Ayaan Hirsi Ali to move to US. Just a heads up. Let's make a list of desirable European refugees for the coming decade. I'll start by proposing open borders for the French Jews.
This all reminds me a bit of the 1930's. Will the American think tanks play the same role as the University in Exile?
20 comments:
chuck:
Conservative Universities in Exile, too.
Yes, I think there should be a policy: no asylum for Europeans unless they fight first for their countries.
Are you aware of the controversy surrounding Hirsi Ali, that she lied about her family history to gain asylum in the Netherlands and that now some there are calling for her deportation? See here, here, here, and here.
I am willing to break bread with all enemies of the Jihad, but I would not be quick to champion the immigration of people who are broadly condemnatory of religion (including Christianity) and conservative values - especially someone who has tried to ban a European political party on these grounds.
truepeers:
Good point. Seeing how I'm keeping Amazon in the black all by myself, I'm now halfway through her new book The Virgin's Cage about the status of women in Islam and it is quite clear that she is very much the European intellectual,the social engineer, and the anti-Christian secularist.
On the other hand, she is fearless in her condemnation of the jihadis. And at this point we need all the friends we can get.
Yes, I could learn a thing or two about courage from her, when we share our meal, but perhaps there is a distinction to be made between allies and friends?
and it is quite clear that she is very much the European intellectual,the social engineer, and the anti-Christian secularist.
No doubt she will continue to change. European philosophical views remain influential around the world and they need informed critics, perhaps she will become one. Anyhoo, I find it interesting to watch the development of such as Hitchins and Horowitz. One can always condemn them for not getting there sooner but such is life. Even I am a bit smarter now than, say, forty years ago. It may be incipient Alzheimers that makes me feel so, but it is pretty to think otherwise.
truepeers:
perhaps there is a distinction to be made between allies and friends?
Yes. Very true.
chuck:
One can always condemn them for not getting there sooner but such is life.
And interesting isn't it how such folks swing around to the conservative side, where they instinctively feel more welcome, while the carpet-chewers go left. Taliban Man at Yale, Hirsi Ali at AEI.
Maybe some of the links I gave out earlier do not give a full and fair account of what has been happening in Holland these last few days. See also this.
I have been reading Ayaan Hirsi Ali's book. Everyone should consider getting a copy. My brief Amazon.com customer review should be posted sometime tomorrow.
Amazingly, the Dutch minister, Verdonk, is now talking about taking away Ali's citizenship and passport, kicking her out of Parliament, the country, and making it tough for her to come to the US, at least according to this post
You should all learn more about this particular woman. She is not the freedom fighter she claims to be. Lying and cheating your way into a country is not the way to do things.
She did not come from a refugee status in Somalia, she was living a rich life in Kenia!
How do you feel about this when people ask for asylum in the US and it turns out to be a complete false story?
It ruins the chances for the people that do need it. It will now make racist opinions stronger as they will say "see, they're all the same".
Then going for a political position, not really getting anything done in the Netherlands, just a loud mouth that screams a lot abroad. She is so strongly against the islam that it looks rediculous. It is not the religions that are threathening, it is the radicals and fanatics. And there are as many fanatics on the Islamic side as there are on the Christian side. That is very sad!
However, in my opinion, please be happy with the woman, here is a dutch well educated woman that does not mind seeing her go.
And I must say, if this is the kind of "hero" that you like to see in your precious think-tank, that will say more about you then it does about Aayan Hirsi Ali (by the way this is not her real name).
Have a nice day.
Aayan Hirsi Ali (by the way this is not her real name).
Gosh, scrabbles, what a surprise. And what a sinister revelation. May I ask where your own name comes from, for it seems an odd name for a mother to bestow.
The last educated Dutchman I met in this country was Goudsmit. Frankly, he wasn't terribly happy with the way his family had been sent off to die in the camps nor did he cherish fond memories of his erstwhile colleagues who collaborated. Ah well, peace is priceless when purchased so cheaply, eh?
chuck u must be a liar, cos goudsmit died on his way to the usa in the early 40s and never reached your country. as a liar u will feel happy to be with an that other liar aha from nairobi, kenya (for ur info she was not living there in a refugeecamp, but in a normal rented house)
Well. I am a French historian and I lived 15 years in the Netherlands. Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a controversial figure but an interesting one, and certainly a very intelligent woman. One reason why the Dutch policitian may be happy to see her go is because she says things that may radicalize the debate with the moslim community in the Netherlands (its a BIG community). It might be easier, they reason, if she and her big mouth are gone. I feel its a pity. Such people are a necessity, and the hypocrisy of her political party, the VVD, is disgusting. The lies she told about her past were known for years by her party already, nothing new here, but with elections coming up and the VVD leaders fighting to be representing their party (Rita Verdonk head first, God protect us from this woman...) it has become a convenient scapegoat...
This is just dirty politics...
Yes, it's dirty politics indeed. Knowing, as I somewhat do, the kind of values commonly held by the men who liberated Holland from the Nazis, one wonders, judging from a couple of the comments here, if their sacrifices were what they would have wished them to be. No doubt there is ugliness in many a person's past. At least she has widely admitted it.
But you have to pity the Europeans: they have a big problem on their hands that they were too dumb to see coming. As a Canadian, we have to take some resonsibility for our creation of the modern ideology of multiculturalism. But, knowing that the ideology is a failure in various respects - it is not very compatible with nationhood, and is more suited to a country like Canada that is as much a creation of empire as it is a nation - I wouldn't think of taking out my fears of coming violence in Europe on Hirsi Ali - eventhough she holds certain of the liberal, anti-Christian, anti-national sentiments I reject - because she has stood up to the violent in ways that can only shame the appeaser who resides in most of us.
It is true that many religiously inclined people in the Netherlands would like Hirshi Ali to shut up and are glad to see her leave the political scene in Holland. She is very brave in daring to speak out against the flaws of the basics of religions. Most people in Holland don't support such fundamental criticism of the scriptures and the dogma's of religions. The majority is of the opinion that there is nothing wrong with religion in itself but that radicals have perverted the original intentions.
Hirshi Ali's criticism is still mainly aimed at Islam because Islam hasn't yet gone through the stages of the enlightenment and the reformation that Christianity has done. I wonder however how welcome Hirshi Ali would eventually be in the United States of Bush junior if her liberal ideas would turn against the fundamentals of Christianity or any of the other dogmatic religions.
cos goudsmit died on his way to the usa in the early 40s
Goudsmit immigrated in 1927, led the Alsos mission in WWII, and died in 1978. I don't see how you can not be embarrassed at spouting nonsense like you have.
Its weird to read, see and hear that Hirschi would be a loss for the Netherlands and a gain for the USA. Do you all remember Pim Fortuyn of the Netherlands? He was the upcoming prime minister during the Dutch Elections back in 2002. The hole world, including the USA was against his NAZI way of acting. (He was certainly NOT a NAZI!, read and listen again to Pim)) But he said acactly the same as Ayaan does now. Why did Pim never got the credits he deserved? Because he was gay? I dont know..but what I do know is that politics and personal matters are always more important than what is important for our people, country and world!
As Pim would say: It's a bloody shame!
Ayaan lied about here greencard for the Netherlands. Everyone within the Netherlands (and Europe!, don't forget that Europe and here country's all follow the same rules and laws when it comes to, for example, getting a greencard!) who is lying over there admission requirements can never, never get a greencard! And if you lie, you lose it, that's the way the law works in EUROPE and therefore the Netherlands. I'am sure it's not different in the USA. If you follow the dutch politics you would understand more why the people in the Netherlands are making a big fuzz of this….there is happening a lot over here and I’am sure (I read, see and hear a lot about the USA and the rest of the world!) also back in the States. I hope that everyone does there own homework before they react about things that they don’t really know or follow …
A concerned Dutchman…
This is what Ayaan Hirsi Ali states herself (source: http://www.vvd.nl/index.aspx?FilterId=974&ChapterId=1147&ContentId=4977)
I came to Holland in the summer of 1992 because I wanted to be able to determine my own future. I didn’t want to be forced into a destiny that other people had chosen for me, so I opted for the protection of the rule of law. Here in Holland, I found freedom and opportunities, and I took those opportunities to speak out against religious terror.
In January 2003, at the invitation of the VVD party, I became a member of parliament. I accepted the VVD’s invitation on the condition that I would be the party’s spokesman for the emancipation of women and the integration of immigrants.
What exactly did I want to achieve?
First of all I wanted to put the oppression of immigrant women -- especially Muslim women – squarely on the Dutch political agenda. Second, I wanted Holland to pay attention to the specific cultural and religious issues that were holding back many ethnic minorities, instead of always taking a one-sided approach that focused only on their socio-economic circumstances. Lastly, I wanted politicians to grasp the fact that major aspects of Islamic doctrine and tradition, as practiced today, are incompatible with the open society.
Now I have to ask myself, have I accomplished that task?
I have stumbled often in my political career. It has sometimes been frustrating and slow. However, I am completely certain that I have, in my own way, succeeded in contributing to the debate. Issues related to Islam – such as impediments to free speech; refusal of the separation of Church and State; widespread domestic violence; honor killings; the repudiation of wives; and Islam’s failure to condemn genital mutilation -- these subjects can no longer be swept under the carpet in our country’s capital. Some of the measures that this government has begun taking give me satisfaction. Many illusions of how easy it will be to establish a multicultural society have disappeared forever. We are now more realistic and more open in this debate, and I am proud to have contributed to that process.
Meanwhile, the ideas which I espouse have begun spreading to other countries. In recent years I have given speeches and attended debates in many European countries and in the United States. For months now, I have felt that I needed to make a decision: should I go on in Dutch politics, or should I now transfer my ideas to an international forum?
In the fall of 2005 I told Gerrit Zalm and Jozias van Aartsen, the leaders of the VVD, that I would not be a candidate for the parliamentary elections in 2007. I had decided to opt for a more international platform, because I wanted to contribute to the international debate on the emancipation of Muslim women and the complex relationship between Islam and the West.
Now that I am announcing that I will resign from Dutch politics, I would like to thank the members of the VVD for my years in parliament – to thank them for inviting me to stand for parliament, and -- perhaps more importantly -- for putting up with me while I was there, for this has been in many ways a rough ride for us all. I want to thank my other colleagues here in parliament for their help, although some of our debates have been sharp. (Femke Halsema, thank you especially for that!). I would also like to thank the 30,758 people who in January 2003 trusted their preference vote to a newcomer.
But why am I not remaining in parliament for my full term, until next year’s election? Why, after only three and a half years, have I decided to resign from the Lower Chamber?
It is common knowledge that threats against my life began building up ever since I first talked about Islam publicly, in the spring of 2002. Months before I even entered politics, my freedom of movement was greatly curtailed, and that became worse after Theo van Gogh was murdered in 2004. I have been obliged to move house so many times I have lost count. The direct cause for the ending of my membership in parliament is that on April 27 of this year, a Dutch court ruled that I must once again leave my home, because my neighbors filed a complaint that they could not feel safe living next to me. The Dutch government will appeal this verdict and I grateful for that, because how on earth will other people whose lives are threatened manage to find a place to stay if this verdict is allowed to rest? However, this appeal does not alter my situation: I have to leave my apartment by the end of August.
Another reason for my departure is the discussion that has arisen from a TV program, The Holy Ayaan, which was aired on May 11. This program centered on two issues: the story that I told when I was applying for asylum here in Holland, and questions about my forced marriage.
I have been very open about the fact that when I applied for asylum in the Netherlands in 1992, I did so under a false name and with a fabricated story. In 2002, I spoke on national television about the conditions of my arrival, and I said then that I fabricated a story in order to be able to receive asylum here. Since that TV program I have repeated this dozens of times, in Dutch and international media. Many times I have truthfully named my father and given my correct date of birth. (You will find a selection of these articles in the press folder). I also informed the VVD leadership and members of this fact when I was invited to stand for parliament.
I have said many times that I am not proud that I lied when I sought asylum in the Netherlands. It was wrong to do so. I did it because I felt I had no choice. I was frightened that if I simply said I was fleeing a forced marriage, I would be sent back to my family. And I was frightened that if I gave my real name, my clan would hunt me down and find me. So I chose a name that I thought I could disappear with – the real name of my grandfather, who was given the birth-name Ali. I claimed that my name was Ayaan Hirsi Ali, although I should have said it was Ayaan Hirsi Magan.
You probably are wondering, what is my real name?
I am Ayaan, the daughter of Hirsi, who is the son of a man who took the name of Magan. Magan was the son of Isse, who was the son of Guleid, who was the son of Ali. He was the son of Wai’ays, who was the son of Muhammad. He was the son of Ali, who was the son of Umar. Umar was the son of Osman, who was the son of Mahamud. This is my clan, and therefore, in Somalia, this is my name: Ayaan Hirsi Magan Isse Guleid Ali Wai’ays Muhammad Ali Umar Osman Mahamud.
Following the May 11 television broadcast, legal questions have been raised about my naturalization as a Dutch citizen. Minister Verdonk has written to me saying that my passport will be annulled, because it was issued to a person who does not hold my real name. I am not at liberty to discuss the legal issues in this case.
Now for the questions about my forced marriage. Last week’s TV program cast doubt on my credibility in that respect, and the final conclusion of the documentary is that all this is terribly complicated. Let me tell you, it’s not so complex. The allegations that I willingly married my distant cousin, and was present at the wedding ceremony, are simply untrue. This man arrived in Nairobi from Canada, asked my father for one of his five daughters, and my father gave him me. I can assure you my father is not a man who takes no for an answer. Still, I refused to attend the formal ceremony, and I was married regardless. Then, on my way to Canada -- during a stopover in Germany -- I traveled to the Netherlands and asked for asylum here. In all simplicity this is what happened, nothing more and nothing less. For those who are interested in the intimate details of my transition from a pre-modern society to a modern one, and how I came to love what the West stands for, please read my memoir, which is due to be published this fall.
To return to the present day, may I say that it is difficult to live with so many threats on your life and such a level of police protection. It is difficult to work as a parliamentarian if you have nowhere to live. All that is difficult, but not impossible. It has become impossible since last night, when Minister Verdonk informed me that she would strip me of my Dutch citizenship.
I am therefore preparing to leave Holland. But the questions for our society remain. The future of Islam in our country; the subjugation of women in Islamic culture; the integration of the many Muslims in the West: it is self-deceit to imagine that these issues will disappear.
I will continue to ask uncomfortable questions, despite the obvious resistance that they elicit. I feel that I should help other people to live in freedom, as many people have helped me. I personally have gone through a long and sometimes painful process of personal growth in this country. It began with learning to tell the truth to myself, and then the truth about myself: I strive now to also tell the truth about society as I see it.
That transition from becoming a member of a clan to becoming a citizen in an open society is what public service has come to mean for me. Only clear thinking and strong action can lead to real change, and free many people within our society from the mental cage of submission. The idea that I can contribute to their freedom, whether in the Netherlands or in another country, gives me deep satisfaction.
Ladies and Gentlemen, as of today, I resign from Parliament. I regret that I will be leaving the Netherlands, the country which has given me so many opportunities and enriched my life, but I am glad that I will be able to continue my work. I will go on.
Dick Vermaas, Amstelveen, Holland writes,
The Dutch law requires we give asylum to those who under the Human Rights law are in anway in danger. We are a very small country, that's not very suitable -like the USA, which was build on immigrants-, for ecomomical fortune seekers.Recently a Bosnian student has been expelled for giving false information. Simutanious a foreighn soccer player -who for the world cup- wanted, just out of oppertunuty reasons, a upgeared Dutch Nationality, which was denied by the Courts.
Ms. Ayaan Hirsi, did not only lie about her name, date of birth, but also told she had gone through several wars. Further I have not met anyone in Holland who is not willing to act firm against Islam fascists. The whole affair has simply nothing to do with the exising row.
Dick Vermaas, The Netherlands
Dick Vermaas
Sorry for some grammar errors in my comment (my first blog ever), I couldn't find my reading glasses. What I in my last sentence tried to forward, the whole affair converges to the fact, no one is doubt her rightious course. The law (our) law has to suit her too.
Let's see if the world accepts this, if not, we/I will loose my freedom.
Dick Vermaas again, The Netherlands
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