We’ve been having quite a few laughs here of late stalking razzing a certain “feminist”, and I think it’s only fair to balance that with a portrait of a true feminist, or what I prefer to refer to as a humanist, someone fighting not for vaginal supremacy, but for equality. Not all “uppity women” are misandrists, some of them are outright brilliant. Having been blessed with the opportunity to meet this one in the flesh, I can attest to the beauty and the power of a rare sort of feminine courage. This is no shrill, petulant child. This lady is the real deal.
With that, I’m delighted to refer you to the Times Online and their recent interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
This is Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the world-famous human rights campaigner, or preposterous critic of Islam, depending on your point of view. Time magazine named her as one of its 100 most influential people in 2005, recognising that her demands for reform of the faith in which she was brought up had placed the issue on the international agenda. In 2004 she had written the screenplay for Submission Part 1, a short film designed to expose the subjugation of women within the Muslim faith. Two months after it was shown, her fellow film-maker, Theo Van Gogh, was shot dead by an Islamic extremist. The assailant used a knife to pin a note to his chest saying that Hirsi Ali would be next.
Subsequent publicity has painted Hirsi Ali as a formidably strong woman, fearless, uncompromising and almost one-dimensional: a designer-clad cipher who repeats her mantra ad infinitum without apparent emotion. She is against injustice done in the name of Islam, whether it is honour killings or circumcision and other forms of brutalisation to women. She is intolerant of Muslim fundamentalism. So it is curious to meet her and see that there is vulnerability beneath the public persona, or to use her language, to find that the reality does not entirely match the image.
The restricted view of her has come about for several reasons. Since 2002, when she first received death threats, she has been guarded by security teams, and until now we have known only the outline of her life: her migratory upbringing as a Muslim in Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Kenya, her circumcision at the age of 5, her flight from an arranged marriage to Holland where she sought asylum, her rejection of Islam, her emerging campaigning which led her to become a Dutch MP, the controversy around Submission and her subsequent rejection by the Dutch authorities.
Now she has filled in the gaps by writing Infidel, her autobiography, in which we learn of the forces that made her. I ask her to summarise them in a few words and this is what she says: “Moving  a true nomad. Bigotry between the clans and the Somalis and non-Somalis, the Muslims and non-Muslims. Resilience  no sulking, no pouting, giddy up, get going. No emotions or showing emotions. You are required to behave in a certain way and as soon as the door closes and you’re in a private sphere, you relax.
I’ll take exception to the characterization of Hirsi Ali as emotionless. What she is is calm, a quality all too lacking in today’s political discourse, but it is a calmness that comes from certitude. Quite simply, she knows she’s right and she doesn’t need to scream her points out, nor abuse her detractors. She simply speaks her mind, and does so eloquently and convincingly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone dispatch vehement adversaries quite as sweetly and neatly as Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
I’ve given you some of the tease, and I highly recommend that you read the whole thing, for it is excellent. Then, find yourself a copy of The Caged Virgin and another of Infidel. You’ll be glad you did. If you’d like to see just what I mean, you’ll find plenty to look at here.
UPDATE: In a true flying pig moment, the New York Times printed an interview with Hirsi Ali yesterday, and they actually let some truth come flying though:
Q. Have you seen any ideology coming from within Islam that gives young Muslims a sense of purpose without the overlay of militancy?
A. They have no alternative message. There is no active missionary work among the youth telling them, do not become jihadis. They do not use media means as much as the jihadis. They simply  they’re reactive and they don’t seem to be able to compete with the jihadis. And every time there is a debate between a real jihadi and, say, what we have decided to call moderate Muslims, the jihadis win. Because they come with the Koran and quotes from the Koran. The come with quotes from the Hadith and the Sunnah, and the traditions of the prophet. And every assertion they make, whether it is that women should be veiled, or Jews should be killed, or Americans are our enemies, or any of that, they win. Because what they have to say is so consistent with what is written in the Koran and the Hadith. And what the moderates fail to do is to say, listen, that’s all in there, but that wasn’t meant for this context. And we have moved on. We can change the Koran, we can change the Hadith. That’s what’s missing.
Then there’s that gorgeous photo….
Powerful stuff, Pablo. Easy to forget that to some people this is not just a talking point.
Yeah, if you want to talk about being stalked and being run out of your job for the things you’ve said, you need to talk to Ayaan.
It’s really a shame that the Islamists have taken the Netherlands. It used to be such a nice place to visit.
I admire her ability to understand the difference between Collectivism (ex,hags screaming on mass about evil white straight guys) and Individualism (ex. women who don’t conform to haggotery).
Odds of alfie or stevie showing up with a contrary opinion???
Slim to none. Not even they could be so stupid.
Not that it needs more saying, but the central failing of the leftist mind is in that it refuses to acknowledge that vague intentions do not equal stated vague results. All acts have consequences, all intentions create acts.
The predictability of poorly reasoned intentions creating a smattering of uncontrolled consequences is eternally beyond the leftist mind, which tends to explain the common view that a leftist is a juvenile thinker.
What’s amazing, however, is that many of the tenants of leftism, such as “feminism”, clearly fall into willful harm, questioning whether leftists are childishly ignorant or downright malicious. The Sacred Intention and the appearance thereof is infinitely more valuable to the leftist than that stated result.
It has most of the telltales of bad religion.
You’re right.
There’s nothing louder than the roar of silence eminating from the left when Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Theo Van Gogh are mentioned.
Especially when those leftys are from Hollywood.
I’ve been there 3 times and enjoyed every time. But, you are correct, Holland has a radical muslim problem and they know it. The locals seem to be looking to the politicians to solve it for them. Except, when they alienate someone like Hirsi Ali it does little to invoke confidence in the system.
I was there when the Islamists killed Pym Fortuyn.
That doesn’t seem completely unreasonable.
Not for the constituents, no. But the pols don’t seem to have the stomach for it, preferring to feed the alligator. This is why Hirsi Ali is now a resident of the United States instead of being a Dutch Parliamentarian.
American pols aren’t any better these days, with a disappointingly few exceptions.
Agreed, but how does a politican integrate a community that doesn’t want to integrate?
I don’t see Holland shipping the muslims out.
For example, Holland has a hippie problem (squatters) they have ignored for generations.
I don’t expect that approach to work here either.
What I know of Europe is just from my friends here who came from there, and it seems to me that the first thing they need to do is learn to integrate their own kids first – the ones that bear the brunt of the ridiculous levels of unemployment that are tolerated there – obviously, the 18-24 unemployment rate is much higher than the numbers you see reported for general pop.
I think the principles involved in the integration of the younger generation into society are much the same as would be applied to the integration of immigrant groups – not going to go on about that here… but given the dysfunction of Western Europe, I think “doesn’t want to integrate” may be assigning rather too much culpability to the immigrants.
But then, I’ve never met an unintegrated muslim. Conversely, I am not sure I would integrate very enthusiastically in Holland. Or France. Or Germany. Maybe, but they would really have to be paying me very well.
The secular nature of the country must pose an interesting perspective to the immigrants; of which I can only speculate.
Mention Mosque and you’ll get a predictable reaction though.
So, yes, you are likely right.
I can only rely on my narrow observations and the feedback from others that live(d) there.
It’s a nice place to visit but I’m glad I live here.
I was there when the Islamists killed Pym Fortuyn.
Oh? Which universe was that in? In my universe, Fortuyn was killed by a nutty animal rights activist.
The expressed motive was to protect Muslims from Pym’s “immigrant bashing” or some such.
True, but I don’t buy it.
Chalk it up as a conspiracy theory and a slip of the tongue on my part.
But, maybe you can explain the connection Pym had to animal rights? I know he worked for an environmental company but don’t know any details. I’ll listen.
Pym’s outward anti-immigration stance likely had no effect in Holland though I’m sure…..
Strike Pym working for an environmental company. I’m busy at work and mixing my info pages as I refresh my memory.
Anyway, thanks Pablo for reminding me to read Infidel.
I have some fond memories of Holland, but now that my friend has left the coutry that is all I’ll have. Indonesia should be intereting too I suppose…..
The expressed motive was to protect Muslims from Pym’s “immigrant bashing†or some such.
Not just Muslims, but all immigrants and big-eyed children and fluffy duckies.
And females, Angie, and females.
Van Der Graaf did it for Muslims – no mention of fluffy ducks or other immigrants!
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/27/netherlands.fortuyn.trial/
this girls is not happy with her life.the life that she has now. dont you see guys. she is worried about something and she knows that Islam is the true religion but there is a reason why she is doing this.