Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Infidel meets The Handmaid's Tale
Since September 11th, 2001, the Western world has been preoccupied with Islam and its role in terrorism. Yet public debate about the faith is polarized—one camp praises "the religion of peace" while the other claims all Muslims are terrorists. Canadian human rights activist Yasmine Mohammed believes both sides are dangerously wrong.
In Unveiled: How Western Liberals Empower Radical Islam, Yasmine speaks her truth as a woman born in the Western world yet raised in a fundamentalist Islamic home. Despite being a first-generation Canadian, she never felt at home in the West. And even though she attended Islamic schools and wore the hijab since age nine, Yasmine never fit in with her Muslim family either. With one foot in each world, Yasmine is far enough removed from both to see them objectively, yet close enough to see them honestly.
Part Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Infidel, part The Handmaid's Tale, Yasmine's memoir takes readers into a world few Westerners are privy to. As a college educator for over fifteen years, Yasmine's goal is to unveil the truth. Is FGM Islamic or cultural? Is the hijab forced or a choice? Is ISIS a representation of "true" Islam or a radical corruption? And why is there so much conflicting information? Like most insular communities, the Islamic world has both an "outside voice" and an "inside voice." It's all but impossible for bystanders to get a straight answer.
Without telling anyone what to believe, Unveiled navigates the rhetoric and guides truth-seekers through media narratives, political correctness, and outright lies while encouraging readers to come to their own conclusions.
Industry Reviews
All those interested in how humans overcome adversity must read this book. Yasmine is one of the bravest people of our time. She is a shining example to all of us.
~ Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Too many of us fail to realize that the principal victims of the unspeakable cruelty that fervent adherence to Islam inspires (not to mention the bossy control-freakery that invades even minute details of everyday life) are Muslims themselves. Especially women. Yasmine Mohammed’s heartrending, brave, and beautifully written book brings this home in a way that should finally change the minds of even the most deeply misguided apologists in our well-meaning liberal midst.
~ Richard Dawkins
Women and freethinkers in traditional Muslim communities inherit a double burden. If they want to live in the modern world, they must confront not only the theocrats in their homes and schools, but many secular liberals—whose apathy, sanctimony, and hallucinations of “racism” throw yet another veil over their suffering. In Unveiled, Yasmine Mohammed accepts this challenge as courageously as anyone I’ve ever met, putting the lie to the dangerous notion that criticizing the doctrine of Islam is a form of bigotry. Let her wisdom and bravery inspire you.
~ Sam Harris
Insider personal accounts form powerful testimonies. Deeply moving, at times depressing but filled with hope for what can be, instead of what is, Yasmine’s story is no exception. Ex-Muslim women are likely to be the most oppressed minority group around the world. Name one other personal choice that can lead to honour-based violence coupled with mob execution in countries that we consider our allies. No liberal is worth their salt if they neglect these minorities within minorities. And Muslims worldwide must recognize this tyranny within our ranks. I hope Yasmine’s brave personal account can contribute to raising such desperately needed awareness.
~ Maajid Nawaz
