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Ayaan Hirsi Ali: an Infidel

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Ayaan Hirsi Ali: an Infidel International Journal of English Research International Journal of English Research ISSN: 2455-2186; Impact Factor: RJIF 5.32 Received: 01-04-2020; Accepted: 06-05-2020; Published: 09-05-2020 www.englishjournals.com Volume 6; Issue 3; 2020; Page No. 01-05 Ayaan Hirsi Ali: An infidel Alka Verma1, Ruchi Mishra Tiwari2 1 Research Scholar, Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India 2 Head, School of languages, Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India Abstract Ayaan Hirsi Ali is not a name that needed any introduction to recognize in English literature world as well as in political scenario. This Somalian writer makes her name not only famous but controversial also with her book infidel. Infidel is her autobiography. It is not only the autobiography but also her call to be infidel and being rebellion to her religion. She is one of those feminists who refused to be silent when it comes for the name of women rights to live by their own. She was wholeheartedly praised by the world for her Fearless thoughts about being infidel and criticizing her own religion. Her book infidel reflects her own journey. The series of thoughts and impression of self-realization reflects in her book. There is no room for imagination as the novel is based on her true story and the incidents, which happened with her while travelling from Somalia to USA. The opposite circumstances of the religious bindings made her infidel though she did not want to be one. Now she is always ready to help those who want to get freedom and live life. She is still fighting for women rights and making a metamorphosis all around. Keywords: infidel, autobiography, memories, religion, thoughts, courage Introduction every religious thing taught to her by her grandmother and Ayaan Hirsi Ali grew up in Somalia learning the values of mother. She learnt all the series and the names of her clan. her clan from her grandmother and mother. Her father was Being a girl, she learnt how to behave. She also learnt to not there to teach and protect her but she was attached to serve the family. All those values followed by her. him. Somalia, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Kenya and Nevertheless, some of the things, which were not acceptable Netherland were the countries where she spends most part by her, were the religious intolerance for a woman and of her life. She learns to fight with all the odds during this treating her as a servant. period. Her father and mother made her such a girl that she Religious woman has to follow the Hadith, which means never looked back and took her own decisions bravely. rules to live otherwise she will be punished. She needed to Very intelligent from the beginning she learnt about her have a male member accompany with her all the time if she Clans, holy book and then she did attain degree in Political wishes to go outside the house. She has to cover her body Science. Knowledge of English, Somali, Sohali, Arabic, from the world outside the house. The religious woman Dutch, and Amharic shows her ability and hold on must follow Hadith or the rules or she would get the languages. She worked as a perfect translator in asylum punishment for not doing so. Some of the hadith are like: center and earned a lot from it. As a political leader, she 1. She should pray at home, as it is better for her. won elections and became a Parliament member. All these 2. She should submit herself to the will of God. things show her perfect intelligent personality. 3. She should cover her entire body as it protects her and save her from corruption. Ayaan being Infidel 4. She should be kept in the protection of the male Being infidel was not her choice it was the time and the members of her family. circumstances, which lead her to be infidel. Certain reasons 5. She should take permission of male head- either her made her nomad, and she wrote the reasons in her novel. father/ brother or her husband if she wanted to go Before studying about Ayaan’s life as infidel, we must outside and a male member should be always there with know the meaning of infidel. Infidel is used for a person her. who does not believe in religion. 6. She should be punished if commits adultery. According to the Cambridge dictionary, “It is used 7. She should not interact with strangers, keep distance especially between Christians and Muslims, someone who and not talk to them. does not have the same religious beliefs as the person 8. Before marriage she should obey her father and brother speaking.” and after marriage her husband. According to the Merriam-Webster, “One who is not a 9. She should follow every instruction given by her Christian or who opposes Christianity. An unbeliever with husband, be obedient and grateful to him. To disobey respect to a particular religion or one who acknowledges no him is to disobey God and it is a sin. religious belief.” 10. She should not try to look like a man or wear dresses like him. (important-hadith-about-women-in-islam, Ayaan provoked to be infidel n.d.) From her childhood, she was very religious. She learnt Many more rules are there which are just for woman not for 1 International Journal of English Research http://www.englishjournals.com man. A woman is infidel if she denies following these be an obedient housewife to follow the instruction given by hadith. A woman is to follow these rules by every now and her husband. However, modern life would make her a self- then. She is a mere puppet in the hands of male members of dependent vibrant personality. She kept on asking herself, the family and society. There is no question to refuse or “If I was not doing anything wrong, then surely Allah would deny the orders given to her. She has to follow them not punish me.” (Ali, Infidel 214) anyhow. It is compulsory for her to have a male member as She was to choose between right and wrong, ancient and a guardian with her; otherwise, her life will be problematic. modern, logical and illogical and so on. She became According to the rules, the male is the commander of the analytical and sensible towards the problem of woman. life of the female. Without a man, a woman could be merely Condition of her mother, her sister and her own made her a thing available every time to everyone. Any male can use more obvious about being infidel. Her personal life was her as he desires or commands. The man is always a step creating conflicts in her mind. She was seeking a kind of above her. Men are in charge of women because women are freedom. That freedom was not only for herself but also for weak, stupid and crooked. Women will never be equal to all women whether known or unknown, may be Muslim or men. (Hadith_and_Scholars) any other religion, near or far and religious or infidel. She Ayaan found a distinctive way of living in foreign. It was wanted to come out of all confusions and conflicts. very different from those places where she spent her Many a times she mentioned about her mother’s condition childhood and young days. There she could live on her own in the novel. Her mother was all alone and with the passing conditions. It was not needed to follow the hadiths of of the time, she had a dry and empty heart towards her religion. She did not require any male to go outside to do father. There was no emotion left in her and a rage was any work. She needed not to cover her entire body in the increasing day by day. Her anger was outburst on Ayaan in fear of being raped. Talking with any male was not a sin. In various situations and she started beating her. However, addition, many other things were totally changed. She had Ayaan was always helpless in her mother’s case. She could the rebellion self which came out. Some conditions went not fight against her father. It was an irony of her life. just opposite of her thoughts which lead her towards Ayaan shared the experiences of the unpleasantness of the infidelity. word while working as a translator in the camp. She heard Ayaan did not become infidel in a day or two. The the stories of women telling about rapes, assaulting by conditions and the circumstances lead her towards the path relatives, beaten by men and fleeing from the men of infidelity. Once she was a true believer of her religion. dominated houses. Female Mutilation causing physical She used to follow every instruction and rule taught to her problems was one of the major issues among them and men by her grandmother, mother or father. During her childhood, suppressed women. her grandmother would teach her to save herself from She, on the other hand, was gaining “an education in strangers, to perform prayer, follow the religion and so on. It suffering, abuse, pain, misery and the evils of ignorance.” was due to the belief of her grandmother that she had to bear While translating the painful stories of women, she herself the pain of genital mutilation. was filled with guilt and pain. She would stuff all the stories Ayaan’s life became complex seeking cogent results in behind her brain and go for work constantly. She had to future.
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