Ayaan Hirsi Ali
| Ayaan Hirsi Ali | |
|---|---|
Ayaan Hirsi Ali in 2016
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| Born |
Ayaan Hirsi Magan 13 November 1969 Mogadishu, Somalia |
| Citizenship | United States Netherlands |
| Alma mater | Leiden University (M.Sc.) |
| Occupation | Politician, author |
| Organization | AHA Foundation |
| Known for |
Women's Rights Advocacy Criticism of female genital mutilation Criticism of religion Criticism of Islam |
| Notable work |
The Caged Virgin Infidel: My Life Nomad: From Islam to America |
| Political party | 2001–02: Dutch Labour Party 2002–06: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| Spouse(s) | Niall Ferguson (m. 2011) |
| Children | 1 |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
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In office 30 January 2003 – 16 May 2006 |
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Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Dutch: [aːˈjaːn ˈɦiːrsi ˈaːli], born Ayaan Hirsi Magan, on 13 November 1969) is a Somali-born Dutch-American activist, author, and former Dutch politician. She is an opponent of female genital mutilation, as well as an atheist.
In 2003, Hirsi Ali was elected a member of the House of Representatives (the lower house of the Dutch parliament), representing the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). A political crisis related to the validity of her Dutch citizenship led to her resignation from parliament, and indirectly to the fall of the second Balkenende cabinet in 2006.
Hirsi Ali has been a vocal critic of Islam, calling for a reformation of the religion. In 2004, she collaborated on a short movie with Theo van Gogh, entitled Submission, a film about the oppression of women under Islam. The film sparked controversy, which resulted in death threats against the two and the eventual assassination of Van Gogh later that year by Mohammed Bouyeri, a second-generation migrant from Morocco. In a 2007 interview, she described Islam as an "enemy" that needs to be defeated before peace can be achieved. In her latest book Heretic (2015) she moderated her views of Islam and now calls for a reform of the religion by supporting reformist Muslims.
In 2005, Hirsi Ali was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. She has also received several awards, including a free speech award from the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, the Swedish Liberal Party's Democracy Prize, and the Moral Courage Award for commitment to conflict resolution, ethics, and world citizenship. Hirsi Ali has published two autobiographies: in 2006 and 2010.
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