The parent/child irony
There is a dramatic irony that defines Amal's relationship to her parents. The irony has its roots in their point of view. Since they all agree about their traditional point of view and their religious belief, it is somewhat challenging for her parents to understand Amal's need to be independent. They do not have to alter their identity nearly as much to gain social acceptance from their peers, but in the high school, there is a pressure to fit in. They see that pressure one way, and Amal feels it the other way.
Amal in Catholic school
Amal's ironic experience of Islam is highlighted by her time in Catholic school. That time highlights the deep roots of her identity crisis. That crisis ends up blooming into a beautiful multicultural identity, but in the meantime, she is constantly forced to see her identity as a sort of challenge. For her, who she is was rooted in a cultural majority; her entire community in Palestine was Muslim, but in Australia, she is unique and belongs to a cultural minority. The dilemma has an artistic effect, but as a child, she is unable to determine what that might be. The irony makes Amal's identity well-pronounced.
The intelligence irony
Because of Amal's unique name and the difficult differences between Arabic and Australian English, Amal explains that she was originally mistaken for someone mentally handicapped by her teachers. In elementary school, she was the last to write her name, and the teachers thought perhaps she might be "slow," to use her word. The irony is that she was and is incredibly intelligent, but the cultural differences leave that to dramatic irony, so that her teachers can reinforce negative opinions about outsiders if they wish.
The rejected kiss
Amal is genuinely interested in Adam. If she were not Muslim, perhaps she would even let him have his way with her. At a party, he tries to capitalize on their mutual attraction and chemistry (they are even partners in—you guessed it—chemistry class), but when he goes in for a kiss, Amal turns away. Her rejection is ironic; it is not rooted in a lack of attraction or in disgust or something, but in a genuine religious opinion that there is a better way to become romantic with someone than by making out at a party. This is certainly a striking feature of her character to all at the party.
Leila's dramatic irony
Shortly after the kiss opportunity, the gang learns that Leila has run away and might be in trouble. It turns out that through dramatic irony, they had been misunderstanding the truth about her home life. Not only is the culture of Islam fairly traditional in terms of gender roles, there are sometimes situations like Leila's home where the traditional gender roles are warped by misogyny. That is not a Muslim phenomenon, either—any traditional community tends to run that risk. In Leila's case, the mistreatment was both chronic and acute; she is dishonored for her desire to get an education and a career, and she is sometimes verbally abused by her brother.
