BOOK REVIEW: [5 STARS] What can I say? I loved this book and fell in love with Ayaan Hirsi Ali! Having lived in Somalia for two years in another life, this revealing–often-shocking–and fascinating memoir on African culture and Islam touched a chord deep within. I thought I had learned Somali Muslim culture when I lived there, but the book kept showing me what I learned while working as an aid worker was only the tip of the iceberg.
The high point is definitely her struggle to overcome her religious/cultural tradition, wrest free from her family’s and her religion’s narrow expectations, and enter the modern world as a liberated and open-minded woman. She tells the story of the struggle to overcome fundamentalist Islamic thinking to forge a progressive faith and worldview. Whereas other Muslim women on similar journeys like Irshad Manji and Ani Zonnefeld landed on and now promote a reformed version of Islam, Hirsi Ali becomes an atheist, the epitome of an “infidel.” Whatever your faith or lack-of-faith position, hers is a highly engaging and eye-opening journey. Don’t miss Infidel.