Wanted women : faith, lies, and the war on terror : the lives of Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Aafia Siddiqui

  Scroggins (Emma's War, 2002) immersed herself in the world of radical Islam through the lives of two committed women, Aafia Siddiqui, linked to al-Qaeda and convicted by U.S. authorities, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, former member of Holland's parliament and outspoken critic of the religion. Scroggins profiles the women in alternate chapters, considering how both were subjected to Western influence and each ultimately embraced diametric positions on the religion they were born into. To understand their paths, she delves deeply into the politics and cultures of Somalia, Pakistan, the Netherlands, and the U.S., all while peeling back the layers of family and society that supported and opposed Siddiqui and Ali. Readers will be rocked by their own misconceptions of Islam and by the manner in which Islam has been misrepresented by both those who support and those who oppose it. They will be stunned by the vitriol espoused by two individuals who could not disagree more and yet manage to echo each other's zealotry. Scroggins' research is wide-ranging and impeccable, and she keeps readers on the edge of their seats with her compelling prose. If we can understand Siddiqui and Ali, then we will have a better chance of understanding the war on terror. --Booklist (Check Catalog)