Infibulation: Female Mutilation in Islamic Northeastern Africa Book

When I picked up this book I thought it would be just a sad tale of women's abuse in Islamic countries, but this is so much more. It's also a look at the geopolitics and history of the Middle East and Subcontinent, and is very well researched. The author is an investigative journalist who spent four years traveling to 10 Islam-dominated countries interviewing women from all walks of life: from the very poor and disenfranchised, to privileged Saudi princesses and doctors. She allows us a rare access into their world that we don't have through the regular media channels.

She interviews women who have suffered psychologically, physically and sexually at the mercy of fundamentalist Islam, and also women who actively work towards a stronger Islamification of their own countries. In this way she shows both perspectives of the trend towards a resurgence of fundamentalism, and what issues arise because of it. She also explores the changing nature of the religion, how Islam used to be a lot more liberal and inclusive towards women, and how the trend towards fundamentalism and radicalisation is strongly tied to political endeavours and geopolitics. She also explores how the West's, especially the US's reliance of crude oil from the Arab states, and their purposeful lack of investment into renewable sources of energy such as solar, leaves them extremely vulnerable to a region of the world that is highly politically volatile and unstable.

This book was published in 1994 and lastly revised and updated in 2003, so with that in mind, you realize that a lot of the events predicted by experts on the region, and as outlined in this book, have come to fruition. For example the toppling of Saddam Hussein is not covered in this book, and the outcomes the second Iraq-US war had on the security and situation for women in that country. Also the commencement of the second Intifada in Palestine is not addressed. It would be really interesting to hear how the situation has changed in these regions, and what consequences it has had for women.

This is not an anti-Islam book. This is a well researched account of the lives of women from all levels of society in the Middle East, the differences in how they live, in what way their personal and professional lives are curtailed and shaped by the decisions of men and religious leaders. It was extremely fascinating, and anyone interested in women's issues, the Middle East, the history of Islam and politics would probably find it so as well.