An international bestseller, Infidel shows the coming of age of this elegant, distinguished--and sometimes reviled--political superstar and champion of free speech. Raised in a strict Muslim family and extended clan, Hirsi Ali (the author) survived civil war, female circumcision, brutal beatings, an adolescence as a devout believer, the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, and life in four countries under dictatorships. She escaped from a forced marriage and sought asylum in the Netherlands, where she fought for the rights of Muslim women and the reform of Islam, earning her the enmity of reactionary Islamists and craven politicians. Under constant threat, she refuses to be silenced. Ultimately a celebration of triumph over adversity, Hirsi Ali's story tells how a bright, curious, dutiful little girl evolves into a pioneering freedom fighter. (text copied from rear cover of book)