Hirsi Ali threatened in U.S.

[Adrian II]

A Dutch daily carries a report on Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the ex-Somali refugee, former Netherlands MP and now fellow of the American Enterprise Institute who advocates a head-on confrontation with the oppression of women and violations of human rights in the name of Islam. It appears that she is facing the same sort of death threats she received here, only this time from American-based Muslims. Her protection detail has been tripled and she has been in hiding following her lecturing tour in the U.S. in connection with the release of her new book, The Infidel. The (sickening) irony is that she moved to the U.S. in order to get away from this sort of thing.

Any of you have more on this?

[Fragony]

Wasn't that that girl that lied about her warpast cheating her way into dutch citizenship? With all that staff that writes 'her' books? I wonder how dire these threats are, e-mail? A letter? Could have come from everywhere, not very surprising though, it's the same everywhere.

[KukriKhan]

She's been on the "speaker's circuit" delivering this speech (http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all,pubID.25476/pub_detail.asp), for the past 3 months.

I've read that she has a security detail while in DC (her homebase), but nothing new about it's increase. Perhaps her speaking venues have upped security staffing temporarily?

edit: I have stumbled across some references to a Dutch-gov't-funded part of her security detail, even though she's over here now. I wonder how that works out among the VIP-protection industry.

edit II: here's (http://hotair.com/archives/2007/02/06/video-ayaan-hirsi-ali-argues-with-alan-colmes-about-islam/) a rare US TV appearance by her (on Fox News; 3 min.).

[BDC]

I always find fanatical elements of groups threatening women/leavers/whoever rather odd.

"We're not barbaric or cruel or sexist, but you're a woman and a traitor!!!"

[Adrian II]

She's been on the "speaker's circuit" delivering this speech (http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all,pubID.25476/pub_detail.asp), for the past 3 months.

I've read that she has a security detail while in DC (her homebase), but nothing new about it's increase. Perhaps her speaking venues have upped security staffing temporarily?

edit: I have stumbled across some references to a Dutch-gov't-funded part of her security detail, even though she's over here now. I wonder how that works out among the VIP-protection industry.

edit II: here's (http://hotair.com/archives/2007/02/06/video-ayaan-hirsi-ali-argues-with-alan-colmes-about-islam/) a rare US TV appearance by her (on Fox News; 3 min.).Thanks Kukrikhan. I've heard that her security was part-Dutch because the Dutch ministry of Justice still takes care of it. A colleague of mine who is close to Hirsi Ali is contacting her tonight. We'll see. Maybe it's not that big a deal after all.

[KukriKhan]

Maybe it's not that big a deal after all.


One hopes. Especially in this land of the free (speech+) and home of the brave.

If it turns out that some us-based nutter is actually threatening her, and it's not just some tech adjustment to local conditions, I trust our federalis do their usual decent job of detection, evaluation, and disposition.

[Adrian II]

It seems that she has indeed reason to be more careful because of increasing threats from with the U.S. lately. I was wondering if the U.S. has a different approach to deal with this sort of situation. Better methods, gadgets, whatever. Over here we couldn't really guarantee her safety, in the end, because you can't control the thoughts or actions of every potential madman without draconic laws and practices that would destroy the very freedom we are trying to protect.

[KukriKhan]

Indeed a fine-edged sword, security v freedom. Assuming those reports of Dutch DoJ involvement are true, I'd further assume that their US counterparts are active, too.

I claim no special expertise in VIP-protection. My experience was in the physical security of objects (airfields, buildings, etc), long ago, in another life.

[Bijo]

That speech (http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all,pubID.25476/pub_detail.asp)... I stopped reading it after a quart of it or so. Can't she just get to the damned point?

She assumes too much as well, uses too much palatably sounding language referring to King and such trying to excite readers' emotions, etc. I thought "get the hell outta here and don't be so dramatic..." Stick to the matter, be objective, and be clear.

For example, how does she know what King would "feel" or "know" if he was still alive today? If that text is what she has been saying in speeches, then... well, ah, forget about it.

I'm not against her, but I'm also not for.


-edit-
Regarding her being threatened: it's only to be expected with what she has been saying over time.

[Adrian II]

Regarding her being threatened: it's only to be expected with what she has been saying over time.The threats were to be expected, certainly. We all know that Islam is not exactly a force for progress, tolerance and democracy in today's world. But they are still wrong. And if you consider where she comes from, she is a courageous woman indeed.

[Devastatin Dave]

I wish her the best. Hopefully nothing will happen unlike like many who try to speak out against the truth of certain belief systems.

[Del Arroyo]

People are always down on the bigots and the rednecks. Yet they are the reason why radical Muslims do not want to come here and preach openly, and why they have conducted only limited operations on US soil. Because if it ever got out of hand, there would be a significant backlash.

What is infuriating is how the radicals cloak themselves in the symbols of the legitimate religion. So that the average Muslim will say that he is opposed to Al-Qaeda, but if you ask him if the US is against Islam, he will say yes. And Western academics will fight, very rightly, against the public perception that our real enemy is the religion of Islam-- but the fact is that Salafi and Wahhabi ideals are more widespread and popular among the wider community now than ever.

So while it is clear to me, as an individual, that Islam and the Qur'aan are good and that really it is a nice religion, I could never promote it, because it is Muslims who will become Al-Qaeda recruits, and it is Muslim populations who will facilitate their activities.

What alot of people lose sight of is that the US is trying to do some of the right things here. Our current mole-whacking endeavors are a very valid alternative to letting the Jihadists congeal as a political power and then dealing with them all at once.

All I hope is that if, God forbid, radicals within the US ever become as strident as those in Europe, we'll still have enough ordinary citizens who are primitive enough to fight fire with fire.

[Lemur]

Our opponents certainly believe this is a religious war (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/23/60minutes/main2602308.shtml). The question, ultimately, is how many of their co-religionists will agree with them.


"The four men who blew themselves up all came from good families, good homes, good educations. How do you explain what they did?" Simon asks.

"I mean, for me, they did it simply because they were convinced that they were doing something in the name of God, in the name of Islam. And they honestly believed they would obtain paradise from doing the activities that they carried out, the terrorist attacks that they carried out," Butt explains.

[BDC]

You can draw parallels with Irish-Americans and the support of the IRA in the past.

It's not exactly an exclusive thing.

[Devastatin Dave]

It is amazing that Islam is so violent when such peaceful beginnngs came from its founder. :laugh4:

[DemonArchangel]

It's not about any one religion, philosophy, or viewpoint. The world is chock-full of that soul-draining idiocy that causes us to cut each other's throats.

[Fragony]

It is amazing that Islam is so violent when such peaceful beginnngs came from its founder. :laugh4:

I am sure that making people drink camel:daisy: and poking out eyes with a redhot poke was seen as a sign of respect these days, don't you find all these cultural diversions so utterly fascinating from a humanistic point of view? I mean, it is liquid, and you never gave to worry about seeing things you don't like, like camel:daisy:.

[Adrian II]

We're back to square zilch again.

Lock it as far as I'm concerned.

[Devastatin Dave]

We're back to square zilch again.

Lock it as far as I'm concerned.
Not really, I just don't find it very coincidental that she spoke out against Islam and now she's getting death threats, it seems to be a trend that people are afraid to talk about, they would prefer to turn their heads or lock a thread.

[Adrian II]

Not really, I just don't find it very coincidental that she spoke out against Islam and now she's getting death threats, it seems to be a trend that people are afraid to talk about, they would prefer to turn their heads or lock a thread.Did you notice who started this thread? :dozey:

[Banquo's Ghost]

Closed by request.

:closed: