In the FrontPage feature article this morning I discuss Holland's high-tech lynching of Hirsi Ali (news links in the original):
Holland has for some time now been celebrated, or notorious, as a land where anything goes, but now the Dutch have finally discovered that there are limits. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the courageous Dutch Parliamentarian who has drawn death threats for her outspoken criticism of women’s rights in Islam and unrestricted Muslim immigration into Europe, has resigned from Parliament and will leave the Netherlands. Dutch immigration minister Rita Verdonk has brought this about by suddenly deciding to press the fact -- which has actually been public knowledge for years, and has never caused controversy before -- that the Somalia-born Hirsi Ali lied in her request for asylum in the Netherlands was grounds to strip her of her Dutch citizenship.Hirsi Ali has been at the center of controversy both in Holland and internationally for years. She rose to national prominence in Holland after writing a critique of the Islamic family structure and mistreatment of women, De Zoontjesfabriek (“The Son Factory”). She was elected to the Dutch Parliament in January 2003. Most notoriously, she worked with Theo Van Gogh on the film Submission, which graphically documented the status of women in Muslim societies, and the Qur’anic roots of their mistreatment. Van Gogh, of course, was subsequently murdered by a jihad terrorist for this film, and Hirsi Ali’s life was threatened (as it had been before). She has since then lived in hiding, moving frequently and accompanied by guards at all times. At the same time, her international stature has increased, as she has continued to stand up both within the Dutch Parliament for the Western principles of freedom and equality of dignity that are threatened by the global jihad.
Why is Verdonk acting against her now? Hirsi Ali admitted that she lied in 2002, before she became a candidate for Parliament. Her party, of which Verdonk is a member, had no problem with it at the time. That Verdonk suddenly decided four years later that the lies were intolerable bespeaks her zeal not for stringent immigration policies but for a way to rule Hirsi Ali’s politics out of the Dutch public discourse. One might think that, while no one can condone the lies she told to gain asylum, the death threats she has received since then could and would become the occasion for granting her refuge and citizenship on a firmer basis. For Hirsi Ali has paid an immense personal price for speaking out, as she put it in her resignation speech on Tuesday, about “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.” She expressed satisfaction that “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.Some are still trying to sweep them under the carpet. The fact that an adjusted granting of asylum is not under consideration unmasks Verdonk and her allies as craven, short-sighted political opportunists bent only on the destruction of a Cassandra who has told them too many unpleasant truths. Nasr Joemman of the Contact Organization for Muslims and Government (CMO) stated this plainly: “I celebrate that she is leaving the Netherlands. I hope that by her departure we can move forward with building a harmonious society.”
A noble sentiment; but it is interesting in light of it to note some of those who will remain in the Netherlands when Hirsi Ali leaves. Sheikh Fawaz, an imam at the As Soennah mosque in The Hague, openly admitted that he meant to threaten Hirsi Ali when he said that she was under the “curse of Allah” and would be “blown away by the wind of the changing times.” Nevertheless, the Public Prosecutor’s Office declined to take action against Sheikh Fawaz, finding his avowed threats non-threatening. The mayor of The Hague, Wim Deetman, soon afterward told Fawaz to “moderate his views or leave the country,” but as of yet Verdonk’s immigration officials seem to have made no move against the imam, and evidently no apparatus is in place to make sure he does in fact moderate his views. While some imams who openly advocated violent jihad and Sharia rule have been deported, Fawaz remains in the Netherlands.
Also likely to be still in the Netherlands are the Moroccan attackers of Ebru Umar, a writer who had taken over Theo Van Gogh’s newspaper column after Van Gogh was murdered.
It is impossible to determine how many Muslims remain in Holland who believe that speech critical of Islam or Muhammad should be outlawed; or who hope to see the Netherlands become a Sharia state sometime in the future; or who believe that the Qur’an’s mandate to husbands to beat their disobedient wives (4:34) is perfectly reasonable; or who even believe that honor killings or genital mutilation can be justified. No one is asking, or answering, such questions of Muslim immigrants in Holland or anywhere else in the West. But what the Hirsi Ali debacle has shown is that to hold such sentiments in Holland today is not as bad as the act of calling attention to them and protesting against them. Such protests interfere with the harmonious society Nasr Joemman and Rita Verdonk are trying to build.
On Wednesday morning many Dutch MP’s forced Verdonk to reconsider her decision, but it is unlikely in any case that Hirsi Ali will remain in the Netherlands. Verdonk and Joemman will be free to build their “harmonious society.” What kind of a society will it be? The hounding and persecution of Hirsi Ali do not bode well. They indicate, at very least, that it will be a society that is not critical of the outrages against women’s rights about which she has spoken, that are encouraged by Islamic doctrine and practice. Those outrages, therefore, will continue. The harmonious Verdonk/Joemman society will likewise eschew the debate Hirsi Ali encouraged about the advance of the Sharia imperative in the Netherlands. Will those who want to set up an Islamic state in The Hague therefore be able to operate unhindered?
Certainly there will be no more Cassandra voice in the Dutch Parliament warning of the threat Sharia poses to human rights and the equality of dignity of all people. And so much the worse for the Dutch Parliament and Dutch society. Hirsi Ali’s foes will find that the crocodile to which they have thrown their most prominent politician will come for them next. Hirsi Ali herself, meanwhile, has announced her intention to come to the United States to work with the American Enterprise Institute. Europe’s loss is America’s gain, but this is no occasion for rejoicing by Americans; Hirsi Ali’s ejection from Holland will before too long be seen as one significant step closer to the extinguishing of the light not only in that country, but in all of Europe.
Rockets Fired, IDF Base Struck, Jerusalem on Highest Alert
15:58 May 18, '06 / 20 Iyar 5766
by Ezra HaLevi
Six Kassam rockets were fired from Gaza at Israeli towns Thursday afternoon, landing near the city of Ashkelon and striking an IDF army base. Jerusalem is on highest alert due to concrete threats.
Out of the six rockets, one landed in the sea, two fell short and landed in Gaza, and three landed south of Ashkelon. No injuries were reported, but a building in an IDF base was damaged in the attack.
Off topic, but interesting:
"In Somalia, it's Jihadi-huntin' season"
http://www.businessinafrica.net/news/all_regions/586078.htm
Critical observations of the nature of Islam and its leaders = hate speech
Threats, Fatwas, and intimidation by muslim hate groups and their leaders = free speech and freedom of religion
Anything that is so obviously terrible like televised beheadings, human bombings, or flying planes into buildings are either false events that never happened or were performed by those that misunderstand islam or were justified acts of self defense.
I think we need to send the ACLU to the Netherlands, since she is a woman, maybe they will get excited to protect someone whose liberties are really being violated.
I believe Hirsi Ali shall be able to work more freely in the U.S. I do believe that this event, though worthy of condemnation, is a major positive in the life of this lady, and to the cause that we, the civilized, are standing up for.
GrimReaperxxx wrote: "I think we need to send the ACLU to the Netherlands, since she is a woman, maybe they will get excited to protect someone whose liberties are really being violated."
GRxxx, I think you missed the point that Hirsi Ali is coming to the United States, so we don't need to send the ACLU over there. When she gets to the United States, the ACLU will not be protecting her, however. They will be attacking her.
Nasr Joemman of the Contact Organization for Muslims and Government said
Indeed you can move forward to a harmonious society. You know, the "peaceful" one that the Muslims always describe, the one that exists after all have submitted to Allah's will.
storemanager quoted
I have always thought that the only thing that distinguishes the Nazi's genocidal impulses from the "Palestinian" genocidal impulses is that the Nazi's were more efficient and more skilled at it. The "Palestinians" hearts are in the right place, but they just can't seem to get their sh*t together.
I hope the MSM and talk shows invite her to speak after she gets here. I wonder how long it'll take CAIR to start screaming and crying over her. Maybe her being here and speaking will open everyone's eyes to the plight of women in islam.
I hope Ayaan Hirsi Ali joins voices with Wafa Sultan in order to build a higher
profile resistance to islam, and to educate more people here in the U.S.
"...two fell short and landed in Gaza,"
heh heh...
Well, no more Danish cheese for me.
Once Ali is in the USA, maybe the chicken Swedes will award her a prize and $50,000 from the Olaf Palme Institute for International Peace for Ali's efforts to protect women and the rights of women in the world to safety, respect and dignity. But I imagine it will be a cold day in Sweden before that happens.
SCV do you mean dutch cheese maybe.
An advantage of Ali coming to the U.S.: She will get more publicity world-wide, and probably be somewhat safer in the U.S. than in the Netherlands.
Yes, indeed, I would think Miss Ali will be safe here just because American Muslims could not, I repeat, not afford the backlash and they know it.
This is like shooting your doctor when you get an upsetting diagnosis.
The stage of The Netherlands was clearly too tiny, in every sense, for someone of Hirsi Ali's stature.
She'll like the U.S.
Room to expand to your true nature's height and depth and breadth (to paraphrase Elizabeth Barrett Browning).
Once she has an American address, I think we should all send her flowers.
Tiger Lilies, perhaps?
So Van Gogh was right, they are "Goatf*#ers..."
http://news.messages.yahoo.com/bbs?action=m&board=37138459&tid=afpafghanistanattacks&sid=37138459&mid=228
I look forward to her arrival to the U.S.
I hope that the CAIR Bear gang will be wise and leave her the hell alone.
Hugh and the rest, let me suggest an alternative interpretation.
Rather than howl when a friend is caught and punished, accept it. Though there may be mitigating factors and reasons to let a friend off the hook, one problem that arises is that a similar analysis of foes will be required for their punishment. This not only delays the process of their removal, it opens the door to cries of faithism, bigotry, unfairness, etc.
Those among us with an understanding of the real problems we face will benefit when the others, i.e., our mortal enemies (by their own choosing), are similarly treated.
Let her go and let her come here or go elsewhere. A cause is benefitted by its "impartiality."
Sorry Robert, didn't mean to leave you out.
Mr. Spencer,
This is one of your very best articles.