Cultural in-betweenness in Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s Infidel

Abstract

The present research project concentrates on the in-between position of a Muslim girl in Western society. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who runs away from Somalia when she is forced to marry early and takes shelter in Holland as a refugee. The unjust Islamic religious values make her criticize Islam severely and equality of men and women in Europe attracts her. Her rootness of Islam and love towards Muslim community does not let her avoid Islam completely and the failure of Dutch governmental policies makes her criticize Western values also. She does not embrace Western culture fully nor does she return to Muslim culture. She is caught between two different cultural values which makes her identity critical. She establishes herself as a renowned speaker and the West celebrates it but her position has not been celebrated by her own community. The more powerful space in the West she gets, the more death threats she faces. Though she accepts one cultural value, her life is still in danger. Her autobiographical text Infidel proves her in-between position between the two cultures.