Infidel - Softcover

Hirsi Ali, Ayaan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0743289692 ISBN 13: 9780743289696

Publisher: Atria Books, 2008

Synopsis

One of today’s most admired and controversial political figures, Ayaan Hirsi Ali burst into international headlines following the murder of Theo van Gogh by an Islamist who threatened that she would be next. She made headlines again when she was stripped of her citizenship and resigned from the Dutch Parliament.

Infidel shows the coming of age of this distinguished political superstar and champion of free speech as well as the development of her beliefs, iron will, and extraordinary determination to fight injustice. Raised in a strict Muslim family, Hirsi Ali survived civil war, female mutilation, brutal beatings, adolescence as a devout believer during the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, and life in four troubled, unstable countries ruled largely by despots. She escaped from a forced marriage and sought asylum in the Netherlands, where she earned a college degree in political science, tried to help her tragically depressed sister adjust to the West, and fought for the rights of Muslim women and the reform of Islam as a member of Parliament. Under constant threat, demonized by reactionary Islamists and politicians, disowned by her father, and expelled from family and clan, she refuses to be silenced.

Ultimately a celebration of triumph over adversity, Hirsi Ali’s story tells how a bright little girl evolves out of dutiful obedience to become an outspoken, pioneering freedom fighter. As Western governments struggle to balance democratic ideals with religious pressures, no other book could be more timely or more significant.

About this title

About the Author:

Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, was raised Muslim, and spent her childhood and young adulthood in Africa and Saudi Arabia. In 1992, Hirsi Ali came to the Netherlands as a refugee. She earned her college degree in political science and worked for the Dutch Labor party. She denounced Islam after the September 11 terrorist attacks and now serves as a Dutch parliamentarian, fighting for the rights of Muslim women in Europe, the enlightenment of Islam, and security in the West.

From AudioFile:

To hear this powerful story read by the woman who lived it is a life-changing experience. Ali survived civil war and mutilation to become an international spokeswoman for Islamic reform, especially with respect to womens rights. Her escape from Saudi Arabia and Somalia to the free-thinking Netherlands is stark in its incomprehensible contrasts and sometimes darkly amusing in its misunderstandings of cultural differences. Ali earned a political science degree and became the first Muslim member of the Dutch parliament. She worked with Theo Van Gogh on the film SUBMISSION before he was assassinated by a fanatical Muslim terrorist who objected to the film. Alis thick accent makes some words unintelligible, but her acuity and vigor counterbalance this to make the listener all the more in awe of her. B.H.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Atria Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0743289692
• ISBN 13: 9780743289696
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384