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May 16, 2006

Holland: Islam Critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali Receives Fierce Criticism

Life for the now-resigned Dutch politician, Somali-born Ayaan Hirsi Ali (pictured) has been tough since November 2, 2004, when her creative colleague, film-maker Theo van Gogh was murdered in a Dutch street. She had written a script for a film called Submission, which detailed the appalling treatment of women in Islam. Following the film's broadcast, the Muslim community was offended at a truth being exposed.

A Dutch-born man of Moroccan parentage, Mohamed Bouyeri, shot and stabbed, and tried to decapitate the film-maker, in full public view in daylight. He had ambushed van Gogh. Pinned to the victims's chest with a knife was a list of people on a "hit-list", which included Ayaan Hirsi Ali and also Geert Wilders, another MP with a critical view of Islam. Since that time, Ayaan had to go into hiding, followed by living under armed guard.

Threats continued to be made against her. In November last year, Ayaan announced that she had finished the script for a follow-up film to Submission. This dealt with Islam's treatment of homosexuals, whom Ayaan referred to as "Allah's creatures". As soon as the news came of Submission II's script being completed, threats intensified.

An Islamic website, Elqalem.nl carried a scathing commentary, and ominously stated that "she should be weighed down by the curse of Allah." Now, this site is full of triumphalist invective at Ayaan's perceived downfall.

In January this year, two Dutch rappers were given suspended sentences for making "serious threats" against her in a song which was circulated on the internet. In March, we reported that Ayaan and Geert Wilders had received more politicians had received threats against them. Politicians had received 121 threats, with 52 cases still outstanding.

Last month, Ayaan suffered a humiliating blow, when her neighbors at her secure home in the Hague took her to court and won an eviction order against her. Her neighbors , who had lost a previous case to have her removed, argued that her presence endangered their own safety, due to the threats, made mostly by Muslim extremists.

Last Thursday, 11 May, a 30 minute documentary was aired on Dutch TV, which traced details of her life, from her birth in Somalia, where her father had been a politician imprisoned by the government, and then from Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and a brief period in Kenyato arrival in Holland in 1992, after escaping an arranged marriage. Even though she had previously admitted that she had lied about her name, Ayaan openly stated again that she had changed her name from Hirsi Magan to Hirsi Ali, and that she had failed to tell the authorities that she had lived in different countries before reaching Holland.

On the documentary, members of her own family, including her brother, claimed that she had not been forced into an arranged marriage with a cousin she had never met, which had been her claim.

The documentary acted as a catalyst for all manner of opprobrium to be unleashed against her. Political adversaries demanded that she lose her citizenship, which she gained in 1997, and be deported. Others claimed she should lose her position as a Dutch MP, which she had held since her election in January 2003. She said after the documentary, recently returned from a US book-promotion tour: "Have they all gone mad? Yes I did lie to get asylum in Holland. This is public knowledge since at least September 2002."

Earlier today, the UK Daily Telegraph announced that she would be announcing her decision to quit politics and leave the Netherlands to go to the US. The Telegraph also made a list of Ayaan's reported "inconsistencies".

Rita Verdonk, the Dutch integration minister, who is from the same party as Ayaan, the Liberal party, or VVD, announced that she would order an investigation into Ayaan's case, stating: "Laws and rules are valid for everyone."

Expatica today carries six articles on the fall-out from the affair. In one article, Ayaan's decision to leave the Netherlands is announced. Hirsi told a press conference, which she had convened, that yesterday's decision by Verdonk to strip her of her citizenship rights was a "disproportionate sanction".

Ayaan said that she would still continue to hihlight the incompatability of Islam with an open society, and said she would continue her mission of informing in her new location, the United States. She told the conference: "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."

"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 practised today, are incompatible with the open society."

She spoke of the April 27 decision by a court which orders her to leave her home by August, which the Dutch government was still fighting, and announced: "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."

This afternoon, an emergency debate was tabled in the Dutch parliament. Scheduled for 4.30 pm, questions were asked of Rita Verdonk (pictured right) about yesterday's decision to strip Ayaan of her citizenship status. Members of the VVD were firmly supportive of Ms Hirsi Ali, stated Willibrord van Beek, parliamentary leader of the party, but stopped short of condemnation of "Iron Rita", as Ms Verdonk is known.

Even the Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Balkenende said today that he was surprised that the decision on Ms Ali's citizenship status had been reached so quickly. Verdonk had announced her decision late on Monday evening. Gerrit Zalm, the deputy Prime Minister and former leader of the VVD, appeared at Ayaan's press conference. He said: "If the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) always worked so fast, we shortly wouldn't have any backlogs anymore. But I respect her (Verdonk's) decision."

Zalm said the reason that Ayaan's citizenship issue had been decided upon so quickly stemmed from the fact that she was a member of the Dutch parliament.

Before this afternoon's emerency debate in parliament, Bibi de Vries, a VVD MP launched into a tirade against Verdonk. He said: "I am fuming with Rita Verdonk that she has hunted Hirsi Ali like wild game. And if anything happens to Hirsi Ali, there will be people within the VVD who have blood on their hands."

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, a member of the European Parliament, also from the VVD party, called Ms Verdonk's handling of the case as "disgusting". She said: "Is it not Ayaan who has led an impossible life for three years? Is it not Ayaan who recently heard that she has to leave her home because her neighbours didn't want her there?"

Geert Wilders, who quit the VVD in 2004, similarly condemned Verdonk's speed in acting, stating that the Liberals (VVD) were guilty of "scandalous opportunism".

A director of VVD's think-tank, the Telders Foundation, Patrick van Schie, said that Verdonk should be disqualified from taking part in any bid for the party's leadership. Rita Verdonk is currently one of the candidates for leadership of the party, in an election to be held this year.

Yesterday, Ayaan herself stated that Verdonk had removed her citizenship as a means of silencing her. "I was totally devoted to my work in the [Dutch] parliament and I have taken many risks. Others will think twice before they speak out," she said.

UPDATE: May 17.
With thanks and a hat-tip to one of our commentators, Dan-Cannon, the blog Zacht Ei states that the European Commissioner Neelie Kroes has withdrawn her support for Rita Verdonk as chosen candidate for stewardship of the VVD in this year's leadership race.

Dan informs me that on NOVA TV last night, Ed Nijpels, a luminary within the VVD party, has said that this action of Verdonk has been the last in a series of gaffes, and therefore she should not be eligible as potential head of the party.

Another Dutch source stated last night that Verdonk told parliament in the televised emergency debate that so far, Ayaan still possesses her Dutch citizenship.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at May 16, 2006 10:41 PM

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