[In Ethiopia,] Abeh enrolled all three of us in school, which was taught in Amharic. We spoke only Somali and Arabic, so everything was completely foreign again for a little while. It wasn't until I could communicate that I came to a startling realization: the little girls in school with me were not Muslims. They said they were Kiristaan, Christian, which in Saudi Arabia had been a hideous playground insult, meaning impure. I went bewildered to my mother, who confirmed it. Ethiopians were kufr, the very sound of the word was scornful. They drank alcohol and they didn't wash properly. They were despicable.

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About Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Ayaan Hirsi Ali was a contemporary somali-born activist, politician, and author. Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Somali-born Dutch and American writer, activist, conservative thinker and former politician. A critic of Islam, she advocates for the rights and self-determination of Muslim women and opposes forced marriage, honour killing, child marriage, and female genital mutilation. Read more on Wikipedia →

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