Heretic

By: Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Narrated by: Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's Summary

What happened to Islamic reform? Why have al Qaeda and Boko Haram become the faces of contemporary Islam? Why has the Arab Spring devolved into a battle over sharia law? Continuing her personal journey from a deeply religious Islamic upbringing to a post at Harvard and American citizenship, the New York Times best-selling author of Infidel and Nomad crafts a powerful call for an Islamic reformation as the only way to end the current wave of global violence and repression of women.

Today, millions of Muslims are wrapped in a rigid orthodoxy whereby women are denied education, girls as young as nine can be forced into legal marriages, and men are told that their futures lie not in building better, more just societies but in jihad against the infidel. Hopes for a wave of liberalization after the Arab Spring have been replaced by new authoritarianism and efforts to impose sharia law. Twitter, YouTube, and other social media have become aggressive platforms to promote a harsh brand of Islamic fundamentalism, making the clash between secular and Islamic society one of the most important challenges of our time.

And yet, contrary to conventional wisdom in the West, Ayaan Hirsi Ali believes that ordinary Muslims throughout the world want wholesale change. Courageously engaging fundamentalists on their own turf - religion itself - she boldly calls for a Muslim reformation, identifying five key amendments to Islamic doctrine that must be made in order to break from seventh-century traditions and fully engage with the 21st century. Interweaving her personal journey, historical parallels, and powerful examples from contemporary Islamic societies and cultures, Heretic will forever change the debate over Islam and its future.

©2015 Ayaan Hirsi Ali (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers

And They Revoked Her Honorary University Degree!

Three quarters of the people in Pakistan favor the death penalty for leaving Islam. In Iraq or Bangladesh it is only about 42 percent of the population. Instead of merely socially ostracizing or imprisoning the original thinker – all distasteful reprisals to the western mind that prizes freedom of ideas … millions of people believe this person should be killed.

Where is the outcry against such an intolerable idea? Paradoxically a sizable contingent of western liberals are following Ben Affleck’s lead in shouting “gross and racist” when anybody wonders aloud about Islam and how it is practiced. Islam is a peaceful religion we are told. Not necessarily true. That is why you must read Ayaan’s Hirsi Ali’s most recent book, Heretic.

This is not a book by an Islamophobe. Ayaan grew up with the Islamic religion and although she had a questioning nature, her religious indoctrination had her at one time seeing the justice in demands for the death of the heretical Salman Rushdie. She understands a certain mindset from the inside. Escaping an arranged marriage and observing the lifestyles of the good people of Holland moved her in another direction. This could not have happened as easily if she had remained immersed in the male dominated stridently religious culture of her homeland.

For Western liberals, this should be an eye opening book. Western liberals have got into the convoluted reasoning that when a horrendous murder is committed and the perpetrator does a shout out to god during the execution, discussing the religious motivation is off limits. Ayaan informs us - If a large group of people believe that the Qur’an should be literally accepted as the word of god and those words glorify the slaying of someone who is not a Muslim and also the execution of someone who questions some of that intolerant wording in the sacred text – we have a problem. The problem is an accepted body of ideas that warrants discussion.

This is a hopeful book as Ayaan sees the awakening of an Islamic reformation in response to life in the modern world. She identifies five key tenets of Islam that are at odds with a free society. She tells us there are already Muslims in the past and present who have questioned these core ideas and some have even been executed for this. We should not be encouraging the power structures that have been set up in some communities which enact ruthless responses to those attempting this reformation. The western world should be encouraging modern Islamic thinkers who challenge the subjugation of women or the glorification of religious warriors who get a ticket to a male dominated paradise. The western world should not be encouraging any Islamic groups who shout discrimination while privately believing in ideas that restrict civil rights.

This is not a tome filled with hate speech. It is an impassioned response to a primitive 8th century version of a religion that needs to enter the twenty first century

Great book! Must read!

The author herself is the narrator of the book, I listened to it in just two days because I couldn't stop. Makes me want to research more about the subject and I will definitely buy more of her books.

Reform

The writing and story was so moving and persuading that I could not stop listening. I got this book as a joke, but nothing was funny about it. It was a very enlightening to see in the mind of Islam. Enlightening and scary. The upshot is that we, liberals, need to reassess the way we handle criticism of Islam.

Finally someone who really tells us what is going on in the world.

Excellent book and reflective of a life seeking truth.
No longer can we be silent.
Nazi Germany's had a silent majority that allowed the atrocities of that regime. Silence and doing nothing is not the answers.
All in the world need this book.
Education is power. This woman is powerful and a blessing to us.

Fantastic Book

I love it when authors read their own work. Ayaan Hirsi Ali has a brilliant mind and unique insights and hearing her recount her own thoughts and harrowing experiences is endlessly fascinating.

A Sobering Read

The message of this book is essential for all of our politicians and liberals. Anyone that wants to understand why the Muslim religion is growing and how they continue to attract so many angry willing and educated participants will walk away with those questions answered. Our "tolerance" is working against us.

Islam the roots of the actual terror!

What did you love best about Heretic?

Ayaan Hirsi Ali opens a new approach of the three ways to view Islam gives us an insight of how Muslims today. The minority she identifies as Medina favouring a static view of Islam has brought the entire world under pressure. Her view on revising Islam is an opening and hopeful path to a modern and better world. I strongly believe that her testimony will open discussion and in the end increase tolerance within the Islamic world. her interpretation has modified my way of considering Islam but at the same time helped me believe that without compliance but through a steady path of reform and education ,we can hope in a peaceful future, where all religions including agnostics can live without extremists. the horrors we are seeing today in the Islamic world are the product of ignorance and power games where if Islam does not reform itself may win. we all need to help this change become true......Great book and an act of courage knowing the risks it took to Ayaan to wright it!

Essential reading for all !!

Susan has lived Islam and certainly understands the issues better than most. She is extremely well informed and well read.

She asks only that we have a rational discourse about the issues of Islam in a open way, like we in the west historically do. Forget worrying about being PC, let's be seekers of the truth.

As a liberal, this book has certainly opened my eyes. Intuitively it has bothered me that a religion of love can have so much violence done in its name

Ayaan answers my questions convincingly.

Christianity and Judaism went through their Reformation many hundreds of years ago. It's time for Islam to move from the 7th century into the 21st.

I don't want to discuss these issues with anyone who has not read this book. You can disagree with Ayaan, but you at least need to be exposed to her perspective. It has the ring of truth to me

Detailed assertions

The author has raised issues that I could not articulate but certainly agree with and support her position. Well done

Fantastic

Do yourself a favour and get this book. A fast track to understanding Islamic fundamentalism.

Everybody needs to hear this

Stunningly relevant and eye-opening. This should be required reading for every politician, journalist, teacher, and thinking person the world over. Her bravery and ability to articulate and navigate very controversial and difficult concepts should be applauded and the world should heed her call.

Definitive

A voice of reason on a subject that is more frequently monopolized by extremists on both sides. The author succeeds where other commentators like Robert Spencer fall short.
The proposition of this book is nothing less than a workable (and inevitable) solution to the threat posed by the unreformed Islamic faith.

Everyone Must Read This

I loved listening to the author, herself, read her own book.
It is a simple and complex message at once.
She is like a school teacher, giving a lesson, repeating lest you missed something, returning again. It was memorable and important. For the good of us all, we need to read this and learn from it.

A bigot ranting about bigotry!

irony, lack of context, bigotry, anecdotes, and massive amount of hate is what's in this book!!

Those in power need to listen

This needs saying. Again and again until those in power listen and take heed instead of repeating the "religion of peace" mantra and hoping it goes away

Essential reading for politicians and journalists

I'm sure they wont tho.
Time to wake up and smell the jihad.
No more time for facile platitudes.

Speaking truth to power and God.

Truly excellent, timely book .Last week another Islamist terrorist attacked my city, London. We need to act with the knowledge and insight of Ayaan.

A powerful message that we should all heed

Narrated passionately and clearly by the author. an incredibly powerful and timely argument against the violence that is prevalent throughout Islamic doctrine.

Ill informed interpretation of Islam

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

If the author quoted the verses with the context in which these verses were revealed. Even though the author says that she's not traumatized by her upbringing, her ill informed understanding of religion is evident. The author should try to reduce her bias and looks at all Abrahamic religions to draw such claims.

Any additional comments?

I recommend "A little history about religion" and "Zealot"

I loved it

Great Ayaan Arsi Ali once again criricises Islam and names the problem. Athough I would rather Ayaan did that from an Atheist's perspective, it is still a great book that provides insight into what is happening to our world in the West and beyond.