I was not exploiting any real individual's story in writing ROOM, of course I was aware that my novel, by commenting on such situations, would run the risk of falling into those traps of voyeurism, sensationalism and sentimentality.
You have a lot of children that come up to you. . . and their parents tell you, and sometimes even [the children themselves] tell you how much they love singing your nasheeds. It is a great source of satisfaction that even now you can make a difference in the lives of people.