Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations

I just adore Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I admit that I kind of have a crush on her. She's outspoken and incredibly brave. She's an enduring target for abuse and threats from both sides of the political aisle, yet she carries on with remarkable consistency and a calm demeanor. She's not afraid to open herself up to that abuse and stand up to it.

Her writing wanders a bit, but there's always a point to it, so I don't mind. Plus, her stories are fascinating.

Her relationship with her grandmother tugs at my heart in ways that her relationships with the rest of her family doesn't. Rightly, she has a great deal of sadness about her siblings and parents. But her grandmother is presented as a strong woman with deeper ties to a tribal Africa without the show more colonial religions of the Middle East. Ali understands her grandmother's need for kinship.

This book goes over a lot of the same ground as Infidel and reinforces the ideas she put forth in her earlier work. It also adds depth and dimension to her decisions after her expulsion from Holland. Her decision to work for The American Enterprise Institute was refreshing. She made the decision because they left her studies and opinion up to her. It blows me away when people misrepresent her social positions based on the Institute's positions.

There was one part of the book that I was uncomfortable with. I wish that she had spent more time talking about the radicalization process and what happens in the mosques and churches that are similar. Because they are. The difference is only in the outcome. I think that there would be a far greater understanding from her critics if she'd done this instead of praising Christianity in such effusive terms. It's unfortunate, but her audiences is firmly in the Anglosphere and is far more familiar with Christianity than Islam and would make the jump much more readily. show less

This book is really the tale of two books, the first half, which was languid and largely repetitive of Infidel, and a fascinating, thoughtful and gripping second half. This is why I gave the book four rather than five stars.

The second half of the book explores several salient and indeed urgent issues: 1) the origin of Islam as a successor to tribal religions; 2) the role of "honor" in Islam and its baleful effect on women; 3) the role of Islam in oppressing people and especially women; 4) the role of violence in Islam; and 5) why the Arab-Israeli conflict is not soluble by a giveaway of territory.

The author was brought up Muslim. She fled to the West, away from a marriage arranged by her father. After a short stop in Germany she wound show more up in the Netherlands. She quickly learned the ropes and was elected to Parliament. Thereafter she fled to the U.S. after the threats on her life became burdensome to Dutch authorities.

In the U.S. she joined American Enterprise Institute, become a leading spokesperson for female rights and the rights of individual Muslims to resist deadly pressure from within. This book is a must read, even if the beginning is a slog. show less

This memoir is probably the most intelligent, thoughtful, articulate and sane book I have read in a long time. Listening to her read it (the unabridged audio version) in her own voice made it come alive with an authenticity that would have been impossible by reading a hard copy, I think. It really made an impression on me.

And did I mention brave? For a woman who is only 42 years old to have lived through, and done, what she has, and to be able to rise above it all and come out the other end, intact, strong and to use her experiences to try to do good and help others, is nothing short of remarkable.

I don't have very positive feelings or opinions about any religion that uses its dogma to repress women or any minority group, or show more brainwash children. And I absolutely detest violence for any reason, but most especially when it is *condoned* as acceptable (or *honourable*, a misnomer if ever there was one). But the more I read, in general about humanity, from all time periods, in all regions of the globe, the more I realize just how fortunate I am to live right now, and right here, where democracy is at least the law of the land (if not always working 100% properly). What I know for sure is that I could never be as brave as Ayaan Hirsi Ali. How many other potentially strong, vibrant, intelligent and determined women are lost to such repression? Ali has created an organization to try to reach out to such women and give them the chances she had - and took - to make something of their lives in a most positive way. To live as independent and autonomous humans, something we who are born in *the west* think of as our natural basic human rights. We would do well to remember that this is a priviledge, and for so many, not a right at all.

The world needs more people like Ali to stand up and speak out. Unfortunately, the men of her religion (Islam) will most certainly make sure that never happens. I just hope with all my heart that she is not cut down for speaking the truth. Most heroes like her, often are.

http://theahafoundation.org/ show less

I read Infidel, by Ali, several years ago hoping to glean some understanding of the Somali culture. Our family has been very involved with a Somalian refugee family for several years, and their children have become dear friends with ours. My hope was to gain a greater understanding of the world from which they came. I was not prepared for the disruption in my own life that would occur. Nomad poses challenging questions around the role of the Western world as it pertains to welcoming and assimilating our Muslim friends into our Western culture. Her views are well-thought through and controversial to say the least. And I say "controversial" in the best light. She pushes us to think. She challenges whatever your existing paradigms might show more be. Regardless of where you ultimately land on the issues, Nomad provides fodder for thought and healthy debate. I'd suggest that it's an important read for us all. show less

In this follow up to her earlier memoir, Infidel, Hirsi Ali gives a brief update on her life since moving to the US, and updates on her intellectual work fighting global injustice done in the name of tradition (both Islamic and tribal).

In the first section of the book, she examines various members of her highly dysfunctional family and their individual struggles. At first I wasn't particularly interested in these stories, until I saw how she was doing this to illustrate her main points. Each person was pushed, kicking and screaming, out of their extremely malfunctional society and toward a modern one, and each member, in his or her own way, failed miserably. As she goes on to expound on the problems of Islamic societies, she illustrates show more her points through her own experiences and those of her family.

Hirsi Ali is a remarkable human who is incredibly brave and brilliantly intelligent. She is gifted at presenting her argument calmly, clearly and with great eloquence. Although she is controversial and has a vast number of detractors, I've yet to see anyone take her on who doesn't walk away looking foolish. One of her main goals is to end needless suffering--how can you argue with that?

Recommended for: Anyone interested in the art of presenting an argument clearly and succinctly, whether you share her concerns or not. Also anyone who is interested in human rights, justice, women, and Islamic issues. If you haven't read Infidel yet, I'd recommend that one first, as it gives a fuller picture of her amazing life--Nomad is written for an audience who already knows her background. show less

It was interesting. The story of how she got from Somalia to America was fascinating. I was troubled by her not even bothering to acknowledge (only in the most dismissive terms) that her life was a privileged one. The leap that she expects other Muslim women to make, the one she made, is simply not possible.

The "tough love" approach to other Muslim women was something I found incredibly offensive. I doubt if it would have any effect in real life beyond losing a friend who desperately needed some friends at a difficult time in their life.

She makes a very good case for challenging Islam on the basis that it does not respect human rights and even advocates corporal punishment of women for disobedience. I thought those practices were only of the fundamentalists and radicals. It is actually from the Quran.

I highly recommend this book and its predecessor Infidel. It was a very revealing look into another culture and religion. I applaud Ali's quest for knowledge in exploring the Enlightenment and adopting its tenets. I don't share her conclusion that atheism is the answer for one's faith. I hope that she'll continue to question and learn.