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Issues of the day: Hirsi Ali and her errors
Ayaan Hirsi Ali - AFPApril 12, p5Ayaan Hirsi Ali, whose book, Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now, was recently published, rose to fame through her undiluted opposition to Islam
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Ayaan Hirsi Ali - AFP
April 12, p5
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, whose book, Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now, was recently published, rose to fame through her undiluted opposition to Islam.
Born in Somalia, Hirsi lived a difficult childhood that included her being subjected to female circumcision and a forced marriage.
Later, she filed for asylum in the Netherlands and was accepted in a record two weeks due to her difficult situation. It was then that her metamorphosis started.
With her introduction to Western society, she changed her name, her appearance, her faith, and became a staunch anti-Islamic figure. She was a welcome addition to anti-Islamic circles that were using every opportunity to incite tensions against Muslims.
So much so that she entered the Dutch parliament with an anti-immigration party, secured book deals, appeared on CNN, wrote for Time magazine and was named one of the top 100 most influential people in 2005 by Time. (By Harun Yahya, Istanbul, Turkey)
Your comments:
I haven't read Heretic, but I have read a lot of Hirsi Ali's writings and watched several videos of her talks and debates in which she has participated.
My view might be somewhat slanted as I hold all religions in low regard, but I must say Ali has a better ' and, yes, more balanced ' understanding of Islam than does the author of this article.
I certainly don't agree with her hawkish military views, and find Hirsi's association with neo-conservatives in the US hypocritical given her progressive positions on most social issues. But for her willingness to stand up to death threats in her fight against the dangers of political Islam, and backward tribal ideas, I give her full marks.
Pesci
Hirsi is saying that Islam is already at war with the West, not that the West needs to be at war with Islam. As it happens, I disagree with her, but it is dishonest to twist her message.
To pretend that Hirsi in any way approved of Anders Behring Breivik, a far-right Norwegian terrorist and perpetrator of a massacre in 2011, is the height of dishonesty.
Hirsi denounced Breivik as a fascist and simply defended herself against bogus allegations that she inspired Breivik.
These bogus allegations were based on Breivik mentioning Hirsi along with many other names in his long tract, but not, as Hirsi correctly notes, as an inspiration to commit violence.
Rozum Brada
A lot of people, opposing the writer, call attention to Indonesia, to the women supposedly oppressed in this Muslim-majority country and so on.
In fact, they are repeating what the author said in his article.
The author also says that Muslims do commit atrocities, but that when they do so, they are violating Islam.
People like Hirsi have a militant and blind hatred toward Islam without discriminating between Islam that is opposed to murder and oppression, and those who use Islam to justify their crimes.
Her hatred is so intense, it keeps her and people like her from trying to reach out and reason with good, peaceful people around the world who are trying to reach out to the Western world to make peace.
She's attempting to blame Islam for the actions of the insane. She's trying to dismiss Islam in general.
But that would be the same if I blamed atheism for the crimes of Breivik, or others who killed in the name of militant atheism.
Is it OK for Hirsi to say that Islam should be crushed, defeated militarily and not only radical Islam, but all Islam? Is it ok to resort to violence just because you don't like someone? What kind of a world would that build?
Dave
Breivik did kill people because he felt he wasn't being listened to ' saying that is not defending or excusing him. It is stating a fact.
To jump from that to saying she 'sympathized' with him is an outrageous lie.
I don't know about her comments on 'defeating' Islam but it is an expression of her personal feelings and nothing more.
I very much doubt she talked about using violence to achieve this. I imagine she is talking about the power of argument.
Lise Buckeridge
I didn't notice any 'peaceful people' wise enough to embrace her when in 2004 a Muslim fanatic in the Netherlands killed her colleague and threatened to kill her too.
Most Muslims are quiet about the injustice inflicted on other Muslims, but when the Muslim Hirsi chooses to quit the faith and denounce her experience within it, they accuse her of heresy.
Try to put yourself in her shoes before spitting judgment. Of course, you couldn't fathom how it feels, if you're one of those that despise Muslim women who speak up with courage and intelligence.
DW Liberty
It takes a very special piece of logic to draw the conclusion that Hirsi is responsible for Islam being viewed in a poor light today.
I concur that too many people take things out of context and blame all Muslims for the acts of the lunatics.
However, the writer might wish to address such issues as honor killings, destruction of centuries-old art and oppression before he worries about people like Hirsi casting Islam as the enemy.
Don't get me wrong: Hirsi is very much the far right-wing (for want of a better term) of the anti-Muslim cliché. However, that does not mean that misquoting her or being deliberately disingenuous helps in
any way.
It is absolute nonsense to suggest that people like her are responsible for the negative press and opinion of Islam.
Look closer to home and see how various minority groups are treated here (including Muslims who happen to be of the wrong sect).
Rusty Nails
