Infidel

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali "Infidel" is the riveting memoir, the coming of age of one woman's personal journey from being a devout Muslim to a freedom fighter, an ardent Atheist. What sets this book apart from other personal journeys is the captivating backdrop from which this fascinating story occurs. It takes you on a ride to a world that few Westerners know, from a perspective that few can even conceive and the courage of a woman that will not be denied. This is the story of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, this extraordinary 353-page is broken out into two parts and the following seventeen chapters: 1. Bloodlines, 2. Under the Talal Tree, 3. Playing Tag in Allah's Palace, 4. Weeping Orphan's and Widowed Wives, 5. Secret Rendezvous, Sex, and the Scent of Sukumawiki, 6. Doubt and Defiance, 7. Disillusion and Deceit, 8. Refugees, 9. Abeh, 10. Running Away, 11. A Trial by the Elders, 12. Haweya, 13. Leiden, 14. Leaving God, 15. Threats, 16. Politics, and The Murder of Theo. Positives: 1. A heartfelt account of a fascinating story. I couldn't put it down. 2. Such warmth and elegant prose. Every scene is captured in a luxury of details. 3. A great story in the hands of an engaging author, what more can you ask? 4. Most Westerners will love the unique backdrop of this book. I was fascinated with her upbringing, her beliefs, her views of the world. 5. I learned so much from a culture that quite frankly I knew so little about. 6. The political turmoils of Africa and the impact they have on families. 7. So many fascinating tidbits that will leave you in disbelief...I will not spoil them. 8. The fascinating cultures of "other" worlds. 9. What happens when reason faces faith...find out. A rollercoaster of ideas, a clash of ideas a transformation ensues. 10. Doubts, doubts, doubts... 11. The differences between the religions of Islam and Christianity. 12. A woman's perspective adds even more to the story as far as I'm concerned. 13. The religious rituals and practices. 14. Marriage in an entirely different light. Enlightening indeed! 15. "Why should infidels have peace?...." and many other thought-provoking tidbits. 16. Racism. 17. I absolutely love how Ali describes herself in a culture I'm more familiar with, just awesome stuff. 18. How the Dutch live and the impact it had on Ali. 19. The clash of cultures. 20. It's such a pleasure to see a reasonable mind at work. 21. The clarity of atheism. A realistic philosophy at work. 22. The importance of thinking about ones beliefs. 23. Using the power of politics to empower women and freedom. 24. Emotional and rewarding reading experience. Negatives: 1. It had to end at some point. A fantastic read! In summary, "Infidel" is one of the most interesting books I've ever read. It's a fascinating, coming of age book that exudes the quest for freedom. Ayaan Hirsi Ali takes her readers to a world that is completely foreign to Westerners, her upbringing, her faith, her enlightenment, her endless courage, and her life's rollercoaster quest to become a free woman. It's an inimitable story of a unique human experience. This is a must read...I can't recommend this book enough! Further recommendations: "Godless..." by Dan Barker, "Christian No More" by Jeffrey Mark, "Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity" by John Loftus, and "God, No!" by Penn Jillette.

Extremely interesting, informative, fair, and passionate biography. I simply could not stop reading. It is so much more than an incredible story of one woman's life; it is a heroic stand against the tyranny of Islam as practiced in so many countries. She spent her life analyzing the Quran's teachings and trying to justify those teachings with the physical and emotional abuse she received along with other females in the African Muslim countries she was born in and lived until early adulthood when she escaped an arranged marriage. The violence she endured as a child, simply because she was born female, and her rise to be a force in politics in Holland is just an amazing story. Anybody who cannot give this book 5 stars is being petty, disingenuous, or will not acknowledge the truth, even when it is written so clearly by a person with first hand experience. Radical Islam is the biggest problem in the world today. I see relatively few positive ratings in Amazon from Muslims. The problem is a Muslim problem and it needs to be solved or at least discussed by Muslims, as she is advocating. She should be getting thousands of positive comments for speaking up and risking her life. Where are the feminists? Millions of women and children in the world are being abused (physically, emotionally, and mentally), how can anybody deny or ignore the facts? How is this not like the slavery issue in the 19th century? How can 21st century citizenry tolerate the ignorance and abusive practices of many centuries ago? How can any country afford to not allow any contributions (other than child bearing/housekeeping) of half of the adult population? I have a lot of respect for Holland after reading this book, the system of government probably saved her life. However, as it turned out, she had to lie to get to stay in the country initially. She should have been treated as a national treasure; instead she found that politics is a nasty business. Hopefully, in the USA she can find a venue to lend her voice safely. There are so few that speak against the Islamists, and she has such a clear, intelligent, reasonable voice. These reviewers who claim that the problem is only a local cultural problem and not a global problem with Islam have their head in the sand. Yes, it is a cultural problem, but fundamental Islam is the culture, and following the Quran literally is as backward as interpreting the Bible literally. I didn't see how the author could expand her views after this book, but she has done so with her follow-up book 'Nomad: from Islam to America'. Besides discussing some of her life in America and some interactions with distant relatives, she gives some possible solutions to problems with radical Islamists - another brilliant essay.

This is the memoir of a Somalia born Dutch politician who made a 10 minute film called Submission with Theo van Gogh. The film caused a stir in Holland and Theo was murdered in November 2004 because of it's criticism of Islam. This book details Ayaan's life from her childhood in Somalia, through years spent in Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Holland. Infidel is a powerful book. It is not a standard memoir of achievements and regrets. It is more than a human interest story. It asks lots of questions about culture, freedom, race, religion and rights. It is frank and open but told with a lot of love and warmth. I found Infidel a refreshing read. It was not like a diary but more like an educational tour. Through the text I explored how clans in Somlia work and the importance of the family tree. The horrors of Female Genital Mutilation were fully explained… The man, who was probably an itinerant traditional circumciser from the blacksmith clan, picked up a pair of scissors. With the other hand, he caught hold of the place between my legs and started tweaking it, like Grandma milking a goat. “There it is, there is the kintir,” one of the women said. Then the scissors went down between my legs and the man cut off my inner labia and clitoris. I heard it, like a butcher snipping the fat off a piece of meat. A piercing pain shot up between my legs, indescribable, and I howled. Then came the sewing; the long, blunt needle clumsily pushed into my bleeding outer labia, my loud and anguished protests, Grandma’s words of comfort and encouragement. “It’s just this once in your life, Ayaan. Be brave, he’s almost finished.” When the sewing was finished, the man cut the thread off with his teeth. ...The oppression of women in Saudi Arabia was discussed. The differences between the cultures of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia were explored. Ayaan writes at great length about the freedoms and how nice the people are living in Holland. There is also a very good analysis of Islam and it's problems explained in a way that non-Muslims can easily understand. On a lighter note, there are some lovely tales of her grandmother, a woman who had lived a hard life in basic and challenging environments… My mother, Asha, was born sometime in the early 1940s, along with her identical twin sister, Halimo. My grandmother gave birth to them alone, under a tree. They were her third and fourth children; she was about eighteen, leading her goats and sheep to pasture when she felt the pains. She lay down and bore forth; then she cut the umbilical cords with her knife. A few hours later, she gathered together the goats and sheep and managed to bring the herd home safely before dark, carrying her newborn twins. Nobody was impressed by the exploit; she was only bringing home two more girls. ...Ayaan's writing is very good. I liked the structure of her book, the extensive detail given and her large, descriptive vocabulary. I learned a lot about African cultures and Islam from this book. Infidel is a very moving story and is very well written. Many a moment I had to remind myself that this was someone's real life and NOT a novel. There is a lot of sadness in this book and not just the killings but also the despair within the refugee camps in Kenya. I found Infidel to be a very good and engrossing read. I agree with her conclusions about Islam and am pleased that although she has received many death threats and has been deported from Holland, she still has the courage to put her opinions and story into the public domain. I can find nothing wrong with this book and vote it the top score of 5 stars for giving me such a fulfilling read. It will also make it easier for me when I encounter Somali passengers on my coach!

un libro da leggere per tutti che vogliono capire la cultura islamica! lo stile dell'autrice è molto piacevole e divertente, mi sono goduto tanto leggere questo libro

Captivating and enraging. A book by a brilliant but humble person with courage. I can only admire her. Hirsi leads the reader through the development of her life, making you feel it was your own. Maybe it is a good lecture to try to understand what goes on in the heads of a large population of the world and why Islam is a real threat to (current) European culture.

洋書は日本の書店では販売価格が高いのでアマゾンドットコムに限ります。

É muito duro ser mulher em tantas circunstâncias.