In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom

I bought this book based on an Amazon suggestion. After reading other reviews, I decided to purchase it. It was well worth the time and money. Ahmed presented a fully fleshed out, multidimensional view of people in Saudi Arabia. This was a compelling book to read and I couldn't put it down for several days. I highly recommend it!

One thing I've noticed, and taken advantage of, since the horrors of 9-11 is the increase in titles published in the U.S. pertaining to various Muslim cultures. I've read more than a dozen such titles in the last two or three years, both fiction and nonfiction, some written by Muslims and others by non-Muslims living in Muslim countries. I've learned something from each of them, but Qanta Ahmed's In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom is one of the most instructive of them all.

Qanta Ahmed, a British citizen raised in a moderate Muslim family in the U.K., received her medical education in the United States and considers the U.S. to be her second home (she currently practices medicine in South Carolina). But when she unexpectedly found herself without the visa necessary to remain in New York she accepted a position in a Saudi Arabian hospital and set out on what she figured would be an exotic adventure, an opportunity for her to experience life in a country dominated by Islam. Ahmed remained in Saudi Arabia for two years during which she learned as much about herself as she learned about Islam and the culture in which she had immersed herself.

Arriving at the King Fahad National Guard Hospital completely unprepared for the atmosphere in which she would be working, Ahmed was surprised to find herself being so ignored by the hospital's almost exclusively male medical staff. She quickly learned that she would be allowed to practice medicine unveiled, dressed in white lab coat and trousers, but that her medical opinion would almost automatically be considered inferior to that of any of her male colleagues.

Ahmed found herself resenting, and being frustrated by, the limitations placed on the women of Saudi Arabia. She learned that these women, herself included, could only be seen in public if their dress conformed to strict Muslim law (never a strand of hair to be exposed), that they were not allowed to drive a car, that they could not leave the country without the permission of a father, brother or husband, and that "morality policemen," known as the Mutawaeen were more than willing to make sure that women strictly complied with what was required of them.

But, as Ahmed learned when she grew closer to her female colleagues, all is not as it seems in Saudi society. Many women, because of the support offered them by their fathers and husbands, are being allowed to enter professions long closed to them and to open businesses of their own. They are raising their daughters to become confident, outspoken women who consider themselves to be the equals of their brothers in every way. She discovered progressive families filled with idealists and community activists determined to bring change to the Saudi system, change that will bring many Western liberal values to the kingdom.

Ahmed, however, was shocked to find just how far Saudi Arabia still has to go in terms of its racism, anti-Semitism, and anti-Americanism. She found that even the large number of Saudi doctors trained by Jewish teachers, teachers they considered to be their personal friends, were still unable to get past their rabid anti-Semitism. She felt firsthand the personal hurt of watching close friends and colleagues celebrate what happened to America on September 11, 2001, some even going so far as to buy celebratory cakes for the hospital within minutes of the news.

Despite her many dismaying experiences, Ahmed left Saudi Arabia feeling much closer to Islam than when she arrived in the country. Her friends patiently instructed her in the nuances of the religion and her completion of the Hajj inspired her in an almost magical way. Readers unfamiliar with what happens in Mecca during the Hajj will be fascinated by the logistics of that annual celebration as described by Ahmed, and will understand exactly how large numbers of people can sometimes die in the midst of a religious experience of this magnitude.

In the Land of Invisible Women, particularly since it was written by a woman with a foot in two worlds, is a real eye-opener.

This is one of the best written and most interesting books I have read. Dr. Ahmed shares her insights into the culture of Saudi Arabia, both public and private, and into Islam. I bought the book after an intriguing interview with the author on NPR. I took an interest in the book because I am a physician, but it would appeal to anyone outside of healthcare as well. I hope that Dr. Ahmed continues to write because she is a very talented writer as well as a talented physician.

Qanta Ahmed tells her story about her time in Saudi Arabia, focusing for the most part on the lives of women in the country. Whether they are her colleagues, friends, maids, or women she encounters in the hospital, she discovers that her first impressions of Saudi women are not very often accurate.

The reactions of the Saudi people are not always what she expects, especially in social situations. There are times when she commits unknown gaffes, and then times of unexpected kindness and generosity from those who know that she is not aware of what is proper.

It was interesting to read an account from a western Muslim woman's point of view on living in Saudi Arabia, and dealing with the strict religious rules that are enforced there. It is impossible not to be outraged at the way the women are treated as lesser citizens, but I appreciated that the author also pointed out the negative effects the rules have on the men as well.

Some of the subjects discussed in the book:

Being stared at by men

The hassles of being veiled

The protection of being veiled

An Account of the Hajj

Racial prejudices within Saudi Arabia

How the Mutawaeen enforce the religious laws

Difficulties of romance when men and women are always separated

Saudi Arabian reactions to 9/11

The author did a good job of explaining the history of Saudi Arabia leading up to her stay, so that the reader would understand how things came to be the way they are now. She also gives an in-depth accounting of her first trip to Mecca (Hajj) and the profound effect it had on her faith as a Muslim.

It was fascinating to learn that a lot of the rules that the Mutawaeen (religious police) enforce in regards to women, are relatively recent additions. The author makes a point of emphasizing the roles that women have had throughout history in Islam, and how they have had their rights, which are granted to them by Islam, stripped away.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book. At times I thought the writing got a little bit too flowery, with many metaphors and similes used in her descriptions, but it was a very informative book about the lives of women in Saudi Arabia.

When Qanta A. Ahmed, MD. was a little girl, her and her family moved to England. Her family is Muslim. While growing up Qanta was free to live and dress how she wanted, although her mother did wear the traditional abbayah. Qanta attended the University of Nottingham Medical School where she earned her medical degree. To Qanta's surprise the government will not extend Qanta's visa to stay any longer. So she heads back to her homeland, where she experiences a culture shock.

First there are the women covered from head to toe, women should not go anywhere alone as this is just asking for trouble, and the men are in charge of everything. For Qanta she was not used to this, so everything was a new experience for her, even though she was Muslim. Qanta kind of expected that when she returned to her homeland that she would be accepted right away and that was not the case.

Qanta shares her journey as well as the lessons she learned in her memoir titled In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom. I found this in depth look into a country I knew little about to be intriguing. I got to read how the people there lived and how it was if you were a woman. Qanta is very courageous for standing up for what she believed in, as it was not an easy task. Qanta found herself in a country she herself has barley known. As far as memoirs go In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom is a very good one.