Infidel

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  A true eye opener for those who still believe that all people are basically the same and all one needs is to talk kindly to anyone and explain a point of view in order to arrive at a compromise. This courageous woman – who is now living in hiding and whose life is in danger - describes her childhood in Somalia, her devotion to Islamic faith, her escape from an arranged marriage, her discovery of European learning – history, literature, philosophy, her desire and work to protect and enlighten... (show more)

  A true eye opener for those who still believe that all people are basically the same and all one needs is to talk kindly to anyone and explain a point of view in order to arrive at a compromise. This courageous woman – who is now living in hiding and whose life is in danger - describes her childhood in Somalia, her devotion to Islamic faith, her escape from an arranged marriage, her discovery of European learning – history, literature, philosophy, her desire and work to protect and enlighten abused Islamic women, her cooperation with the Dutch film maker Theo Van Gough (who paid for this with his life), and her political career in Holland. Slowly but surely she reveals what militant, fundamentalist Islam is: uncompromising, determined and ruthless in its hate of the infidel. It becomes clear to the reader that although all people may have been born similar, they change with their upbringing. She shows how indoctrination combined with ignorance and xenophobia form people who feel neither compassion nor remorse. Theo Van Gough in vain tried to reason with his Islamic assassin as he lay bleeding on a street in Amsterdam; Ayaan Hirshi Ali comments that no matter what this Dutchman would have said – this man who lived in a democratic society and was confident of the power of reason – it would have made no difference to the Islamic fundamentalist raised in a culture that abhorred questioning and reasoning, whose only sentiments were blind obedience to his faith and hatred of the infidel. Hiershi Ali shuns political correctness and – in a voice as strong as it is desperate – calls for measures to promote learning and freedom of thinking among the people from her culture. This book is a must for all who live comfortably in the democratic world and prefer to believe that fundamentalist Islam is neither right nor wrong – it’s just another culture. (show less)

   

  by Teresa Ferguson on Dec 26, 2007 at 12:13PM

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  Shows you how much of a difference one person can make in the world, and what it can cost them. Amazingly brave woman.

   

   

  by Eric Downing on Jan 23, 2008 at 05:23AM

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