Dr. Qanta Ahmed, an American Muslim who spent some time practicing medicine in Saudi Arabia, answers questions for VOA on her new book about Saudi Arabia, In The Land of Invisible Women. She objects to Wahhabiism and calls it a “bastardization” of Islam, enumerating the injustices done to women in particular under the Saudi regime and the irony of this repression when juxtaposed with Saudi's special place in the world as the birthplace of Islam. She, and Dr. Zahid Bukhari of Georgetown, who was interviewed with her, point out that Wahhabi practices have consequences for Muslims everywhere.

The Financial Times’ review of the book is lukewarm and claims that the book lacks depth and gives scant attention to what are very complex issues, even going so far as to call her treatment of marriage, divorce and polygamy as “shallow and tacky”. Based on the interview, Ahmed seems to be peeved that the Saudi religious establishment is slandering her by presenting an inaccurate picture of the religion she follows. It's a bit ironic that she may then have somewhat carelessly rendered the lives of her subjects, Saudi women.