Invisible Martyrs: Inside the Secret World of Female Islamic Radicals

By: Farhana Qazi

Narrated by: Farhana Qazi

Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Farhana Qazi draws on her background as a pioneering counterterrorism professional and a devout Muslim to offer an insider’s view of what drives girls and women to join radical Islamic movements and how we can keep them from making this terrible choice.  

The first Muslim woman to work for the US government’s Counterterrorism Center, Qazi found herself fascinated, even obsessed, by the phenomena of female extremists. Why, she wondered, would a girl from Denver join ISIS, a radical movement known for its mistreatment of women? Why would a teenage Iraqi girl strap on a suicide bomb and detonate it?   

From Kashmir to Iraq to Afghanistan, to Colorado to London, she discovered women of different backgrounds who all had their own reason for joining these movements. Some were confused, others taken advantage of, and some were just as radical and dedicated as their male counterparts. But in each case, Qazi found their choices were driven by a complex interaction of culture, context, and capability that was unique to each woman.   

This audiobook reframes their stories so listeners can see these girls and women as they truly are: females exploited by men. Through hearing their voices and sharing their journeys, Qazi gained powerful insights not only into what motivated these women but also into the most effective ways to combat terrorism - and about herself as well. 

“Through them,” Qazi writes, “I discovered intervention strategies that are slowly helping women hold on to faith as they struggle with versions of orthodox Islam polluted by extremist interpretations. And in the process, I discovered a gentle Islam and more about myself as a woman of faith.”

©2018 Farhana Qazi (P)2018 Farhana Qazi

Horrible sound quality and narration

There were a few problems with this book. First, the sound quality was as if the book was recorded in an aluminum can. There was a constant reverb echo throughout. Second, the reader was the author, and as usual, this wasn't a great idea. The author stammered over words, mispronounced others, and did not inflect well. If you are used to professional readers, then this reading is rather painful. Finally, I became tired with the author trying to reconcile her nice Islam with the Islam that fundamentalists preached to reach these women. I wasn't terribly interested in the author's beliefs, but the beliefs of the women who turned to fundamentalism. The author's handwringing about her own beliefs of Islam became annoying. I returned this book to get my credit back.