Veiled Honor

Veiled Honor gives us a glimpse into an American's encounter with the radically changing Arab world, particularly Saudi Arabia, before and after 9/11. From the shock of seeing how women (and non-Muslims) are treated to the fears and suspicions she and we all have come to feel regarding that part of the world, the author paints a sobering picture of the problems and challenges facing the Arab world today as it struggles with the forces of both modernity and radical Islam. At the same time, Ms. Ross challenges us in the West to respond to the radicalization of the Arab world and to explore how we might prod those problematic segments to adopt enlightened views of life, liberty, religion, and freedom without imposing our culture on them or striking at their dignity and religious values. Clearly, the world is going to be more and more split between the forces of radicalism emanating mainly from the Islamic world on the one hand and the voices of moderation arising from the rest of the world among Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Veiled Honor gives us a remarkable insight into the evolving Arab world and the challenges we in the West face in dealing with it.