On one end, there’s a North-American woman portrayed in media wearing skin-baring, brand-name clothing and high heels, splaying cleavage, thighs, buttocks and strutting her stuff. She has a perfect body, perfect complexion, little body fat, styled hair, make-up. The expression of feminine sexuality is free and uninhibited. And in her society, she is considered equal to a man.
On the other end, there’s a Muslim woman, shrouded in a black hidjab to hide all of her form and womanness; the only parts exposed may be her eyes and feet. She must do anything and everything she can not to arouse a man’s sexual appetite, or she will be blamed for chaos in her community, and sometimes, face physical violence or death. She is not free to walk on the streets unless she is escorted by a man. Her genitals are cut and sewn shut, apart from a small hole to allow urine to pass, to demonstrate her “purity” to the society and to the husband-to-be. Until the day that her husband tears the scar tissue open during the first intercourse, or, if he is merciful, allows her to have it opened at a hospital.
I’ve recently had the privilege to read Infidel, an autobiography of Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Ali is her grandfather’s last name that she adopted when applying for refugee status in Holland to stay safe from those that might try to track her down after she fled from her forced marriage.) She was born into an Islamic community in Somalia and was the middle child of three. At the age of five, while her parents were away, her grandmother secretly had her and her two siblings, four year old sister and six year old brother, circumcised. The book tells a story about her experiences of childhood, teenage, and adulthood. About how she was forced and beaten into submission. And then about how, against many odds, through her will, courage, and determination, she ended up in Holland, in the University of Leiden, to study political science, and graduated as Master of Science. She describes the struggle between staying true to and serving the Quranic Allah, and, from studying books written by free thinkers, learning about the possibility of being an autonomous individual and human being; the possibility of expressing a “self”. Her dedication to the well-being of Muslim women lead to her working as a member of the Dutch Parliament, to try to affect change for the betterment of their lives and to tell the society the truth about their lives and the expression of Islam.
Many times throughout reading this book I thought of my five year old niece that is being raised in Finland by my sister, and I’m grateful and relieved that she is growing up in the safety of her loving family, in our country, where she is free to express her individuality, and she will be free to have a say in her society about what is important to her. And I’m horrified to imagine, knowing how vulnerable and innocent a five year old child is, that there are girls in the world the same age as my niece, experiencing extreme physical and psychological pain, and they grow up illiterate and ignorant, and have no access to see that there is anything wrong with how they are being treated and regarded.
I have tremendous respect and gratitude for Ayaan for what she has done and is doing, in the face of continuing threats on her life, for generously sharing her story with me, and with people around the world.
Photo Credit
Infidel Book Cover – Wikipedia Fair Use
Guest Author Bio
Pia Gronqvist
I’m a woman in my mid-thirties, born and raised in Finland, living in the West-Coast of Canada and working in the Information Technology industry.
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I have also read this book and strong recommend others read it. In fact, it is one of my pass it on books – one that as i get it back from one friend I pass it on to another. Firstly it helps you understand life in Somalia and Saudi Arabia. Second it gives some understanding of the muslim religion, but it is one person’s interpretion of that religion. Third it makes you realise that if we’re going to improve the treatment of women in the world we first need to change the thinking of other women. For example, it was Ayaan Hirsi Ali grandma who forced the children to be circumcised. The parents didn’t want it. I agree with Janice, once you’ve read this book you count your blessings that you were born in a Western Country.
I would definitely recommend reading this book! Ayaan Hirsi Ali one the bravest women I know of. I’ve read all three of her books (the Caged Virgin, Infidel and Nomad ) and found the first two interesting, but felt that the third “Nomad” was the best one. It gives some of her background information as well as information on how she continues to spread the word about the plight of Muslim women and how it continues to affect her life. It really has to be read to be believed by the average Westerner. I came out feeling incredibly fortunate that I was born and live in Canada!