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Embracing the Infidel: Stories of Muslim Migrants on the Journey West

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I agree with the other reviewers that this is a wonderful and beautifully written book, but it is also quite honest about the flaws in both Western and Islamic societies. One theme that comes up again and again, is the epidemic of heroin addiction in Iran. Iran is close to the source of much of the heroin trade, but one wonders whether a government that bans everything has any credibility when it tries to say heroin is bad. The freest and most radical person that the author meets in Paris wants to do away with all borders, but if one imagines oneself as a Western official with limited worldwide immigration quotas, how many of the people in the book would make the cut? There are two women who become teachers and lose their careers for political reasons. If one could somehow admit them after they completed their educations, but before their families forced them into marriage, they would probably be the best candidates in the book. Many of the migrants have been coerced into bad marriages by their families. It's not a system that needs to be extended into western countries.

It's impossible not to be sympathetic to the migrants who have such harrowing stories to tell. The most touching things are how they help each other and how they extend traditional courtesies and warm friendship to the author in the most difficult circumstances. I recommend this book to everyone, but it may not change your views.

Bezhad Yaghmaian's new book EMBRACING THE INFIDEL tells powerful, haunting stories of Muslim migrants in their painful and sometimes desperate efforts to leave their homelands and find a better life in western Europe--if they can get there. Besieged and beaten by the authorities, robbed and cheated by human smugglers, these migrants find a friend in the author, a compassionate listener who cares deeply about them and wants the world to notice and address the migrants' plight. But the author does not preach to readers; he simply presents the truth as he sees it and as the migrants tell it. This is an important book.

This beautiful book gives voices and faces to those most always left invisible and voicelesss--migrants coming to the West to flee persecution or in hope of a better future. The stories are heartbreaking, and the treatment these people receive at the hands of governments and human smugglers left me outraged. But Yaghmaian tells their stories so beautifully and warmly, I mainly felt richer for having known them. "Embracing the Infidel" succeeds wonderfully as both literature and as damning journalism. You cannot remain unmoved by these stories, or wonder at the heartlessness of our current system of borders. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand the world that migrants move through, or, perhaps more so, the human story.

Behzad Yaghmaian's elegant book succeeds in doing what other reports concerning Muslims' migration to the West fails: he gives voice to actual human beings. "Embracing the Infidel: Stories of Muslim Migrants on the Journey West" takes its' place alongside the best oral histories of our time, including those written by Studs Terkel. Instead of the false veil of objectivity, the author immerses himself into the story, into the personal stories that each of the subjects embodies. He sits with the people he writes about, breaks bread with them, laughs and cries with them. And the poignancy, pathos and compassion he used in the interviews that became this book shines through. The author captures the ambivelence created by doing what the title suggests, "embracing the infidel". While this book is not really a political book or a book about Middle East economics, it shows you the face of those subjects and the importance of that is unquantifiable. In a time when much is done to "de-humanize" the other, Behzad Yaghmaian not only humanizes the "other" but also shows us that what's happened to "them" could happen to us. The author's fluid and lyrical writing style and humor makes this important book one that you should get.

Dr. Yaghmaian's accounts of migrants should be required reading across a wide range of subjects - from social studies to middle eastern studies to politics and economics. He tells the stories as an observer full of sympathy but does not get caught up analyzing, proselytizing, or preaching to them or to his readers. Each migrant's story is unique, and to that end, I disagree with one reviewer who implied that migrants are all drug users. Far from being the case, their reasons for their predicament are as varied as the number of migrants themselves. War and politics, of course, are a recurring theme, but I found it refreshing that Yaghmaian did not politicize any of his accounts of simple people who just want to find a place to live in peace. I could not put it down once I started reading. Well written and uniquely observant, this is a must-read for all who want a deeper understanding of the homeless and helpless and the dreams they share with all of us.

This is one of those books that you can't put down once you start. Each story captures you, almost making you wonder if they can be true, but you just trust Behzad of the accuracy and keep reading for the next eye-opening story. He is able to get so many personal, different experiences of the same problem, it's quite remarkable and exceptional. One of the best books I've read in years.

This book took me back to my own journey. After 7 years I relived it again. I found myself once more among those migrants, walking and running through swamps, rivers and endless mountains. I remembered how scared I was. Many thanks to Mr. Yaghmaian. He reminded me of how lucky I am, not only being here in Canada, but also having a second chance to live.

I cannot stress what a gripping, powerful, and truly moving book Behzad Yaghmaian has written! As a college student in southern Ohio, I was completely unaware of the complex issues that Muslim migrants are forced to cope with on a daily basis on their clandestine journeys into the West until I read "Embracing the Infidel". Because Yaghmaian uses the personal accounts of many migrants to weave the fabric of the book, readers gain true insight into the daily lives and struggles of the migrants; they also become emotionally attached to the unforgettable and endearing figures. It is absolutely heart-wrenching to read about the struggles that these migrants face in their homelands, on their dangerous journeys abroad, and while trying to create somewhat "normal" lives for themselves in the West. In our world today, so many stereotypes surround Muslim people; the two that seem to top the list are that Muslims are terrorists and that they hate the West. If people would only read this remarkable book, I believe that these myths could quickly be dispelled and that more could be done to alleviate the emotional pain and suffering of the Muslim migrants who are entangled in this growing crisis. Yaghmaian should be praised and applauded for his work as both a writer and a humanitarian!

In the post 9-11 world, this book should be required reading for all Americans. This book chronicles the life experiences of individuals from the Middle East who attempt to make a better life for themselves by moving to better lands. Most importantly, it shows that people across all races, creeds and origins want the same things and that no matter what the media may say, people from the Americas and other parts of the world look for the same things in life. As you read this book, you too will feel that you have journeyed across many places.

Behzad Yaghmaian's "Embracing the Infidel", is a testimonial and eyewitness account of Muslims seeking a better life for themselves in non-Muslim countries. In the post September 11th world, this book provides a sanity check on the viewpoint many in the West have of Muslims. Via the many personal interviews and sharing life experiences among those seeking a better life in the West, Yaghmaian forms a special bond between reader and migrant. In doing so, Yaghmaian describes the harsh economic and political conditions faced by migrants as a result of some foreign governments.

This book will create much debate for Americans and others in the West when weighing issues of their own national security vis-à-vis embracing infidels fleeing certain Muslim countries.

The book, Embracing the Infidel, is a must read but especially those who are children themselves of migrants to the West.