Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Viewers with an eye on European politics will recognize Ali as the Somali-born member of the Dutch parliament who faced death threats after collaborating on a film about domestic violence against Muslim women with controversial director Theo van Gogh (who was himself assassinated). Even before then, her attacks on Islamic culture as "brutal, bigoted, and fixated on controlling women" had generated much controversy. She discusses how these views were shaped by her experiences amid the political chaos of Somalia and other African nations, where she was subjected to genital mutilation and later forced into an unwanted marriage. While in transit to her husband in Canada, she decided to seek asylum in the Netherlands, where she marveled at the polite policemen and government bureaucrats. Apart from feelings of guilt over van Gogh's death, her voice is forceful and unbowed—like Irshad Manji, she delivers a powerful feminist critique of Islam informed by a genuine understanding of the religion.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• ayaan
• hirsi
• ali
• islam
• islamic
• women
• persecution
• submission
• quran
• hadith

[Mattyb88ful]

Thank you for taking a stand against religious fundamentalism, Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

[syliviya]

Brave woman!!

[uknowimrightaboutit]

I love you Hirsi Ali. You are an inspiration for women all over the world.

[ytsqueezer]

More brave people like Ayaan Hirsi Ali are desperately needed throughout Europe, Americas and Oceania.

[westindixie]

I love her!

[77Merav]

amazing woman!!!!!!!!!

[Fajjani]

I'm waiting for some retarded muslims to watch this and defend what she endured.

[SweetKeo]

brave woman!

[haleyymarie]

I love her

Her fortitude is astonishing

Does anyone know what happened to her?

[serappia]

Great Woman!!!!