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A review by bhavani
In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom by Qanta Ahmed
3.0
Rating: 3.5
Fed a steady diet of anti-Muslim sentiments from family, friends, and media, I started reading this book with a lot of prejudice and preconceived notions on what it means to be a Muslim, especially a Muslim woman, and what life is like in Saudi Arabia. I finished it feeling a mixture of enlightenment, confusion, and the sense that there is so much I don't know about the world around me.
Truth be told, I wrote down some paragraphs that made an impact on me and my thoughts of them But now, I'm not really keen to write down those thoughts in a review and I'm not even sure why...However, I can do a better job at writing about the things I had learned from this book. The list includes:
1) The history of the Kingdom and how it came to be under King Abdul Aziz over a hundred years ago - through strategic alliances achieved through negotiation, polygamy, and enforced militarism by Ikhwan, the more violent predecessor to modern-day Mutawaeen.
2) Quranic verses and Hadiths, especially those related to women's rights
3) The rituals and practices required during Hajj
All in all, this book is a great introduction to life within the Kingdom and definitely a recommended read.
Fed a steady diet of anti-Muslim sentiments from family, friends, and media, I started reading this book with a lot of prejudice and preconceived notions on what it means to be a Muslim, especially a Muslim woman, and what life is like in Saudi Arabia. I finished it feeling a mixture of enlightenment, confusion, and the sense that there is so much I don't know about the world around me.
Truth be told, I wrote down some paragraphs that made an impact on me and my thoughts of them But now, I'm not really keen to write down those thoughts in a review and I'm not even sure why...However, I can do a better job at writing about the things I had learned from this book. The list includes:
1) The history of the Kingdom and how it came to be under King Abdul Aziz over a hundred years ago - through strategic alliances achieved through negotiation, polygamy, and enforced militarism by Ikhwan, the more violent predecessor to modern-day Mutawaeen.
2) Quranic verses and Hadiths, especially those related to women's rights
3) The rituals and practices required during Hajj
All in all, this book is a great introduction to life within the Kingdom and definitely a recommended read.