Infidel

More about the book

Ultimately a celebration of triumph over adversity, the author's story reveals how a bright little girl transformed from dutiful obedience into an outspoken, pioneering freedom fighter. In this timely memoir, she recounts her astonishing journey from a traditional Muslim upbringing in Somalia, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya to her intellectual awakening and activism in the Netherlands, now living under armed guard in the West. Her rise to international prominence followed the murder of her colleague, Theo van Gogh, after they collaborated on the film Submission. With a keen eye and often ironic voice, she details her evolving beliefs, unyielding will, and extraordinary resolve to combat injustices committed in the name of religion. Raised in a strict Muslim family, she faced civil war, female mutilation, and brutal beatings, navigating adolescence during the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in four unstable countries ruled by despots. In her early twenties, she escaped a forced marriage and sought asylum in the Netherlands, earning a degree in political science and advocating for the rights of Muslim immigrant women. Despite constant threats, being demonized by reactionary Islamists, and disowned by her family, she remains unyielding in her fight for free speech and reform.