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Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Infidel Paperback – Illustrated, April 1, 2008

by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Author)

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One of today’s most admired and controversial political figures, Ayaan Hirsi Ali burst into international headlines following the murder of Theo van Gogh by an Islamist who threatened that she would be next. She made headlines again when she was stripped of her citizenship and resigned from the Dutch Parliament.

Infidel shows the coming of age of this distinguished political superstar and champion of free speech as well as the development of her beliefs, iron will, and extraordinary determination to fight injustice. Raised in a strict Muslim family, Hirsi Ali survived civil war, female mutilation, brutal beatings, adolescence as a devout believer during the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, and life in four troubled, unstable countries ruled largely by despots. She escaped from a forced marriage and sought asylum in the Netherlands, where she earned a college degree in political science, tried to help her tragically depressed sister adjust to the West, and fought for the rights of Muslim women and the reform of Islam as a member of Parliament. Under constant threat, demonized by reactionary Islamists and politicians, disowned by her father, and expelled from family and clan, she refuses to be silenced.

Ultimately a celebration of triumph over adversity, Hirsi Ali’s story tells how a bright little girl evolves out of dutiful obedience to become an outspoken, pioneering freedom fighter. As Western governments struggle to balance democratic ideals with religious pressures, no other book could be more timely or more significant.

Print length

384 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Atria Books
Publication date

April 1, 2008
Dimensions

5.5 x 1.1 x 8.44 inches
ISBN-10

0743289692
ISBN-13

978-0743289696
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A brave and elegant figure...an honest woman...No one who reads her [memoirs] will doubt the self-questioning and the rigorous honesty of her mind. Perhaps, as in Voltaire's short story 'L'IngÉnu,' it is that too much honesty is sometimes unpalatable, even if it is couched in civil terms...She has an open mind that has released itself from the old straitjacketed frame of reference of Right and Left, she is instinctively, deeply antiauthoritarian and she is unlikely to stick to straight ideological lines. She will go on asking difficult questions."
-- Isabella Thomas, The Observer

"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."
-- The Boston Globe

"Too potent a social critic to be tolerated any longer [in her home country]...an unflinching advocate of women's rights and an unflinching critic of Islamic extremism."
-- The New York Times

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

About the Author

Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, was raised Muslim, and spent her childhood and young adulthood in Africa and Saudi Arabia. In 1992, Hirsi Ali came to the Netherlands as a refugee. She earned her college degree in political science and worked for the Dutch Labor party. She denounced Islam after the September 11 terrorist attacks and now serves as a Dutch parliamentarian, fighting for the rights of Muslim women in Europe, the enlightenment of Islam, and security in the West.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atria Books; Illustrated edition (April 1, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0743289692
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743289696
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.44 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #67,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #344 in Political Leader Biographies
- #898 in Women's Biographies
- #2,617 in Memoirs (Books)

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2,919 ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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M Fazio

Should be required reading in every High School

Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2019

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Just finished reading and I feel that right next to Eli Weisel's NIGHT, Hirsi Ali's INFIDEL-- a firsthand account of her growing up in a culture where women are property, mutilated in childhood, where "honor killings" by the hands of their own fathers or brothers are the norm; then her eventual escape to the Netherlands and ultimately becoming a member of Parliament-- should be required reading in our schools.

Unfortunately, I feel most people are afraid of openly criticizing "the religion of peace" and this will most likely not happen.

Hirsi Ali is a true feminist, under constant death threats for even suggesting that Islam should consider reform and for the absolute worst sin of all: leaving it.

Disagree? Read her story and decide.

32 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Three Tyrannies

Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2018

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Ayaan Hirsi Ali has experienced, unenviably, three of history’s major tyrannical political movements: Marxist state socialism, welfare-state socialism, and, most toxic, Islam.

Depending on the estimate, somewhere between 60 million and 200 million political murders later, Marxism, and its offshoot, fascism, only require explanation for the terminally ignorant.

Her experience of welfare-state socialism included a serious effort to revoke her dutch citizenship by a senior member of the dutch nomenclatura, and thereby her seat in the dutch parliament, at least in part because her criticisms of female slavery, genital mutilation, honor killings, and so on, occurring in the Netherlands, tolerated by the dutch in the name of multiculturalism, couldn’t easily be dismissed as ‘right-wing racism,’ or as ‘islamophobia,’ given that she’s black from Somalia and a former muslim under threat of death for criticisms of Islam. The death threat was pinned with a knife to the murdered corpse of the dutch film-maker, Theo van Gogh, who produced a short film criticizing islamic treatment of women for Ms. Ali.

As for Islam, and this book, per Ms. Ali, “The message of this book, if it must have a message, is that we in the West would be wrong to prolong the pain of that transition unnecessarily, by elevating cultures full of bigotry and hatred toward women to the stature of respectable alternative ways of life.”

I recommend the book club suggestions at the end of the Kindle Edition of the book also.

40 people found this helpful

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Darryl

An Excellent Read!!!

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2020

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Everyone will have their opinions of this book, some favorable and some not so favorable. Me, I am elated to have discovered this author. Her recount of her experience as a Muslim who departed from tradition is beyond interesting and engaging to experience through her writing. My prayer for her as she now considers herself an infidel and atheist is that she will one day see that the God of the Bible has been ordering her steps from her birth to the present although she has honestly admitted to making multiple mistakes. I believe that she is on God’s mission to free women from oppression in all its forms and although I respect women greatly her writings has caused me to treat and respect women more. One last take away that I noticed throughout the book is that regardless of what she endured she was always protected even in extremely chaotic situations. This leads me to believe that God has raised her up as a voice to stop the abuse of women in all its forms. God Bless You and Favor You Miss Ali for your courage and resolve to speak out against the atrocities committed against women.

14 people found this helpful

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B. Parsley

One Woman's Journey Out of Bondage

Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2016

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Riveting is one word I would use to describe Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s book, Infidel. Her story is one of defiance and great courage. You will see Islam through her eyes and feel her fear, and anger. You will be impressed with the courage that it took this young twenty-two year old girl to reject a marriage she did not want and to escape to a culture that she had been taught to detest. You will see how gradually the light was turned on and she began to see the falseness of all she had been taught. You will cheer her fight to bring awareness to the plight of Muslim women and girls who are basically slaves to an ideology that denies their personhood. Fathers, brothers, and other male relatives have totally control over their lives. Ayaan risk her life to tell the truth about the abominable treatment of Muslim women, not only in the Arab countries but also how they are importing their beliefs to European countries. She has been under the threat of death from Muslim clerics, has had to go into hiding, and has stood and faced it all with dignity. No book will make you more thankful to have been born in America than the book Infidel. It is a must read.

79 people found this helpful

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remadrid17

Riveting personal account

Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2018

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Infidel was on my shelf for a long time and I finally got to it. It was an excellent, well written personal account of Ali's journey of such a conservation perspective of Islam and her journey of escaping consistent mental and physical abuse from her mother (if we can call her that) and the constant reminders of how Islam should be applied through their eyes. Ali provides historical backgrounds that allow you to understand the mentality of whom she was frequently around in Africa. Her journey to escape the customs and norms is admirable and inspiring to find the courage to criticize such a debated topic and religion. I would highly recommend this book to everyone as it will either open up your eyes to such tribal cultures or confirm some of your thoughts. Either way, this book certainly creates discussion and while you discuss this re-read her first chapter. It is her personal account. Whatever thoughts you may have about her demonizing the religion doesn't negate her personal experience. Highly recommended!

14 people found this helpful

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Vicki Thayer

Is Islam a Religion of Peace?

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2019

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Enough has been written about this book, so I will just add that it is an amazing work that should be studied in American universities. Unfortunately, Hirsi Ali, and what a wonderful woman she is, is not even allowed to speak at our most prestigious schools. I read her book, among others, to answer the question, "Is Islam a religion of peace?"
One might balance her book by reading two Muslims who turned away from radical Islam, but remained Muslims: Ed Husain and Maajid Nawaz.

9 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Melanie Preston Lewis

EVERYONE MUST READ THIS BOOK

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2017

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I really don't think there is anything I can say that can give justice to this book. I also think I am too shocked to write cohesively. The horrors Ms Hirsi Ali has been forced to endure cannot be comprehended by us inhabitants of 1st world countries. Her bravery and dignity are beacons in what has become a very dark world. I have only admiration for her triumphs, and sincerely believe that this book should be read by every politician in the Western world. At times her words and her predicaments are so shocking that they make difficult reading. But we only have to read them, she has lived them and is now living with the consequences of her honesty. At times beautiful, at times heartbreaking, there simply aren't enough stars for this book.

44 people found this helpful

Lady Dido

The triumph of courage over oppression, truth over political correctness - please read this book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 1, 2019

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If I can achieve only one thing from writing the many reviews that have appeared on the Amazon website, it is to inspire people throughout the world, both Muslim and non-Muslim, to read this book.

A unique convergence of factors has brought about this supremely compelling and honest account of the truth about Islam – the author’s father, a passionate Muslim and born leader; the author’s mother, an oppressed, abandoned and violently angry woman whose own potential is obliterated by the world into which she was born; the author’s home nation, a Somalia steeped in blind cultural Islam and destroyed by dictatorship and tribal infighting; the chance circumstance that led the author temporarily to Europe and ultimately freedom; and the author herself, one of a minority of oppressed and indoctrinated people capable of rising above her culture and upbringing to view her world with new, honest and courageous eyes.

Hirsi Ali’s passionate mission today appears to be as single-mindedly militant in its atheism and feminism as the religious fanaticism from which she escaped – but understandably so. I will forgive her that, although her policies are in danger of eradicating all the good in the Western world along with the evil of militant Islam and its abhorrent practices.

For all of us in the Western world (and that includes many Muslims) who have tried to persuade ourselves, as we embrace inclusivity and political correctness, that Islam is based like Christianity in love, peace and respect for all people, perhaps we should read the Quran ourselves or at least listen closely to people like this author who have understood the truth about the teaching and instruction of Mohammed.

All that then remains is to rediscover the freedom of speech and ideas that we once enjoyed in this nation, but which has now been lost in the mire of political correctness which dictates what we may and may not say and which worships the idea that to give offence to anyone is an unforgivable sin. To quote the author – “avoiding offence means that we don’t accept each other as equals”. We have stifled honest debate in this country, not least in disallowing ourselves to speak freely about Islam and its vile teachings.

This book should be a wake-up call to all of us who have papered over the cracks and waved the appeasement pact, like Chamberlain in 1938.

18 people found this helpful

Kiam

Her integrity shines through

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 8, 2016

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This is the story of one of the most remarkable women of our times. Ayaan Hirsi Ali was destined to go the way of so many others in her situation, severely restricted as a woman in a male-dominated environment. Escaping from an arranged marriage and finding sanctuary in Holland, it took tremendous character, resolve and independent-mindedness to question the beliefs she had been brought up with and eventually to be openly critical of them. To become an elected politician in a foreign country with a foreign language and to be so outspoken, as we read in her book, takes tremendous determination and courage, and I recommend that people look her up on Youtube etc, where she comes across as honest and sensible and a major contributor to debates on Islam. She puts to shame a great many politicians and people in the mainstream media, including those who forced her to find further sanctuary in the USA, where she continues to point out to them their errors, being someone who has understood and embraced Western values better than them. Being black, a woman, an ex-Muslim and a victim of FGM and arranged marriage, opponents find her a nuisance because their usual silencing tactics don't work very well. Her integrity shines through in the face of this regressive opposition, as Infidel will show should you choose to read it.

22 people found this helpful

Thomas

A misrepresentation of Islam

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 9, 2020

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The author presents are very sad story of from her childhood. She suffers many injustice at the hands of a culture which has practises contrary to the values of Islam. Unfortunately, the author confuses these and forms a misjudged and uneducated view of Islam.

For those looking for a good introduction to Islamic culture, I recommend Apostate by Arnoud van Doorn.

7 people found this helpful

Daisy Chain

Disturbing, overwhelming, thought-provoking and good at challenging underdeveloped liberalism!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 1, 2017

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Wow - what a read. I haven't read something so powerful in a long time. Ayaan's personal story regularly made me feel blessed to live in such a 'tolerant' society. It is a remarkable story. Her political journey is so interesting because she raises questions that 'liberals' in the west are scared to address for fear of offending minorities and in turn plays into the hands of anti-Islamists when they don't tune into the finer nuances of what she is saying and simply use it to be anti-Muslim. She left me feeling that education that teaches people to question has to be a big part of the answer. I recommend this book highly because it does just that.

13 people found this helpful

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