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A Heartrending Reading

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Ayaan is an awesome woman, and what she has been through (and continues to go through) is positively horrendous. Hearing it in her own voice was special. However, I came away with more fear than ever of Muslims. After her spell wore off a littla, I decided that she might be exaggerating her claim of Muslims' hatred and desire for violent genocide of all "infidels." At least I HOPE she was exaggerating!

Stunning read for any woman--no matter their religious perspective

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Rarely does a personal tale grip the reader as this one does many women--myself included. There for the grace of the luck of an accident of birth, could be me--or you. Caged. Locked into a cage, with no key available to release the power within.
Ayaan is the woman whose co-production with Theo van Gogh, resulted in his vicious murder. The production, "Submission" is available on youtube--a rather tame 11 min. film detailing this one person's perspective. It is only a snippet of what Ayaan has to say about the importance of education for all women--the empowerment of societies through the power of all people.

As women go about life--leaving the house without asking permission of another, making decisions without having to ask a man, May I--remember, that living in a cage could have happened to you. To me. To any of us.

Must read for any woman, anywhere. Anytime.

Harrowing account from inside the Muslim world

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This first-hand narrative, read by the author, describes her early childhood in Somalia, her ritualistic genital mutilation, her treatment as a lesser being than males, her arranged marriage and finally her escape to freedom. Ayn Kirsi Ali became a member of Dutch parliament, but after she participated in making a film documentary critical of Islam's treatment of women, a Fatwah was issued calling for her death. The producer of the movie, a Dutch national, was murdered in the street by a muslim fanatic.
This book sets forth in passionate detail Kirsi Ali's journey. It is fascinating, and once I got through the first disc, read in Ali's unusual but pleasant accent, I was thoroughly hooked.

An extremely talented woman

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I first came across Ayaan Hirsi Ali on television. She was being questioned by a left-leaning interviewer who hardly seemed sympathetic.

I enjoyed this well presented recording from start to finish. There's so much to learn about so many countries, and Ali captures the essence of them all very well.

Not long ago I read Irshad Manji's The Trouble with Islam: A Wake-Up Call for Honesty and Change. I couldn't honestly sympathise with her because, unlike Ali, she had clung to the self-identification of being a Muslim, against all reason. Ali, however, has had the bravery and the intellect to reject such a silly and bloodthirsty set of beliefs.

Despite her magnificent contribution, however, Ali loses a star, because, in my opinion, her whole aim in the Netherlands is not to be part of the solution but part of the problem. (1) Migrate to (read claim asylum in) a Western country; (2) Take advantage of their great education system; (3) Run for parliament; (4) Represent whom? No! Not the Dutch, the aboriginal, indigenous people of Holland, but a subset of the migrants themselves. This is hardly an inspiration to someone who is born and bred in Holland and has every justification for self-interest.

In short, I would recommend this recording to everyone, particularly Muslims.

In her own words...

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In her own words you hear the author, Ayann Hirsi (Magan) Ali relate to you her life story with the passion and emotion that can only come from having lived it. It is a brutally honest portrayal of life as a woman raise in a Muslim society. What impressed me the most was how totally different and isolated her life was growing up in Somalia and Kenya from my western way of life. Clitoral excision; covering your body from head-to-toe lest you inflame male desires; submitting to the males in you family in all matters, including arranged marriages; all part of the daily life of an Islamic woman. Add to that beatings from her mother whenever she dared to question their ways and you have a compelling look into the life of one of the most oppressed groups of people on the planet.

I suspect if you were to ask Ayaan, she would say she had no choice but to seek asylum as a refugee in Holland, but everyday Muslim women around the world accept their lot to live this kind of life. Her bravery is inspiring, and I am grateful that she chose to share her story so that westerners like me can better understand a Muslim's way of life and the differences that separate their beliefs from Christian beliefs. Yet, I also take heart to know that we share many of the same values, concerns, and desires. She is someone I could easily befriend.