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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What editor of the feminist magazine "Opzij" did Ayaan contact to discuss how to raise funds from the government for protection after she began getting threats?

2. Ayaan began working for what political party''s think tank before 9/11 happened in Chapter 14, "Leaving God"?

3. When did Ayaan return to Parliament in Chapter 17, "The Murder of Theo"?

4. What prominent politician in the Liberal Party did Ayaan meet in Chapter 15, "Threats" who wanted her to join the party and run for Parliament?

5. In early 2007 Ayaan stated that the Dutch state had spent about how many euros providing armed guards for her?

Short Essay Questions

1. What interactions did Ayaan have with her father and husband in Chapter 11, "A Trial by the Elders"?

2. What were Ayaan's impressions of the West when she arrived in Chapter 10, "Running Away"?

3. Describe the situation in which Ayaan went into hiding in Chapter 17, "The Murder of Theo." For how long was she allowed minimal contact with friends and family?

4. What did Ayaan lie about when seeking political asylum in Chapter 10, "Running Away"?

5. How is the beginning of the author's political career described in Chapter 16, "Politics"?

6. What did Osman Moussa do when he arrived in Holland in Chapter 11, "A Trial by the Elders"?

7. What were Ayaan's first days as an official refugee like in Chapter 11, "A Trial by the Elders"?

8. How does the author describe the investigation into her citizenship in the Epilogue?

9. How does the author describe her relationship with her sister in Chapter 13, "Leiden"?

10. How does the author describe her participation in public debates in Chapter 15, "Threats"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss male and female circumcision in Somalia and the settings of Mogadishu and Matabaan. What is the purpose for circumcision in Somalia and other Islamic nations? Also discuss Ayaan's father's work in Chapter 2, "Under the Talal Tree." Where was Ayaan's father during this period?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss Ayaan's relationships and experiences in Somalia in 1990. How did faith play a role in Ayaan's life at this point? With whom did she share a romantic relationship and why did she end the affair? How did Ayaan's views on romantic relationships differ from those of her siblings?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss Maryan Farah and Abeh's marriage to her in Chapter 9, "Abeh." How many daughters did Abeh have with his first wife? What were the laws like regarding divorce and marriage within the Islamic faith at this time? How did the children of Abeh's first wife feel about Ayaan and her siblings?

(see the answer keys)

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