4 out of 4 stars
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Women are often referred to as "the fairer sex." They are generally considered more nurturing and less violent than the opposite gender. If I were to mention serial killers, the image of a man would most likely pop into your mind. So, why are the incidences of female suicide bombers increasing? Why are more women joining the Islamic Jihad than ever before? This is what Farhana Qazi explores in her book Invisible Martyrs.
For women, the lure of extremism is caused by three things - culture, context and capability. How are women treated in their culture? What is the role of a woman in her region? For context, what are the personal or political pressures that a woman faces? What is their home life like? Has a woman had the training necessary to be capable of such an act? Ms. Qazi uses real examples of women to back up her claims and conclusions.
If there are any doubts about the authority of the author to speak to such a subject, let me put those to rest immediately. The fact that the author is a Muslim herself makes her uniquely qualified to discuss these Islamic terrorists. Even more so, she has struggled with her faith. How are the words of the prophet and the Quran distorted to justify this violence? She also spent quite a few years of her life in the Counterterrorism Center tracking down these extremists and seeking to understand their motivations. If her views are not important in this war on terror, I'm not sure whose are.
After 9/11, everyone in America has suffered from "Islamophobia" to one extent or another. People like Farhana Qazi go a long way towards explaining (and proving) that most Muslims are in fact peace-loving and non-violent. Though this book delves mainly into the female psyche, these principles and ideas help to explain terrorists of all genders and races.
What I most appreciated was the actual stories of women who had either been successfully radicalized into the Islamic faith or the ones who just barely escaped. This brought the subject home and helped me to realize that these are not abstract paradigms being discussed. ISIS is, at this moment, patrolling the internet, seeking young adults to convert.
As nice as the true stories were, I would like to have had more of these in the book. While I enjoyed the discussion of the three c's I mentioned earlier as well as the dialogue on the Muslim faith, these sections of the book became a bit repetitious. The author stated multiple times that the motivations behind each woman who chose Jihad were different and that, consequently, there was no set formula as to who would become a terrorist.
Despite the slight repetitions, I believe this book has value to anyone seeking to understand Muslims, Islam and the jihadist extremists. For that reason, and because in all other aspects the book was extremely well edited, I rate Invisible Martyrs 4 out of 4 stars. I wouldn't necessarily call this book enjoyable, but it was extremely enlightening. I believe this is a book that everyone of us, especially here in America, should read. Perhaps the next time we walk into a store and see someone in a hijab, we won't wonder if they have a suicide belt strapped underneath their garb.
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Invisible Martyrs
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