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Heretic Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Author, Narrator), HarperAudio (Publisher)
4.6 out of 5 stars 2,069 ratings

What happened to Islamic reform? Why have al Qaeda and Boko Haram become the faces of contemporary Islam? Why has the Arab Spring devolved into a battle over sharia law? Continuing her personal journey from a deeply religious Islamic upbringing to a post at Harvard and American citizenship, the New York Times best-selling author of Infidel and Nomad crafts a powerful call for an Islamic reformation as the only way to end the current wave of global violence and repression of women.

Today, millions of Muslims are wrapped in a rigid orthodoxy whereby women are denied education, girls as young as nine can be forced into legal marriages, and men are told that their futures lie not in building better, more just societies but in jihad against the infidel. Hopes for a wave of liberalization after the Arab Spring have been replaced by new authoritarianism and efforts to impose sharia law. Twitter, YouTube, and other social media have become aggressive platforms to promote a harsh brand of Islamic fundamentalism, making the clash between secular and Islamic society one of the most important challenges of our time.

And yet, contrary to conventional wisdom in the West, Ayaan Hirsi Ali believes that ordinary Muslims throughout the world want wholesale change. Courageously engaging fundamentalists on their own turf - religion itself - she boldly calls for a Muslim reformation, identifying five key amendments to Islamic doctrine that must be made in order to break from seventh-century traditions and fully engage with the 21st century. Interweaving her personal journey, historical parallels, and powerful examples from contemporary Islamic societies and cultures, Heretic will forever change the debate over Islam and its future.

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  1. Listening Length
    8 hours and 56 minutes
  2. Author
    Ayaan Hirsi Ali
  3. Narrator
    Ayaan Hirsi Ali
  4. Audible release date
    March 24, 2015
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    HarperAudio
  7. ASIN
    B00S8QXW94
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length 8 hours and 56 minutes
Author Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Narrator Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date March 24, 2015
Publisher HarperAudio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B00S8QXW94
Best Sellers Rank #46,183 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#23 in Middle East Politics & Government
#34 in Islam (Audible Books & Originals)
#80 in Middle Eastern History (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
2,069 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book well-written with an exquisite use of the English language, and appreciate its compelling case for Islamic reformation. Moreover, they praise the author's courage, with one customer noting her strong sense of self. The book receives positive feedback for its historical analysis and readability. However, customers disagree on whether Islam is a religion of peace, and some find it frightening.

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250 customers mention "Insight"244 positive6 negative

Customers find the book informative and insightful, providing a compelling case for the reformation of Islamic doctrine, with one customer noting it offers a great overall look at the history of Islam.

"...What others are saying: “Brave, inspiring, and beautifully written…Narrated in clear, vigorous prose, it traces the author’s geographical..." Read more

"...This, then, is a book that sheds new light on Islam - its good and its bad, and Ali, in this reader’s view one people of all persuasions should..." Read more

"...the Quran is perfect, word of God, written in heaven so can never be changed and Muhammad as God's messenger, 2)..." Read more

"I found Miss Ali's presentation to be both thoughtful and well documented. I agree that her suggestion that a reformation is over due is correct...." Read more

214 customers mention "Readability"214 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and well-argued, with one customer describing it as thought-provoking.

"...Kirkus Review “A powerful, compelling read…Put simply, this woman is a heroine.” - The Christian Science Monitor “..." Read more

"...This, then, is a book that sheds new light on Islam - its good and its bad, and Ali, in this reader’s view one people of all persuasions should..." Read more

"The terrific book by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, "Heretic," should be read by every American...." Read more

"...combine with a clear style of expression that make this a truly outstanding book...." Read more

95 customers mention "Writing style"92 positive3 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, describing it as well-written, articulate, and in-depth, with an exquisite use of the English language that makes it easy to read.

"...What others are saying: “Brave, inspiring, and beautifully written…Narrated in clear, vigorous prose, it traces the author’s geographical..." Read more

"...of the Free and the Home of the Brave and she becomes increasingly articulate in English the longer she speaks it...." Read more

"...in order to push her ideas forward, and I view her scholarship to be crystal clear...." Read more

"...so many atrocities committed in the name of the religion, she writes brilliantly and with clarity some possible paths to pursue." Read more

62 customers mention "Courage"62 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the author's courage, describing her as a smart and brave person who speaks out with admirable conviction.

"...What others are saying: “Brave, inspiring, and beautifully written…Narrated in clear, vigorous prose, it traces the author’s geographical..." Read more

"...Her courage, her eye-watering honesty, and her lofty intelligence combine with a clear style of expression that make this a truly outstanding book...." Read more

"This is an incredible book by an extremely brave woman...." Read more

"...All in all, a brave effort by Aryaan...." Read more

32 customers mention "Historical perspective"29 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the historical perspective of the book, praising its excellent analysis and interesting historical roots, with one customer noting how well it is supported by historical evidence.

"...Her thesis in the book is that Islam is in dire need of urgent and drastic reform, and further, that such a revolution in a fundamentalist faith is..." Read more

"...for its value: taking a stand against religious fanaticism, proposing reformation, and offering solutions...." Read more

"...She has a nuanced and important perspective to share. That is not to say that I agree with her every particular...." Read more

"...Here you get history integrated with current affairs and a belief system have driven both...." Read more

53 customers mention "Religion"32 positive21 negative

Customers have mixed views on the book's religious content, with some noting that Islam is not a religion of peace.

"...in the Seventh Century is a case in point and a indispensable chapter for understanding Sharia law and its cultural onslaught and conflict with the..." Read more

"...That means you. Jihad isn’t voluntary for orthodox Muslims; it’s Mandatory The jihadi stands before you with a raised scimitar and tells you that..." Read more

"...is one I consider highly valuable to all religions as well as secular society...." Read more

"...the Quran is perfect, word of God, written in heaven so can never be changed and Muhammad as God's messenger, 2)..." Read more

18 customers mention "Scariness level"12 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the scariness level of the book, with some finding it frightening and concerning, while others describe it as disturbing.

"One of the most important yet unsettling books of recent years...." Read more

"...Well-written, engaging, and very disturbing. Buy this book and support freedom of expression. I purchased five more copies to send to friends...." Read more

"Factual, frightening. If you think you know about Islam, read this. Ayaan Hirsi Ali raised as a Muslim in Somalia. Alot to be learned..." Read more

"...realistic discussion and solutions to the nature and source of violent elements of Islam...." Read more

You go girl !
5 out of 5 stars
You go girl !
Ayaan, even though I was introduced to your work on a brief excursion onto Faux News, and have reviewed some of critiques done by some of my liberal allies, I think it is amusing how superficial conservatives in America think you are one of them, while equally superficial liberals view you as a rival.As the founder of "Liberals like Christ" and creator of a corresponding "org" web site, I have been trying to persuade Christians to be as LIBERAL as Jesus was, and to persuade liberals of all stripes to get to know how liberal Jesus actually was, which will cause them to LIKE (rather than suspect or fear him). I'm delighted to see someone making a very similar attempt to liberalize Islam, and am looking forward to absorbing the CD version of your book, Ayaan, which I have just ordered.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Jack Kettler
    5.0 out of 5 stars Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now
    Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now
    By Ayaan Hirsi Ali

    Reviewed by Jack Kettler

    A Bio:
    Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born in Mogadishu, Somalia. She was raised as a Muslim, and spent her childhood and young adulthood in Africa and Saudi Arabia and Nairobi, Kenya. In 1992, She came to the Netherlands as a refugee. She earned her college degree in political science and worked for the Dutch Labor party. She condemned Islam after the September 11th World Trade Center terrorist attacks. In the past she has been an elected Dutch parliamentarian. She distinguished herself by fighting for the rights of Muslim women in Europe, the enlightenment of Islam, and security in the West. In addition, Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a New York Times bestselling author of Infidel, Nomad, and The Caged Virgin. She is prominent speaker, debater, and journalist, she was chosen as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. She is now a fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She is the founder of the AHA Foundation, which fights female genital mutilation (FGM).

    What others are saying:
    “Brave, inspiring, and beautifully written…Narrated in clear, vigorous prose, it traces the author’s geographical journey from Mogadishu to Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Kenya, and her desperate flight to the Netherlands to escape an arranged marriage.” - The New York Times

    “Ayaan Hirsi Ali is one of Europe’s most controversial political figures and a target for terrorists. A notably enigmatic personality whose fierce criticisms of Islam have made her a darling of...conservatives...and...popular with leftists...Soft-spoken but passionate.” - Boston Globe

    “Crammed with harrowing details, Hirsi Ali’s account is a significant contribution to our times.” - Kirkus Review

    “A powerful, compelling read…Put simply, this woman is a heroine.” - The Christian Science Monitor

    “A charismatic figure...of arresting and hypnotizing beauty...[who writes] with quite astonishing humor and restraint.” - Christopher Hitchens

    “A book full of compassion.” - Paul Steenhuis, NRC Handelsblad

    “We ignore her quill to our shame and peril.” - Katherine Ernst, City Journal

    “Hirsi Ali offers a fine example for the braver souls among us.” - Michael Totten, Commentary

    My thoughts on the book:
    Ayaan Hirsi Ali's intellect matches her extraordinary beauty in every way. She contends that it's foolish ignorance to believe that the barbarous demonstrations of Muslim violence can be considered separate from the theological and philosophical Islamic belief system's framework that ultimately creates these acts. She makes the case that this violence is driven by a religious political belief system embedded in the core of Islam's most sacred texts itself, the Quran and Hadiths. She puts forth a credible defense of her thesis that a reformation is needed to stop the Muslim suppression of women and it's relentless persecution and murder of non-Muslim minorities that happens throughout the entire Muslim world and is increasing exponentially in the West.

    She makes the case that Mohammad incorporated and codified 7th century Arabic cultural norms and practices along with superstitions into a religious formulation that can never be criticized or challenged under a divine ordered penalty of death. Her chapter, Shacked by Sharia: How Islam's harsh religious code keep Muslims stuck in the Seventh Century is a case in point and a indispensable chapter for understanding Sharia law and its cultural onslaught and conflict with the Western societal norms. Islamic supremacy is most ominous crazed force I have ever seen.
    Ayaan Hirsi Ali believes that a “Reformation”of the entire Muslim theological and philosophical framework that will lead to accommodation, innovation and tolerance of non-Muslims is at hand. I have a hard time believing this, but hope she is right. I hope this because the Western world with its abandonment of the Judeo/Christian world view seems incapable of countering the advance of Mohammadism's intractable world view. It seems like the the order of the day among Western leaders is accommodation, appeasement and more politically correct sensitivity training. After increasing jihadist terrorist attacks, Western leaders are reduced to standing in support with the victims as if standing is actually doing something that is meaningful and will lead to the stop of more terrorism. I'm not sure if the terrorists are frightened by political leaders standing together. It probably looks to them like a soft target.

    She proposes 5 key changes to Muslim philosophical framework that Muslims should construct on the chance that they're to bring their belief system out of the seventh century and into the 21st.
    1. the status of the Quran as the last and immutable word of God and the infallibility of Muhammad as the last divinely inspired messenger;
    2. Islam's emphasis on the afterlife over the the here-and-now;
    3. the claims of sharia to be a comprehensive system of law governing both the spiritual and temporal realms;
    4. the obligation on ordinary Muslims to command right and forbid wrong;
    5. the concept of jihad, or holy war. (235)

    In conclusion, she says that it is imperative that the West' should help the Muslim reformers rather than their persecutors. Not surprisingly, most Western leaders have appeased front line Muslim invaders like “The Muslim Brotherhood.” Western leaders have done this by blacklisting and shaming these same reformers and specially trained educators and experts in Islamic law and tradition who are warning of the dangers of unbridled non-Muslim assimilation in the West.

    Every book written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, should be read with serious attention. She came from Somalia to fight for our freedoms! “Silence is an accomplish to injustice.” - Ayaan Hirsi Ali

    Mr. Kettler is the owner of Undergroundnotes.com a conservative web hub and the author of the new book, The Religion That Started in a Hat: A Reference Manual for Christians who Witness to Mormons that is available at Amazon.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Ralph White
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Ray of Hope, Albeit A Faint One
    Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    With each of Ms. Hirsi Ali’s books it seems she’s captured everything that needs to be said and that material for another book might be scarce, yet here is Heretic to disprove the assumption. Her views evolve the longer she lives in The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave and she becomes increasingly articulate in English the longer she speaks it. It helps that she teaches at Harvard where she engages in spirited dialog with the opposition. With Heretic Ms. Hirsi Ali produces a compelling portrait of that opposition, what it is, and what it isn’t.

    In Heretic’s formulation it is not Muslims who are the problem, as tempting as it might be to think so, since there is such a high correlation between Muslims and violence. The problem is that Islam comprises both a religion and a regimen for controlling civil society and a mandate for the forcible propagation of that regimen. Americans should care less about the religious features of Islam. Who cares if someone wants to unfurl a prayer mat and pray towards Mecca five times a day? Hirsi Ali doesn’t and her readers shouldn’t.

    The problem, rather, is the enforcement and expansion of those civil controls to which orthodox Muslims are committed. Hirsi Ali calls such Muslims, the ones who observe the literal features of their scripture, “Medina Muslims,” after the era in Muhammad’s life from which they sprung. Those civil controls, which might collectively be viewed as Islam’s jurisprudential documentation are called sharia. They are culled from the three holy sources, the Quran, the hadith, and the Reliance.

    Sharia is often a little hard for Western observers to grasp since it is not analogous to the Ten Commandments, nor is it "religious law" as it is often translated. Fortunately Hirsi Ali is here to help. Sharia requires the mutilation of the genitals of little girls. Sharia requires the murder not only of anyone who leaves the religion but anyone who questions the religion. Sharia requires the death of anyone who criticizes the Prophet. Sharia imposes death for a very long list of misdemeanors including running away, refusing to marry the person chosen for you, marrying outside the clan. Sharia not only permits but requires slavery. Sharia imposes rules for distributing the booty stolen in raiding parties. Sharia requires wife beating and imposes specific techniques for the punishment. Sharia imposes life imprisonment for crimes of immodesty, such as letting a man from another family see a woman’s face or ankle.

    Some will say that it’s not their concern if Muslims treat one another with grotesque inhumanity. Yes, it’s too bad and all that but they’ve been doing it for a long time, like thirteen hundred years, right? Why can’t we just let the U.N. form a working group or something? Hirsi Ali has an answer for you. For starters there’s another feature of sharia she hasn’t mentioned yet: jihad. Jihad means the forcible conversion of infidels. That means you. Jihad isn’t voluntary for orthodox Muslims; it’s Mandatory The jihadi stands before you with a raised scimitar and tells you that you must convert to Islam or he will cut your head off. Think twice before you answer. Acceding to the Medina Muslim’s threat means that your daughters’ genitals will be mutilated, that you will be murdered for having sex with your high school sweetheart (there’s no statute of limitations in sharia). It means that after you die your wife will be separated from her children since she cannot take them to the home of the warlord who has killed you. Sharia means that if your wife is raped she will be sentenced to death for adultery. So, again, scimitar or Islam?

    But wait! Hirsi Ali proposes a way to avert this scenario. Why don’t we encourage Reform Muslims (her formulation) to break free from the Medina Muslims and their cruel and inhuman treatment of one another and demand what we in the West call universal human rights? Why don’t we resist the sharia-adherent hordes while there’s still a chance? Why don’t we encourage their dissent and free thinking? Just imagine how things might turn out. Quick about it though; they’ve got nukes and they’re centrifuges are spinning away making lots more.
    15 people found this helpful
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  • Gridley
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Reformation in the Making
    Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    We here in the west have for a long time been as insulated culturally as we now believe those from northern Africa and the Middle East have been. All cultures built roughly on regional religions, Christianity, Judaism, Islam to name the largest, seem to thrive on exclusivity, i.e., ours is the real deal, yours is inferior if not wrongheaded and dangerous. these cultural bees can change through external forces, they must change internally, much as Christianity changed through Luther’s Reformation and through the Enlightenment. Now, says Ayaan Hirsi Ali, it’s Islam’s turn.

    One of the most provoking ideas Ali puts forth in this book is that by the Qur’anic scripture the sort of evolution Christianity has gone through is considered by Muslims to be apostasy, i.e., all social and spiritual practices must always return to those at the time of Muhammad. Clearly this would set the stage, if Islam were to conquer the world, for Islam to then feed violently upon itself in seeking religious and cultural purity. Ali has left that faith, but she apparently cares enough about it to be at the forefront of a group of reformers demanding that Islam evolve, find its truths and precepts in the context of the modern world. Toward that end, she puts forth five theses that she believes will diminish the violence innate to Islam.

    This book is one I consider highly valuable to all religions as well as secular society. Ali, in order to see her former religion in the clearest light possible, has become a religious scholar in order to push her ideas forward, and I view her scholarship to be crystal clear. This, then, is a book that sheds new light on Islam - its good and its bad, and Ali, in this reader’s view one people of all persuasions should read.

    My rating: 18 of 20 stars
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Mrs F Davidson
    5.0 out of 5 stars An essential read for those who believe in democracy, free speech, and equality of rights for all humanity.
    Reviewed in France on September 9, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    AHA deals accurately and methodically with all the aspects of the Islamic faith, and convincing argues the need for a complete reformation from within and from the clerics to accept that there is no place for ancient barbaric religion the abuses women and any person who disagrees with the outdated myths of a long past ignorant people. To use a person guilty of child abuse, intolerance and genocide as a model on how to follow ones life and death is at best misguided at worst thoroughly evil
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  • LARRY GRASSINGER
    5.0 out of 5 stars Islam is stuck in the past
    Reviewed in Canada on February 23, 2025
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    Very good analysis of why Islam needs to be modernized
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  • Dr.Erwin Lenz
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ein im wahrsten Sinne "aufklärerisches" Buch
    Reviewed in Germany on June 1, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    In Ihrem Buch "Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now," deutscher Titel: "Reformiert euch! Warum der Islam sich ändern muss", bekräftigt Frau Ayaan Hirsi Ali ihre Kritik am Islam als eine totalitäre Ideologie und an den liberalen Verleugnern und Verharmlosern im Westen sowie ihre Forderung, die Werte des Westens im Rahmen einer geistigen Auseinandersetzung offensiv gegenüber dem Islam zu verteidigen. Sie widerspricht entschieden der These, das der islamistische Terrorismus nichts mit dem Islam zu tun habe und der Islam eine friedliche Religion sei. Stattdessen legt sie überzeugend dar, dass der islamische Terrorismus tief im Koran und in der Propheten-Tradition (Hadith) verwurzelt sei. Die Terroristen seien der festen Überzeugung, dass sie Gottes Wort in Buchstaben und Geist erfüllen und besonders nach einem Märtyrer-Tod im heiligen Krieg im Nachleben reichlich belont werden. Hirsi Ali unterscheidet drei Typen von Muslimen: Fundamentalisten, Medina-Muslime und Mekka-Muslime. Die Fundamentalisten legen den Koran wörtlich aus und setzen die darin erhobene Forderung nach Gewalt gegenüber Abtrünnigen und Ungläubigen, die sich nicht bekehren lassen wollen, in die Praxis um. Die Medina-Muslime fordern die strikte Anwendung der Sharia und pflegen eine Haltung gegenüber Andesgläubigen, die in umgekehrter Richtung als Rassismuss gebrandmarkt werden würde. Für sie sind die terroristischen Akte gerechtfertigt, auch wenn sie sie selbst nicht durchführen. Nur die Mekka-Muslime ("die klare Mehrheit") seien wirklich friedlich. Bedauerlicherweise sei weltweit ein deutlicher Trend von Übertritten in Richtung Medina-Muslime und Fundamentalisten zu beobachten.Dennoch hat Hirsi Ali immer noch Hoffnung, dass sich der Islam von innen heraus reformieren kann. Solange die Muslime allerdings fest daran glauben, dass Koran und Propheten-Tradition Gottes Wort sind, endgültig, zeitlos und vollkommen, solange sind westliche Werte und der Islam unvereinbar. Das Christentum wurde durch die Aufklärung in einem jahrhundertelangen Prozess zu einer friedlichen Religion, Religionskriege gehören der Vergangenheit an. Ähnliches gilt für das Judentum. Dieser Prozess stehe für den Islam noch aus. Laut Hirsi Ali kann und muss sich der Islam In fünf Bereichen ändern: (1) Mohammeds halbgöttlicher und unfehlbarer Status verbunden mit der wörtlichen Auslegung des Korans, insbesondere der (zur Gewalt und Eroberung aufrufenden) Passagen, die in Medina geoffenbart wurden. (2) Die Investitionen in ein Leben nach dem Tod anstatt in das Leben im Hier und Jetzt. (3) Das aus dem Koran, aus der Propheten-Tradition (Hadith) sowie aus der restlichen islamischen Rechtssprechung abgeleitete Gesetzes-Werk der Sharia. (4) Die Praxis, individuelle Personen zu ermächtigen, islamisches Recht durchzusetzen, indem sie das richtige Tun befehlen und das falsche Tun verbieten (z.B. "Sharia-Polizei") und (5) Die Forderung, einen Jihad, einen heiligen Krieg zu führen. Hirsi Ali ist der festen Überzeugung, dass sich der Islam nur von innen heraus reformieren kann, und zwar von ganz oben. Diesen Prozess, fordert sie, muss der Westen unterstützen. Insbesondere sollte der Westen in eine geistige Auseinandersetzung eintreten, so wie der Westen auch den Kommunismus bekämpft und letztendlich besiegt habe. Dazu sollten Dissidenten und aufgeklärte Denker, die samt und sonders um ihr Leben fürchten müssen, in der islamischen Welt unterstützt werden, anstatt sie als Störenfriede anzusehen, die die Muslime beleidigen könnten. Sarrazin bezeichnet den Islam als eine "Kultur des Beledigtseins". Hier eine falsche Tolleranz zu zeigen, führe dazu, so HIrsi Ali, dass der Westen zulässt, dass auf dem eigenen Boden in islamischen Parallelwelten die Menschenrechte insbesondere der Frauen mit Füßen getreten werden.
    Wie in ihrigen vorherigen Büchern leitet Hirsi Ali ihre Thesen und Forderungen aus ihren eigenen Erfahrungen als "Islam-Konvertitin" ab. Plausibler und überzeugender geht es nicht. Das Buch ist sehr spannend und leicht zu lesen. Es ist allen wärmstens zu empfehlen, die sich selbst eine Meinung bilden und die wahre Natur des Islams sowie die Auseinandersetzung zwischen Westen und islamischer Welt wirklich verstehen wollen.
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  • Prof. Paul Williams, Bristol, UK
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enough of knee jerk reactions!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 15, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I have elsewhere on Amazon reviewed extremely favourably works that urge an open, understanding, tolerant admiration of Muslims and Islam. That, too, is my own perspective and experience. Ayaan Hirsi Ali is often hated and misrepresented for her critical portrayal of Islam. But having now read this book I would urge an open, understanding and tolerant admiration for her and this book too!

    AHA writes with passion and commitment, but she also writes with deep experience as a Muslim, uncommonly wide knowledge and I think balance and fairness. This book, while passionately written, is not a polemic but a reasoned appeal for an Islamic ‘reformation’ on the model of the Christian Reformation ushered in by Luther.

    It is not a difficult read, although for some - perhaps many - it may be an uncomfortable one. She wholeheartedly admires the Protestant Reformation and subsequent free-thinkers like Voltaire. She passionately and bravely urges their inspiration for a rethinking of Islam.

    And why not? I am a Catholic, and I am far from sharing her rather simplistic and old-fashioned portrayal of pre-Reformation Catholicism and admiration for Luther and the Protestant Reformation. Let alone Voltaire!

    But the point is, we could hold a reasoned conversation about this, about our different understandings and perspectives. We hold in common the primacy of seeking truth through rational debate.

    This is all AHA is asking for regarding Islam in the modern world. And it seems imperative that we take the time and trouble simply to read what she has written. Especially given its relevance one way or another to us all.

    Mull it over. Join - or if necessary start - the conversation. And let that conversation be rational, based on clarity of expression and seeking logical coherence, remembering that common to all such debates is a search for truth. It is difficult to see realistically how we can begin to find truth (let alone Truth) otherwise.

    And five stars for reminding us all of that. Whether or not we love Luther and Voltaire!
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  • salvabr
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesante ensayo.
    Reviewed in Spain on May 27, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Una exposición clara y fácil de leer a cerca de la influencia de la religión musulmana sobre las sociedades que la practican.
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