Jan Goodwin

Mostly, this book is depressing, and unlikely to change anyone’s mind about religion in general, or Islam in particular.

If you believe Islam is a religion of peace which instructs its adherents to treat women with respect, you will find support for that belief. If you believe fundamentalist Islams are interpreting the Koran to meet their own needs, and that women are disrespected, abused, and debased under it, you will find support for that belief. If you believe that organized religion in show more general is a massive scam perpetrated on the ignorant, the disenfranchised, and the easily influenced, you will find support for that belief.

Goodwin toured 10 Muslim countries in the Middle East as preparation for this book, studying their religious and political situations at the end of the 20th century, and interviewed dozens of Muslim women, from reformers to devout, privileged and destitute, native-born to Islam and former Christian converts. The story that emerges is appalling, disturbing, and intensely disheartening. show less

Goodwin traveled to nearly all major Middle Eastern "Muslim" countries, in order to understand how women are treated in the Islamic world. This book is very difficult to read at times, because Goodwin exposes a lot of repression, isolation, and violence against women throughout these countries. At the same time, this is a very important book for Westerners to read, in order to understand what's happening in the Islamic world in terms of women's rights and treatment. Because the standards show more vary significantly from country to country, this is an excellent resource to read and become more informed on what's happening (and some of the history) in the second largest world religion. Goodwin's anecdotes are fascinating, and the book is a quick read. I plan to purchase the revised edition for myself, as I'd like to refer back to it in the future. show less

4 Jahre lang lebte Jan Goodwin in 10 islamischen Ländern und bekam als Frau Einblicke in eine Welt, die männlichen Journalisten verborgen bleibt.

excellent and informative study of women in ten different countries in the islamic world