a model of "Collaborative Distinctiveness" - a way to be yourself without isolating yourself. It is a story about building sanctuaries not out of brick and mortar, but out of conversation and understanding.

An Invitation

I invite you to read The Gospel According to Uhura not just as a story about a refugee, but as a meditation on how we all find meaning. It is a book for anyone who has ever felt lost between worlds, anyone who has questioned their beliefs, and anyone who still believes that communication is the most powerful force in the universe.

As Hamid learns, the mission isn't to find the perfect answer. The mission is to keep the channel open.

To boldly go - together.

Where to Buy

The Gospel According to Uhura is available now in Kindle and Paperback formats.

If you read the book and it resonates with you, please consider leaving a review. It helps the "signal" reach more readers.