Infidel

This book was just absolutely heartbreaking. No woman should go through what Ayaan Hirsi Ali did: a broken home, genital mutilation, a mother who took out her rage on her children, an oppressive society, civil war, a forced marriage and then being a refugee in an alien country. Yet, despite all this she came out stronger, sure of herself AND a member of the Dutch parliament. Incredibly inspiring. One can sense Ayaan's anger at the injustice that she and her fellow women suffered under the unfair religious and cultural values that were imposed on them.

It left me wondering whether the Somali culture can change, which I hope it can. It also left me with despair that religion can be such a powerful tool to oppress and silence people, with women being the biggest victims of it all.

Islam has become a subject no one anywhere can afford to ignore any longer. Although discussion of it has certainly increased in the West, all too often the debate is ruled by racism, ignorance or, most often, politically correct dogma.

As a woman who grew up under Islamic oppression, once a true believer and member of the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood, who through rational thought and a desire for freedom and equality transcended the totalitarian ideology she was brought up with, Ayaan Hirsi Ali is uniquely qualified to make us aware of the threat that Islam poses to human rights everywhere. I cannot applaud her courage enough.

This book should be required reading for anyone who wishes to have an informed opinion about Islam.

There is a dangerous tendency among civilized peoples to overcompensate for our richness: we've got it good, we have a responsibility to help others, but oh we shouldn't judge their cultures. In the chilling second half of this book Ayaan Hirsi Ali demonstrates, with vivid first-hand experience, just how spectacularly that can backfire. What if, I wonder, what if we had some sort of historical example we could point to—something within living memory, say—as a canonical example of appeasement not working?

This is an insightful, informative, and deeply disturbing book that not enough people will read. Who wants to hear that Islam is evil, that we should be careful in how we welcome Muslims into our (Western) countries? That's what the right-wingers say, and we want nothing in common with them! Well, dear one, will you listen to an ex-Muslim? More than that, a woman? Ali grew up Muslim in Somalia, with everything that entails: FGM, subservience, shame, abuse we can't imagine. I dare you to read this book without tears. Ali was lucky: she questioned, survived, then thrived. Now, at tremendous risk to her life, she warns us: Islam is intrinsically evil. It is incompatible with civilization. Why can't we acknowledge or even question that in polite conversation? Ali is speaking out, trying to make sure we address that problem before it's too late.

While I'm at it: Christianity too is a dangerous, evil superstition. We should do something about it before bands of ignorant, brainwashed Fox-watchers elect a hate-spewing moron to high office.