Ali, Ayaan Hirisi. Infidel . New York : Simon & Schuster, Inc. , 2007. Document .
Ali is a Somalian writer, feminist activist and a former Dutch member of parliament. She is known for being out spoken against female circumcision (something which she herself as experienced) and Islam, which she argues needs to be reformed, and thereby reinterpreted, in order to diminsh terrorism and violence against women. In Infidel she describes her life growing up as a girl in Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and finally Kenya; a life which according to her, despite it’s harships, is “marked by enormous good fortune” (Ali 348). Ali wrote the book with a ghost writer, who as remained anonymous for safety purposes. The books published translations are Dutch (Mijn Vrijheid), German and English.
Ali’s criticism of Islam and the sexism within Somali culture is central to the book; criticisms which have made, and marketed, her as one of the most controversial and influential figures of the 21st century. At times, due to the centrality of these themes, Ali writes as though the experiences of all Muslim women are similar to hers. Furthermore, especially when she discusses her experience of fleeing and living in the Netherlands, she writes in a way where the reader cannot help but to conclude that Somali culture (and others that adhere to Islam) is somehow ‘inferior’ due to its religious affiliation. She writes, when describing how she felt reading material by Darwin, Spinoza, Freud etc., that “every page she {I} read challenged her {me} as a Muslim” (Ali 239); statements like these imply that the teachings of Islam are in direct conflict with western scholars and the two cannot peacefully co-exist within the same mind. Needless to say, this is problematic.
Due to the fact that Infidel is written for a more commercial audience, Somalia’s civil war, experiences with colonization and complex political and socio-economic issues are barely touched upon. This characteristic makes it a less viable source for academics. Furthermore, Ali’s controversial views towards Islam are mentioned without direct citations to the Quran or the Hadiths, severely weakening the underlying argument she tries to make against Islam. She has made references to them in public, whilst making speeches and in debates, but they are absent in this work. It is due to this criticism that I have included Judith Gardener and Judy El Bushra’s, Somalia the Untold Story, as an additional work in this bibliography. Those interested in reading about Somali women should refer to it. That being said, this autobiography is an account Ali’s life and her opinions, published by a corporation- Simon & Scheuster, Inc. – which specialises in ‘serious’ non-fiction (Francis Fukuyama and Stephen Covey are other notable writers), giving her license to write what she sees fit.
Ali’s story is informative and entertaining, but fails to sufficiently deconstruct the reasons behind why, other than Islam and ‘culture’, Somali women experience the adversity that they do.
Gardner , Judith and Judy El Bushra. Somalia The Untold Story: the war through the eyes of Somali Women . London : Pluto Press, 2004. document .
Gardner and Bushra have edited an anthology that, unlike Ali and Dirie, give a better-rounded and informed perspective on the lives, adversities and progresses made by Somali women. Majority of the anthology is written by Somali women, apart from the introduction, which mainly consists of a historical overview of Somalia gaining independence and its governance under Mohamad Siad Barre’s regime.
Gardner and Bushra have been sure to emphasise the sense of agency that Somali women have in the reconstruction of their country, noting that women are “meeting their obligations to ensure food security for their families, but in ways that require new skills and a new spirit of entrepreneurialism and independence” (Gardner and El Bushra 15).
Due to the books academic nature, citations of the writers and their sources are provided. Academics, and those interested for personal use, will find it easier to research Somalian women writers if they use this book as a preliminary source. In addition, this book is less, I find, sensational because its target audience are academic; unlike Desert flower and Infidel which have been marketed to appeal to a predominantly western audience, purely for entertainment purposes.
Somalia the Untold Story can be confusing at times to read because personal narratives, research, poetry etc., are all intertwined. The language is not used is not pedantic in nature, but making sense of all the information given from the different sources can be quite challenging.
Ali and Dirie’s autobiographies are two personal stories out of millions. Whilst their stories are entertaining they do not offer the diversity and sheer volume of information that this work offers. The women included here are Somali’s residing in Somalia and Somali’s living in other parts of Africa, Europe and Canada. The plurality of these stories only adds to the works legitimacy as a point of reference. Gardner and Bushra have attempted (and succeeded) to be so accurate in their editorial roles, that there are even notes illustrating the different, and most accurate, spellings for various Somalian cities e.g., Baidoa instead of Baydhaba. Due to the books inclusion of both Somali and English, however, the only known translation is in English. Somalia the Untold Story is definitely a worthy point of reference for academics and curious individuals alike.
Dirie, Waris and Cathleen Miller. Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad . New York : William Morrow and Co. , 2011. Document .
Dirie is a Somalian model, author and human rights activist. Her autobiography, Desert Flower, describes her experiences of growing up in a nomadic family in Galkayo, Somalia. At the age of fourteen she escapes to Mogadishu from an arranged marriage, later moving to London, England, where she learned English. Whilst in London, she was approached by a modeling agent and subsequently began her modelling career, later becoming one of the world’s highest paid and most recognizable models. Later on in her career she co-wrote Desert Flower, which became an international best seller. The book was subsequently translated into multiple languages; these translations, however, are harder to find in bookstores.
Dirie, a victim of female circumcision like Ali, has protested against it in her native Somalia and other areas around the world where it is practiced. In addition, she advocates for women’s rights to education and equality, whilst also protesting views that normalize violence against women.
Dirie co-authored her autobiography with Cathleen Miller, an author known for co-writing the biographies of influential public figures. Her most recent work, Champion of Choice, she tells the stories of Nafis Sadik, a prominent advocate for women’s health and reproductive rights, and other female advocates. This latest work was published by University of Nebraska Press, an institution which specifically publishes academic works. Desert flower was published by William Morrow and Company which specializes in nonfiction and fiction writers, and caters to a more commercial market. The language and presentation of the book, due to the targeted market, is not analytical; Dirie’s story is simply presented as such with very little, if any, socio-economic, historical or political explanations for why her life turned out the way it did. I must caution that this does not mean Desert Flower should not be read, but should simply be read in addition with other, more academic, works. The extra information is not only helpful, but will also prevent audiences from generalizing her one-of-a-kind story; a characteristic which tends to occur amongst western audiences.
