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kristinbutler's reviews
374 reviews
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
5.0
Someone left this book in my little library and it looked interesting. Without ever having heard of the author, I was completely drawn into her story. What a page turner. The horrific abuse she endured, her amazing flexibility and growing empowerment were inspirational.
In the same way that Jon Krakauer's " Under the banner of Heaven" exposed me to the abuse of women perpetrated in our own country, this was an eye opening book for me.
I can see why Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a controversial figure, in her unwavering commitment to sharing her truth and the truth for thousands, if not millions, of Muslim women. In a society where moral relativism and political correctness are celebrated, it will always be controversial to hear the voice of someone who has been trained to see the world in black and white and has the visceral knowledge of the dangers that implies for the modern world.
I understand why Ms Ali had to swing the pendulum so far in the opposite direction to find her peace. What was sad for me though, was her final complete rejection of her faith, Allah, and the idea of a hereafter. Ironically, she was never able to escape the the " all or nothing" attitude of the fundamentalists who took the Koran literally, as she had to reject almost everything she had been taught in order to expose the hypocrisy of the religion.
The bible too, if taken literally, is used as a dangerous tool to teach messages of intolerance .
Ultimately, as Ms. Ali so wisely notes, only those who can escape their mental cages, can experience full freedom. And while, to some degree, we are all chained to the wall of our small cave, this fundamentalist Muslim Somali woman's prison break was awe inspiring to me.
In the same way that Jon Krakauer's " Under the banner of Heaven" exposed me to the abuse of women perpetrated in our own country, this was an eye opening book for me.
I can see why Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a controversial figure, in her unwavering commitment to sharing her truth and the truth for thousands, if not millions, of Muslim women. In a society where moral relativism and political correctness are celebrated, it will always be controversial to hear the voice of someone who has been trained to see the world in black and white and has the visceral knowledge of the dangers that implies for the modern world.
I understand why Ms Ali had to swing the pendulum so far in the opposite direction to find her peace. What was sad for me though, was her final complete rejection of her faith, Allah, and the idea of a hereafter. Ironically, she was never able to escape the the " all or nothing" attitude of the fundamentalists who took the Koran literally, as she had to reject almost everything she had been taught in order to expose the hypocrisy of the religion.
The bible too, if taken literally, is used as a dangerous tool to teach messages of intolerance .
Ultimately, as Ms. Ali so wisely notes, only those who can escape their mental cages, can experience full freedom. And while, to some degree, we are all chained to the wall of our small cave, this fundamentalist Muslim Somali woman's prison break was awe inspiring to me.