Submission and degradation of women in the Muslim faith is certainly not a new or unrevealed topic, but this personal account by Hirsi Ali brings insight and understanding that one can not achieve through news articles and other written factual documentation. I applaud Ms. Ali for her courage to come forth and expose the errors of her former religion (which is no easy task) with the hope that the atrocities against Muslim women will eventually come to an end. Women of all faiths and nationalities should read this book and more like it to remind us that we still have a long way to go to accomplish true equality with men.

An incredible story by a gifted writer. One of the best books I have read in many years.

This book relates the heroic story of a young woman and her struggle to
live out her life in freedom. It starts with her terror at 5 yrs. old being held down and circumcised along with her sister and brother. This episode will haunt her the rest of her life. She then struggles to get an education and stands up for what she believes women are entitled to--freedom to pick the man they want to marry and freedom to choose a career in life. Her harrowing flight to escape an arranged marriage to a much older man is vividly detailed as she struggles to reach Holland and her asylum. Her life is threatened but she holds firm to her beliefs. She also reveals the Koran and its teachings that make women second class citizens. A fascinating and fast moving book about her life and struggles in the Moslem culture and her religious journey that eventually makes her an atheist.

[..]. This book is a real eye opener. I reveals much about the cultures and lives of people living in the Middle East, as well as parts of Africa such as Somalia, and the Netherlands. I really enjoyed reading this book as it was a great eye opener.

One of the most honest books I have ever read! Sometimes its very hard to read and stomach, but there is so much knowledge in the story. A story about religion, love, hate, struggle, success, and everything in between. Definately in my top ten favorite books of all time. Read it! It will make you look inside the box, and see whats really going on!

I was profoundly moved by this personal account of a life from childhood to civil war to living in a far off and strange land. The pros are simple and direct and while the events are dramatic there is no sense of melodrama in this story of personal triumph over unimaginable odds. Tribalism, religious extremism, subjugation of women, and brutality. I would recommend this book to anyone in search of a better understanding of Islam and life in Africa with emphasis on Somalia and Kenya.
Above all, this is a work of courage.

This is an excellent, well written and touching book. It opened up my eyes to the plight of Islamic women. If you think that slavery died with Abraham Lincoln, think again. Millions of women around the globe are subjugated and enslaved today. The biggest problem is that they may not even realize their predicament and so it is hard to change their thinking. Read the book!! Become informed and then speak up if you care or if you dare!!

What's to say? As fine a memoir as I've ever read. Ayaan is born in Somalia, one step removed from a life as a desert nomad. She quickly moves from being a diehard fundamentalist in Kenya & Saudi Arabia, to an Islamic apostate fleeing to the West, to a Dutch MP, to an international refugee in fear of her life. And she faces each challenge with a courage I can only envy. The wrtiting is clear and taut and as exciting as the best beach thriller. She is an inspiration.

I just finished reading Infidel, and I am inspired. This is a book that chronicles the intellectual development and moral honesty of one person who has had the power to influence an entire country...and possibly world.

For anyone who questions whether one person can make a difference in this world, Ali's answer is the story of her meteoric rise from destitute, half-educated lone immigrant to a country where she did not speak the language (Holland), to a self-made woman elected to high political office at a young age, just a few years later. And the book tells the story not in the manner of a fairy tale, but gives the details of the hard-fought battles that helped shape this woman of character and insight.

I was fascinated to see how Ali goes from accepting the dogma that religion is required to be moral, to being able to question the dogmas in her mind, and working out for herself what morality would mean on her terms, outside of religious dogmas.

Her honest questioning and thinking reminds me of another woman immigrant from an oppressive regime who became a thinker/writer and provocateur and burst on the scene in the 1940s...and who has impacted thinking in the United States: Ayn Rand.

I wonder if Ayaan has read Ayn's formulation of a full secular morality, or the serious academic books on the topic, such as Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist published by Cambridge University Press.

I'd be interested to learn what Ayaan thinks of Ayn, given their very different, but in a way similar, paths of independently forming their own ideas.

I liked this book very much, it provided a very clean look into the inner workings of Islam, and provided a great deal of insight into several other subject areas, for instance what is happening to Europe with the steady influx of refugees as governments collapse and reshape in both Africa and the Middle East. What seemed to really happen with the Somali government and why the situation has not repaired itself to date. This book is fun to read, I could see illustrations of good over evil. How she came about finding herself, and the rift that she had with her father, who was absent for a fair part of her life, her relationship with her mother and her attempts to save her sister from amongst other things, herself. This book is very much about a lady who overcame obstacles, both internal and external to become herself, an politician and a reasonable human being. She has done good things by writing this book and many of us who are not Muslim would do well to read this.

This remarkable woman has traveled the world, in time, space, and cultural dimensions in an epic journey worthy of Odysseus. Her memoir sheds much light on some of the central issues of today. Her journey commenced in one of the world's poorest non-states, Somalia, where allegiance to the tribe is paramount. The cruel rule of Siad Barre, an adherent of the communist ideology, eventually disintegrated into tribal civil war, the worst kind of war, and she wisely fled the country with her family, seeking refuge first in Saudi Arabia, to avoid the war with Ethiopia, later in Kenya to avoid the civil war. Her father was very active politically, in opposition to Barre, and as so many in that role, clearly neglected his familial obligations. She honestly discusses her tumultuous relationship with her mother. Her culture affected her profoundly, both with the anti-female dogma that imprisons a woman in her mind, and physically -- she was subjected to female sexual mutilation.

I found Chapter 6, "Doubt and Defiance" powerful as she first begins to question some the dogma that she has been fed since birth. She is drawn to the fundamentalist message espoused by Boqol Sawm, and a milder version espoused by Sister Aziza. She identifies one of the basic causes for the appeal of fundamentalism - the social network, and their honest behavior that serves as a stark counterpoint to the corrupt Westernized elite. She was able to personally experience the hypocrisy of so many preachers (be they religious or secular) when her friend Abshir would preach his sermons of sin, and then proceed to kiss her afterwards. The section on rescuing some refugees from the Somalia-Kenya border was heartbreaking.

Almost certainly the most critical decision she made in her life was to flee a forced marriage, and seek refuge in the Netherlands. She undertook this courageous decision, and implemented it essentially without any support. She is stunned by the orderliness and functionality of this "infidel" country, and broadens her outlook first as an interpreter, latter, she graduates from the prestigious Univ. of Leiden. In the end she rejects the faith of her birth, and makes a short movie, entitled Submission I, with the anti-female verses in the Koran painted on the bodies of semi-clad women. This lead to the brutal murder of Theo van Gogh by a Muslim fanatic. She is the target of numerous death threats herself, receives heavy security from the Dutch police, and in a sad ironic twist to her life, is stripped of her Dutch citizenship, and must seek refuge in America.

Whew! An incredible journey, with enough transitions to exhaust several lifetimes of "future shock." It is only natural that alter boys who have been sexually abused by Catholic priests, or Mormons who have fled the strictures of their religion, and are labeled "apostates," to reserve their primary animus for the religion that has abused them. So too in Ms. Ali's case. She reserves much anger for those who say: "but on the other hand.....", for example, p270, "Infuriatingly stupid analysts--especially people who called themselves Arabists, yet who seemed to know next to nothing about the reality of the Islamic world--wrote reams of commentary. Their articles were all about Islam saving Aristotle and the zero..... These were fairy tales, nothing to do with the real world I knew."

As she finds herself in yet another world, with her critical intellect, might it be possible that she do a "Submission II"? Imagine the verses of the Bible that are both despicably cruel and anti-female painted on female bodies. There is no shortage of them: Leviticus 21:9, on the requirement to burn prostitutes; Deuteronomy 22:23, on stoning a virgin who was "in town" and had sex; Leviticus 20:18 on the exiling of a married couple for having sex during her period. That is a very short list, all believed to be the absolute word of God, by fundamentalist Christians and Jews. She might also realize that religion is only one mechanism for keeping "women in their place." She might read Susan Faludi's seminal book, "Backlash--The Undeclared War Against American Women." "Islam" is not in the index to this book. Most of what Ms. Faludi painfully documents has nothing to do with any religion--mainly it is secular actions that have been taken to keep the women down--in America, certainly including removing the Equal Rights Amendment from American political discourse.

In terms of those "Infuriatingly stupid analysts," who raise inconvenient questions like: Why have Muslim countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia all had women in the number one political leadership position, yet the United States and France never have?; she might articulate an answer other than we are stupid.

She concludes her book with: "But to me, there is far worse moral corruption in Islamic countries. In those societies, cruelty is implacable and inequality is the law of the land. Dissidents are tortured (!)... (Exclamation point added) p350. She might want to read Robert Sheer's "Cri de Coeur" on America's open adoption of torture, and endless imprisonment without charge as published on TruthDig. She now works for the American Enterprise Institute, the very heartland of the neocon ideology of the promotion of endless war (see the excellent BBC documentary, "The Power of Nightmares.") The AEI has some of the most prominent neocons on their staff: Irving Kristol, Richard Pearle, Paul Wolfowitz and perhaps most infamously, John Yoo, who is the principal architect of providing the legal basis, and absolution from prosecution, for torture.

I'm rooting for her. The journey is not complete. She can revisit her Chapter 6, "Doubt and Defiance," with the neocon tribe, and realize their own "black and white" ideology of cruel, endless war against the other to be, in large measure, the flip side of those Islamic fanatics that she so rightly detests. I might even suggest a title for her next book: "What I discussed around the water cooler with John Yoo?"

This remarkable woman has traveled the world, in time, space, and cultural dimensions in an epic journey worthy of Odysseus. Her memoir sheds much light on some of the central issues of today. Her journey commenced in one of the world's poorest non-states, Somalia, where allegiance to the tribe is paramount. The cruel rule of Siad Barre, an adherent of the communist ideology, eventually disintegrated into tribal civil war, the worst kind of war, and she wisely fled the country with her family, seeking refuge first in Saudi Arabia, to avoid the war with Ethiopia, later in Kenya to avoid the civil war. Her father was very active politically, in opposition to Barre, and as so many in that role, clearly neglected his familial obligations. She honestly discusses her tumultuous relationship with her mother. Her culture affected her profoundly, both with the anti-female dogma that imprisons a woman in her mind, and physically -- she was subjected to female sexual mutilation.

I found Chapter 6, "Doubt and Defiance" powerful as she first begins to question some the dogma that she has been fed since birth. She is drawn to the fundamentalist message espoused by Boqol Sawm, and a milder version espoused by Sister Aziza. She identifies one of the basic causes for the appeal of fundamentalism - the social network, and their honest behavior that serves as a stark counterpoint to the corrupt Westernized elite. She was able to personally experience the hypocrisy of so many preachers (be they religious or secular) when her friend Abshir would preach his sermons of sin, and then proceed to kiss her afterwards. The section on rescuing some refugees from the Somalia-Kenya border was heartbreaking.

Almost certainly the most critical decision she made in her life was to flee a forced marriage, and seek refuge in the Netherlands. She undertook this courageous decision, and implemented it essentially without any support. She is stunned by the orderliness and functionality of this "infidel" country, and broadens her outlook first as an interpreter, latter, she graduates from the prestigious Univ. of Leiden. In the end she rejects the faith of her birth, and makes a short movie, entitled Submission I, with the anti-female verses in the Koran painted on the bodies of semi-clad women. This lead to the brutal murder of Theo van Gogh by a Muslim fanatic. She is the target of numerous death threats herself, receives heavy security from the Dutch police, and in a sad ironic twist to her life, is stripped of her Dutch citizenship, and must seek refuge in America.

Whew! An incredible journey, with enough transitions to exhaust several lifetimes of "future shock." It is only natural that alter boys who have been sexually abused by Catholic priests, or Mormons who have fled the strictures of their religion, and are labeled "apostates," to reserve their primary animus for the religion that has abused them. So too in Ms. Ali's case. She reserves much anger for those who say: "but on the other hand.....", for example, p270, "Infuriatingly stupid analysts--especially people who called themselves Arabists, yet who seemed to know next to nothing about the reality of the Islamic world--wrote reams of commentary. Their articles were all about Islam saving Aristotle and the zero..... These were fairy tales, nothing to do with the real world I knew."

As she finds herself in yet another world, with her critical intellect, might it be possible that she do a "Submission II"? Imagine the verses of the Bible that are both despicably cruel and anti-female painted on female bodies. There is no shortage of them: Leviticus 21:9, on the requirement to burn prostitutes; Deuteronomy 22:23, on stoning a virgin who was "in town" and had sex; Leviticus 20:18 on the exiling of a married couple for having sex during her period. That is a very short list, all believed to be the absolute word of God, by fundamentalist Christians and Jews. She might also realize that religion is only one mechanism for keeping "women in their place." She might read Susan Faludi's seminal book, "Backlash--The Undeclared War Against American Women." "Islam" is not in the index to this book. Most of what Ms. Faludi painfully documents has nothing to do with any religion--mainly it is secular actions that have been taken to keep the women down--in America, certainly including removing the Equal Rights Amendment from American political discourse.

In terms of those "Infuriatingly stupid analysts," who raise inconvenient questions like: Why have Muslim countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia all had women in the number one political leadership position, yet the United States and France never have?; she might articulate an answer other than we are stupid.

She concludes her book with: "But to me, there is far worse moral corruption in Islamic countries. In those societies, cruelty is implacable and inequality is the law of the land. Dissidents are tortured (!)... (Exclamation point added) p350. She might want to read Robert Sheer's "Cri de Coeur" on America's open adoption of torture, and endless imprisonment without charge ([...]). She now works for the American Enterprise Institute, the very heartland of the neocon ideology of the promotion of endless war (see the excellent BBC documentary, "The Power of Nightmares.") The AEI has some of the most prominent neocons on their staff: Irving Kristol, Richard Pearle, Paul Wolfowitz and perhaps most infamously, John Yoo, who is the principal architect of providing the legal basis, and absolution from prosecution, for torture.

I'm rooting for her. The journey is not complete. She can revisit her Chapter 6, "Doubt and Defiance," with the neocon tribe, and realize their own "black and white" ideology of cruel, endless war against the other to be, in large measure, the flip side of those Islamic fanatics that she so rightly detests. I might even suggest a title for her next book: "What I discussed around the water cooler with John Yoo?"

Ayaan Hirsi Ali's 'Infidel' evokes comparison with 'The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man', each an eloquent and painful story of a soul yearning to be free, striving to overcome the crushing oppression of totalitarian religion. Hirsi Ali was born into the clan-based culture of 1969 Somalia, a culture that values family and clan honor above all else, in which a daughter is esteemed for her submission to her father, as is a wife to her husband. The theme of submission runs deep in this book. (The word 'Islam' means 'submission'). The ideal woman is one who negates herself for the benefit of others, who passively accepts life inside the 'mental cage' as Hirsi Ali calls it. The brutal and traumatic violence that enforces this culture is described graphically: battered wives, young girls 'sewn shut', rape, 'honor' killings of unmarried women who become pregnant. And, as Hirsi Ali, points out, the tragedy is not limited to the female half of the population: women living in fear of violence in this life as well as of Islam's Hell in the next raise stunted children. But Hirsi Ali was able to survive and eventually flourish in the Netherlands. She gained Dutch citizenship and took up the cause of the rights of Muslim women as a member of parliament. But speaking the truth has cost her dearly: estrangement from her family, and the murder of her friend and collaborator Theo van Gogh, the Dutch filmmaker with whom she made a film about women and Islam. Her book, though, isn't angry. She simply wants others in the Muslim world to search for the truth, recognize it when they find it, and then speak it without fear.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali's 'Infidel' evokes comparison to 'The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man', each an eloquent and painful story of a soul yearning to be free, striving to overcome the crushing oppression of totalitarian religion. Hirsi Ali was born into the clan-based culture of 1969 Somalia, a culture that values family and clan honor above all else, in which a daughter is esteemed for her submission to her father, as is a wife to her husband. The theme of submission runs deep in this book. (The word 'Islam' means 'submission'). The ideal woman is one who negates herself for the benefit of others, who passively accepts life inside the 'mental cage' as Hirsi Ali calls it. The brutal and traumatic violence that enforces this culture is described graphically: battered wives, young girls being 'sewn shut', rape, 'honor' killings of unmarried women who become pregnant. And, as Hirsi Ali, points out, the tragedy is not limited to the female half of the population: women living in fear of violence in this life as well as of Islam's Hell in the next raise stunted children. But Hirsi Ali was able to survive and eventually flourish in the Netherlands. She eventually gained Dutch citizenship and took up the cause of the rights of Muslim women as a member of parliament. But speaking the truth has cost her dearly: estrangement from her family, and the murder of her friend and collaborator Theo van Gogh, the Dutch filmmaker with whom she made a film about women and Islam. Her book, though, isn't angry. She simply wants others in the Muslim world to do what she did: search for the truth, recognize it when they find it, and then speak of it without fear.

A lot of reviewers seem to be reviewing the author or her politics, rather than this book.

With minimal attention to the validity of Hirsi Ali's politics, or her character, Infidel is an excellent autobiography for a number of reasons:

Infidel is extremely readable. The pace is balanced between dramatic page-turning moments and slower more pensive sections. The scale is very human throughout, as well as very personal, even when discussing issues of Dutch national politics. From the first page, it's about Hirsi Ali's sense of identity, and her lifelong struggle with that sense. This is why it remains a good autobio, and a bad 'manifesto' or political treatise.

Hirsi Ali's tone throughout is fairly humble. It's easy to tell that she is extremely stubborn, outspoken, and arrogant... and most of her stories do reflect well on her, or highlight her victimization. But at the same time, she owns up to actions of which she now disapproves, and does include stories that reflect poorly on her. The result is that I 'liked' her the whole time, which is a good quality in an autobiography.

In a way that's unusual for an autobio, Infidel builds up on itself. Stories that seem tangential are shown to have pertinence later, without a disruption to the narrative or an explicit connect-the-dots. The result is that I feel that I understand the decades-long experience that have made Hirsi Ali who she is, and what she stands for. Regardless of whether or not I like her politics or agree with her, having read Infidel, I can understand *why* she is where she is.

Finally, it's a compelling read because the story is bigger than one woman. Although she keeps the focus on her own experience, a large part of her personal motivation came from seeing that her own level of physical and mental abuse was not unique in her community. This expands the autobio to be reflective of a larger group - not all muslim women, but a sizable number of them. As is clearly Hirsi Ali's intent, this provokes a lot of thought and discussion amongst readers. Whether this makes for a 'better' autobio or a 'worse' one is debatable, but it is certainly a more powerful/impactful/weighty book as a result.


An excellent read!

This book was very enlightening, and showed the struggled and bravery of one woman against the extreme conditions found in the Muslim world.

The book gives excellent detail into the living conditions and cultures of the Moslem counries 1n some mid east countries. It shows what terrible attitudes and behaviors women in those countries live under. They are little more than property to be used and abused and the book gives details that really illustrate what happens there. Everyone should read this book

I raced through this autobiography by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. It is well written.
Ms. Ali introduces the reader to Islam through the context of her life, rather than using a dry journalistic or didactic method. In many ways, this book is not easy reading. It is graphic but not gratuitous. The book for me was an eye-opener.

In this impressive memoir, Ayaan Hirsi Ali provides readers with an examination of her past and the intelligent, insightful revelations and reflections to has led her to regarding Islam and its treatment of women. She provides a remarkably balanced perspective, compassionate even to people who have done her many fierce wrongs. Amazingly honest and articulate, she provides a rare view inside the Muslim world, making it accessible to non-Muslims of every world view. If you haven't seen Submission, the film she co-produced with Theo Van Gogh, it's available here:[...].

I, as a Muslim, got this book in the hope of understanding why this women left the teachings of Islam behind her. Well, I'm fortunate that I could not relate to her expeince yet felt so sad that there are actual people who suffer this due to the ignorant, uneducated, and extremist society they live in. It definitely brought to my attention how third world countries misinterpret the teachings of Islam and treat women in such inferior ways. I'd say this book is a must read but however readers should not take it as principle to how Muslim women are living their lives. In fact I do recommend that readers research how Muslim women are treated in more developed countries like the Arabian Gulf and particularly Qatar to get what this women really had to suffer and understand my compassion to her.

I'm a muslim women when I read this book I was not only touched but very upset how in other countries this religion is being abused...my heart goes out to Ali and other woman and children..this is a must read as well as Slave my true story..Ali you are a brave,smart, and courgious woman...I not only admire you..but you are brave!!!!! you represent WOMAN!!!

My curiosity has been fed about Ayaan Hirsi Ali. When I browsed the bookstore looking for another captivating book to read, I came across her book cover, which did interest me, but it was her story that intrigued me. Who is this woman? Who is this Infidel?

Through her words and imagery, I traveled throughout the vast lands of Africa from Somalia to Kenya and all the way to Europe. Her story is a journey not just physical but also a spiritual and intellectual journey. This novel explored her upbringing in Africa as a child of the Muslim faith. As in any faith, we are naïve to what is beyond the teachings that are passed down to us through interpreters. Children are dared not to question the prevalent contradictions that exist within organized religions and they are definitely not allowed to question the purpose of certain customs and rituals that as in some cultures are connected to the core of one's faith. Ayaan's soul began to question her surroundings as her eyes began to open to the ugly truth of her faith however her questions were not tolerated as a Muslim (or as in any other religious system the only difference is that you can suffer by death for your inquiries). It is generally believed that if you are questioning the precepts of one's faith then you are allowing satanic influences to steer you from the "Straight Path" which is an abomination to you and to the honor of your family--your dedication to your faith should be unequivocal and be a complete submission to Allah.

Ayaan could have shunned her growing feelings of doubt about her faith but she chose not to for her own self-betterment and in the name of truth. Her quest to discovering the truths of being a Muslim and its doctrines wasn't an easy path because Ayaan truly loved her faith, her family and her culture. As she progressed from childhood to adulthood with these burning questions, she longed for her freedom from the constraints of this paternalistic, clan-segregated society. She wanted more and sought her freedom in Europe. She courageously established her new beginning in Holland and soon obtained her Dutch citizenship. She lived the immigrants' dream to become a productive member of a new society. She became educated and was a hard worker--staying connected to immigrants from Somalia she served as a translator. However she began to see the same violence exhibited back home from where she ran away from at the doorsteps of Holland--her new home. The violence that she saw were Muslim girls and women repeatedly being abused, and even killed by their families and husbands in the name of Allah. Women were not only physically abused but deprived of independent thought, choice of freedom and equality. The Dutch government was unaware of this problem soon to become an ever-growing trend of violence that would forever change the religious, political and economic landscape of their society.

She couldn't stand for this! Ayaan pledged to bring awareness to the Dutch about this but before she could go on her crusade for justice she had to arm herself with the social and political history of Holland and the world. She later entered the political arena and was a new voice with vigor. She captivated society's attention--good and bad. When she became a member of parliament (historic!), she reveled this opportunity to influence change and introduce new legislation bringing to light the realities of the abuse crisis and the violence overtures of the Muslim teachings. However, her term in parliament was marred by death threats and murder of a confidant leaving Ayaan feeling like a prisoner in her own skin as she was constantly being relocated.

Her story doesn't end on the very last page--it simply begins a new chapter as she continues her journey to the United States to engage in intellectual discourse on the Muslim truth.

Sensational book, should be read by everyone. She articulates
the divide between Islam and the West better than anyone
else writing on the subject, because she has lived it.

A very timely release considering the bald-faced lies from the Muslim heads. This book reveals that Islam is anything but a religion of peace, as told by a woman that personally lived all the hate, discrimination, chaos and violence of the Muslim world. A must read for all in the West, especially women.

A revealing and insightful book by a courageous woman. I wrote in my novel Standup Comedian: The Secret and Beyond "Believing God condones inhumanity is foolish. Believing God needs a man's help to run the world is vanity."

Sadly, in the West such thinking still exists, but sadder still is how deeply such rot permeates thinking, or should I say, lack of thinking, in other areas. Show me a third world country and I will show you a country that doesn't educate their women. Half the mind power of such nations is wasted.

Fortunately for mankind Ayaan Hirsi Ali escaped and is free to speak out against discrimination; sexual, religious, political,and racial. Everyone should read this book.

Kenneth Ray Taylor author of Beyond the Shadow of Death: Book One of the Adam Eden Series

Ms. Hirsi Ali is an amazing woman and at the top of my list of heroes. She struggled against religious oppression and sexism by leaving her home, her family, her community, her country. Having developed an exemplary life and career in the Netherlands, She learned English, became a member of the Dutch parliament, yet she didn't sit back and enjoy her new life of freedom, which she had worked so hard and risked her life to attain. Instead, she became an articulate writer speaking out against Islam, making her a target for murder by radical Islamists and causing her to have to leave the Netherlands and live her life under armed guard. She did this in an attempt to educate others about the reality of Islam and to speak out on behalf of women, who are enslaved within Islamic countries because of religious beliefs. Ms. Hirsi Ali is a hero for sacrificing her own freedom in an effort to end the enslavement of others. The book is a real eye opener and a must read if one wishes insight into the Middle East.

I found Infidel absolutely riveting! The early mapping of clans, and their names was somewhat difficult to follow, but necessary to the story line. This woman speaks the unspeakable which nearly cost her her life and still may. She makes us realize that just the ability to think and have opinions is not a right, it's a privlege we westerners take for granted. She is an inspiration in honesty and courage that sets the bar very high for the rest of us.

If you're interested in an inside look at the way Muslim women are viewed and treated, this is a book you need to read. Ayaan Ali's writing is engaging from the first sentence. Although many of her experiences were shocking and sad, she doesn't wallow in self pity. She's a woman to be admired for telling the truth about a controversial subject.

I found this book to be spell binding. It is the best explanation of Islam and it's role in society today that I've ever read. I think it should be required reading in high schools and universities all over American.

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali is the perfect out-look into a very different, intriguing life-style. Ayaan Hirsi cleary illustrates what her life was like growing up and living as a Muslim woman.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is now known as a woman who has received threats for her life after she openly left the religion of Islam behind her, and argued about Muslim ways. However, after reading Infidel, it is evident that she wasn't always like this. In fact, you might be surprised at how religious Ayaan Hirsi Ali was growing up. She was a strong follower of Islam in her youth, she prayed to Allah five times a day, facing the holy city of Mecca. During her teenage years, rules of Islam were drilled into her head. For example, she learned that she in no way was superior to any male, and that she needed to cover her body, because if she didn't, she was committing a sin by tempting men with her looks. She was at first afraid to deny her religion. The Quran that she believed in told her hell was, "sores, boiling water, peeling skin, burning flesh, dissolving bowels, the everlasting fire that burns you forever, for as your flesh chars and your juices boil, your form a new skin. These details overpower you, ensuring that you will obey (Ayaan Hirsi Ali)."
After reading this book, there is a certain insight to Ayaan Hirsi Ali's life. It's clear that there are reasons for how she is today. In Infidel, the most interesting part of the book was when she went into depth about how she was treated. She told the brutal truth about every aspect of her life. After reading this book, it was so easy to respect her. She had so many difficult times in her life, from being outcast from her family for not marrying someone, to being beat so hard her scull was cracked. Although the book was very well written, there were some parts that didn't seem to work well in the book. For example, Ayaan Hirsi Ali included several insignificant details that did not deal with her main ideas. This made it difficult to read, along with the fact that she jumped around a lot, and had so many characters that it often became unclear who she was talking about. In the end, Infidel was definitely a book worth reading. It will change the reader's look on their life and the world in general.

Our local book club (Book Babes) discussed Infidel at great length at our last meeting. Half loved it, half were disturbed by it. The former heralded Ayann for her self determination, courage and willingness to place her life on the line for the good of Muslim women. The consensus was to find a way to stand up for downtrodden women. The latter didn't want to know about the mistreatment of women.

I rushed through this book, as without question Ayaan Hirsi Ali has had an incredible life which touches on so much of modern history through 2 continents. Yet she walked a fine line for me, as I found her to be more self-righteous than self-examining. After her public statements against Allah in Holland ignited a backlash and much violence, did she wonder whether head-on confrontation was the ideal or most productive way to create the changes in the religion which can empower Muslim women? I also found that when speaking on a general level, she was the biggest defender of Muslim women, but when speaking of the Muslim regufees and immigrants she encountered in Holland (many who were also women), her compassion fell short and she was more condescending.
Definitely a complex woman and a fascinating story. And her perspective will leave you thinking.

This book is an insiders profoundly honest look at the parts of Islam that are tearing the modern world apart and that westerners must understand to truly deal with the impact. I have often thought that Islam needs to go through the same reformation that finally took the corrupted goals out of the Catholic church when they forced similar brutalities on people's of other faiths in terms of justifying murdering non believers. No religion who does this honors their God. This book is wonderfully written and the author beyond courageous for both her journey and her decision to shine a light on an area of Islam that must be reformed in order for peace to come to all nations.

I picked up this book after reading about Ayaan Hirsi Ali through the popular press. What little I knew of her was that she stood as a profile of courage in the Dutch parliament and that she had worked closely with Theo Van Gough on their film "Submission". Her book takes you thru her life, from living as a young girl in Somalia to her eventual emigration to the United States. It is beautifully written and is both heartbreaking and inspiring.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is undoubtedly a very controversial figure. Her position as a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a neoconservative think tank, often results in some on the left dismissing or not taking seriously her criticisms of Islam and the way women are treated in Islamic societies. However, to dismiss her or her real-life accounts would be a huge mistake and there is something to be learned in her memoir "Infidel" no matter where you fall on the political spectrum. At the same time, when reading this book, one should be aware that she gets more support from people who are anti-Islam than she does from Muslims or even Muslim women.

This book excels in providing a personal description and perspective on growing up in Somalia. Her descriptions of her family and clan relationships as well as her discussion of school and significant events in her life, such as the forced circumcision of herself as well as her brother and sister can be difficult to read, but are important to understand that these types of relationships and events are common in far too many places. It is also interesting from the perspective of learning about the different countries in which she lived and how things differed from a cultural and religious perspective.

The book is split into two sections: the first one covers her time as a willing participant in her family. This is her early life, as she moved from Somalia to Saudi Arabia to Ethiopia to Kenya and so forth. She provides an interesting and personal look at her family's life in each of those countries and the problems they faced in each of them. In addition to the horrible account of her and her siblings forced circumcision, she also covers her first marriage/non-marriage and her forced marriage to a Somalian man who lived in Canada and her trip to Germany to await clearance to proceed on to Canada. It was there that she decided to take control of her own life and that is where this section ends.

In the second section, she discusses her initial reaction and adjusting attitude to living in the west. She talks about why she felt she had to lie to try to get asylum in the Netherlands as she was trying to avoid being found by her husband and their clan. Her husband and clan do eventually catch up with her, but after they state the reasons why she should go with her husband, she is still allowed to say no, but this does sever her ties with her clan, and ultimately her father as well as he replies to her note asking for forgiveness and understanding with a very hurtful reply in which he cuts off communications with her and tells her to "Go to Hell!"

In this section, she is increasingly drawn towards learning about western society, yet fears that it may be compromising her own faith. She struggles with both her family and her friends, especially her sister whose tragic story does at least serve to reunite Ayaan with her father. Ayaan makes a return trip to Kenya under difficult circumstances, but decides it is her last. She starts to make real decisions in her life, including to pursue a political science degree against the advice of others and to become a citizen of the Netherlands. After 9/11 the conflicts between her upbringing and experiences in the west result in her leaving Islam behind and becoming an atheist.

The second section also covers her emergence as a public figure. At first, working at a think tank for the labor party, and then speaking on television she enraged part of the Muslim community and found it necessary to come for a while to the United States. She then found herself recruited by the Liberal party to return to the Netherlands and to be one of their candidates and ultimately be elected. Her outspoken criticisms of Islam resulted in her being targeted by radicals, and her making of a short film "Submission: Part One" would result in the murder of its director Theo van Gogh. The other key part in this section involves her near loss of Dutch citizenship, which was initially revoked, and then restored. Although, she was already looking to come to the United States at the time, the loss of her citizenship in the Netherlands could have caused her a great deal of difficulty in coming to America, and also could have put her life at risk.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali's story is a very interesting one, and this book is definitely one which is worth reading. Many of the events are horrible, but they need to be discussed as it is important to know that these types of events still take place regularly outside the West, or in the case of honor killings even in the west. While you may or may not agree with her position on Islam, it is certainly isn't a subject which should be taboo or which people should be afraid to discuss.

I was a little dubious about this story when I first picked it up ... But as the story went on I could not believe my reactions. I don't think I have cried so much not have I ever felt so many emotions in reading a a book. The mind blowing thing is that this is a TRUE story... not a fairytale. -
I have such admiration and am in such awe of this woman. She has gone through so much and maintained her dignity and determination.
However, I don't feel she can say that ALL MUSLIMS behave in the way she describes. I do understand that there needs to be a Muslim revolution of types in the way they treat women - but again not all Muslim are guilty of this.I personally know a couple of muslim families. One family from former Yugoslavia don't even wear the hijab! In Another family (Iranian) - the wife wears the head scarf but is not in anyway abused or down trodden!
These people may be just a drop in the ocean ..... but nevertheless.... READ THIS BOOK. It will make anyone Grateful to live in the U.S or any other wester country.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is an amazing woman. For the first time in a long time, I was so proud to be a woman after reading a book, just because she's done such inspiring things with her life. The book highlights gender differences in the Muslim world, but it should resonate with any woman who is faced with the day-to-day struggles of adulthood. I would recommend this to anyone but most especially to young women. This is an author who can serve as a role model to us all.

This book was so well-written that I didn't even realize I was being educated on the history of the complicated country that is Somalia. Hirsi brings to light how women in Islam are really being treated, but also how they are raised to submit to this treatment as their fate. I learned a lot about Islam. I could barely put it down until I reached the last page. Then I read it again. She inspired me to become educated on the forgotten continent of Africa, as well as the current situation between western Europe and its immigrants.