Details
Synopsis
"Ultimately a celebration of triumph over adversity, Hirsi Ali's story tells how a bright little girl evolved out of dutiful obedience to become an outspoken, pioneering freedom fighter. As Western governments struggle to balance democratic ideals with religious pressures, no story could be timelier or more significant.--From publisher description."--From source other than the Library of Congress, Born in Somalia in a fundamentalist Islamic clan, Ayaan Hirsi Ali suffered under the misogynistic culture: she was beaten, forced to cover her hair at all times, and genitally mutilated by her grandmother. When her father, a revolutionary leader, arranged her marriage, Ali refused, and was disowned. She eventually fled to the Netherlands, where she managed to receive asylum. There she became an advocate for Muslim women's rights, a member of the Dutch parliament and, after 9/11, an atheist. For Ali, the Koran and the teachings of Muhammad are directly to blame for the mistreatment of women and for the Islamic culture of violence. This violence had a direct impact on Ali's life when the filmmaker Theo van Gogh was shot and stabbed to death in 2004 after directing a short film written by Ali about the abuse of women in Islam. Now, living under armed guard in America where she works for a conservative think tank (though she considers herself a staunch liberal), Ali has written her fascinating and controversial memoir, INFIDEL. The traumas of her childhood are vividly depicted, and her climb from political refugee to political leader is inspiring. Ali carefully delineates the incremental shifts in her beliefs and values to show how she has become the inflammatory and courageous woman she is today. Her critics accuse her of being as inflexible and intolerant in her views as the fundamentalists she attacks, but even those who resist Ali's claims should be intrigued by her life story.
| Size | | Length: | 353 pages | | Height: | 9.3 in | | Width: | 6.5 in | | Thickness: | 1.2 in | | Weight: | 18.4 oz |
Industry Reviews
"[T]his book is something more than an ordinary autobiography: In the tradition of Frederick Douglass or even John Stuart Mill, INFIDEL describes a unique intellectual journey....INFIDEL is a unique book, Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a unique writer, and both deserve to go far."
(02/04/2007)
"[L]ike Irshad Manji, she delivers a powerful feminist critique of Islam informed by a genuine understanding of the religion." (starred review)
(02/12/2007)
"Narrated in clear, vigorous prose... [a] brave, inspiring and beautifully written memoir."
(02/14/2007)
|
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
All rights reserved.
