In the Land of Invisible Women (2008)

A rare look behind the veil from a western-educated female Muslim doctor working in a Saudi hospital for two years. ( )

Interesting most of the time to read about life in Saudi Arabia and about Mecca. But Qanta dwells too much on her feelings for the Saudi doctor (whose name I forget) and her fondness for big words is annoying. ( )

In one of the worst countries in the world for women, Pakistani Dr. Qanta discovers what's under the veil (lots of spirit and makeup) and what's in her heart (a newfound love of Islam). She takes a two year assignment at a hospital for royalty in Saudi Arabia, where, like all women, she is not permitted to leave her home without a abaya (full length robe), headscarf, and a male escort, and where Sharia law is strictly enforced.

Dr. Qanta makes a point of meeting other female medical professionals, both native and ex-pats, and comparing notes. She's roused by the strong feminism she finds but discouraged at the impossibly slow pace of change, and intimidated by the brutal religious police, who patrol even the female only areas and seem to also have the even Saudi royals running scared. And then there's the oil wealthy idle scions/dudebros who race their expensive sports cars down every street, killing themselves others in crashes with nary a regret or a penalty.

During her assignment, she falls in love with a Saudi doctor and makes the Hajj to Mecca twice. The passages on Hajj reminded me of the only other description of the solemn ritual I've ever read, that of Malcolm X in his autobiography. They both found incredible love and solidarity with other Muslims, but Dr. Qatar also is scorned by ultra conservative fellow female pilgrims, until she ministers to an ill woman who is one of the masses who cannot afford the luxury of a first class (complete with an air conditioned tent) pilgrimage experience.

In general, the doctor never encounters any poor Saudis, and in fact, does not seek out anyone like the Filipinas and Indonesian women who comprise the servant classes. This is a weakness in the narrative. Perhaps her position is that Saudi life is miserable enough for wealthy women - even with their luxury autos and goods - that there's no reason to meet anyone who'd make her feel even more, or less, privileged.

This is a valuable look at an awful place, swamped with the tribalism that seems forever married to Islam in a Wahhabi world. ( )

"Unexpectedly denied a visa to remain in the United States, Qanta Ahmed, a
young British Muslim doctor, becomes an outcast in motion. On a whim, she
accepts an exciting position in Saudi Arabia. This is not just a new job; this
is a chance at adventure in an exotic land she things she understands, a place
she hopes she will belong. What she discovers is vastly different. The Kingdom
is a world apart, a land of unparalleled contrast. She finds rejection and
scorn in the places she believed would most embrace her, but also humor,
honesty, loyalty, and love. And for Qanta, more than anything, it is a land of
opportunity. A place where she discovers what it takes for one woman to
re-create herself in the land of invisible women." --back cover

Quanta Ahmed is a British-born Muslim woman who considers herself a New Yorker. She accepts a two-year position as an ICU physician in a Saudi Arabian hospital in 1999-2000. Her first task is to purchase an abbayah, the head-to-toe covering she will wear every time she steps outside her home or the hospital she works in. Despite the western educations of many of her colleagues, the sexism and religious extremism she experiences are shocking. As an American it's hard to comprehend a society where men won't look a woman in the eye or shake her hand. Women are not allowed to drive, be in the company of a man not their husbands, rent a hotel room, or travel outside the country without the consent of a male family member. Somehow despite the repression and disrespect, she is able to strengthen her Muslim faith. While the insight into such a different society was fascinating, I found it hard to understand how she could remain friends with those who revealed themselves not only as sexist, but also outspokenly racist. ( )