This is an interesting interview (in English) with the ballsy, fatwa-threatened Dutch MP, Ayaan Hirsi Ali. It was filmed in Norway in February. I know Jazz has suggested utilizing her same technique -- confronting Islam's dogma -- and I think it's a bold and wonderful idea. If you want to watch scroll down a little bit to Sunday, May 7 and it's right there to click on.

http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/weblog.php

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

My guy Christopher on my gal Ayaan. She is currently on a high profile US tour. Hope she plans to come to LA!

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

I don't do airport pick-ups at Los Angeles International Airport, but I'd be happy to show you around the proverbial Southland if you get your Dutch self over to the USA, CCC! You might like it here!

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

CCC, it's good to see that you are actually planning to do something about the amount of assholes here, have a save trip.

I wrote about Hirshi Ali before, and what I didn't write;
She is so weak in debates that it's near pathetic.
She can only talk in monologues.
I saw many debates with her, and she never once really debated .. only monologues on constant repeat.
She literally stated that her point of view is not debatable.
She is a Muslim without Allah, like most Dutch secular Humanists are actually Catholics without G*d.
They are like those people who just stopped smoking and have an over the top attitude towards smokers.
To me her performance worldwide is pretty much a huge ego trip these days.

Ayaan is doing some good work though, one should take every opportunity to pick on the Koran and the cultures it cultivated.
I personally hope a braver woman with brains will stand up with 'tha message', Ayaan was nice but we need the real deal, balls and brains.

Something else; what is so alleged about Dutch tolerance ?
The fact that 'we the people' let you whine about 'us the people' while we probably pay for your 24/7 leisure moment as well, makes a pretty strong statement don't you think ?

edit-ps: want to see a Jewish conspiracy ? keep up with the news on Ayaan the coming weeks :-)  

that's pretty decent of you
If you do find an asshole free place in the near future, let us know, the rest of the world would love to see it.

Television and newspapers are not my primairy news sources either, but I'm up to date anyway (being online is part of it I guess).

Today, however, I bought Trouw (newspaper) and read how Ayaan might lose her Dutch passport because of her lies when she fled to this country. Chances are that she might have to leave this country as an illegal allien in the very near future.
I'm sure this is just the start of it, "they" are after her, and will probably get her as well. 

It might help her to be even more loved with the anti Euro squad over the ocean, which is pretty good for her carreer (and her message).

Jazz turning another corner? Do tell. That was slightly illuminating. Who knew she was being hounded out of Holland and that she could become an "ILLEGAL ALIEN?" But what is with the Jewish angle? Is it the Mossad again? Are they trying to get her out? And what about those overseas "anti-Europe squad???" It's all getting very complex. I feel like Cuba.

PS Okay, I found this. Am I the only one who thinks Holden Caulfield when I hear someone being labeled a "PHONY?"

Expatica
May 13

Ayaan Hirsi Ali: hero or phony?


Dutch Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk claims to be decisive and consistent; she "steers a straight course through the sea". She says her immigration and asylum policies are strict but fair.

Perhaps then the Liberal Party (VVD) minister could tell us the difference between Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Taida Pasic?

Somali-born Hirsi Ali lied when she was 22 in order to get asylum in the Netherlands and improve her life.

Kosovar Taida Pasic, 18, effectively lied to get a tourist visa to re-enter the Netherlands in 2005 to complete the Dutch education she was receiving before her family was refused asylum here.

Verdonk took a personal interest in ensuring Pasic, whom she publicly branded a liar, was deported from the country before she could take her final exams here. She has to do that in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

How decisive and consistent. Verdonk does not like liars, she says, and liars don't get past her immigration officials. Well not now, anyway. Hirsi Ali is a different story.

Verdonk says Hirsi Ali would not have got in to the Netherlands had she been minister at the time. However Hirsi Ali has nothing to fear now despite the porkies she told 14 years ago.

News programme Zembla reported on 11 May that Hirsi Ali hid her actual name, Hirsi Magan, and her age when she sought asylum here in 1992. Immigration officials might otherwise have established she was under the care of the UNHCR in Kenya.

She was granted asylum here in a record five weeks. How come?

She told a heart-rending story about having to flee Somalia to escape an arranged marriage, went to a refugee camp in Kenya, and from there got to the Netherlands. Once here, she faced the constant fear of retribution from her angry family.

The right story for an asylum seeker. And she has made good in the intervening years. A member of parliament for the VVD, she has not flinched from her criticism of aspects of Islam and Muslim immigration despite numerous death threats.

She is accompanied by bodyguards everywhere she goes because of the threats and the murder of director Theo van Gogh. They collaborated on the short film Submission.

She has impressed the world - and annoyed many people too - by her forthright support of freedom of speech during the Danish cartoon controversy. Her ability to draw on her own experiences of the ill treatment of women and female circumcision lend great weight to her campaigning for emancipation of Muslim women.

It is disconcerting therefore to hear how cavalier Hirsi Ali can be when faced with questions about contradictions in her past. She admitted them on Zembla. She doesn't think this is a big deal.

Hirsi Ali was living in Kenya for over 10 years before coming here and didn't experience five civil wars in Somalia as prominent VVD member and current EU commissioner Nelie Kroes claimed in 2002.

Hirsi Ali said, and the VVD confirms, she told them back then she had lied to the immigration service. Why then did the VVD present Hirsi Ali as a person who survived the turmoil in Somalia?

And if Hirsi Ali was so afraid of retribution from her family why did she contact a Dutch-based family member on arrival. Why did she appear in a documentary made by the Dutch Muslim broadcaster within a year? Why did she maintain contact with her father? And why did members of her family tell Zembla that Hirsi Ali was present and happy at her wedding when she maintained she was neither.

Liberals don't care Hirsi Ali lied to get asylum in 1992

There are some anomalies here but it is important to keep this in perspective. As she said herself: asylum seekers tend to gild the lily to ensure they get residence permits. Who among us would not have told a few white lies to ensure a better life?

Hirsi Ali has bettered her life, and has championed causes that need determined champions. But one nagging question remains. Why is this former asylum seeker a member of the same party as Verdonk? This is the minister who wants to deport gays and Christian converts back to Iran. This is the minister who has vowed to keep economic migrants masquerading as refugees from getting into the country.

Why is it OK for Hirsi Ali to lie to make a better life for herself in the Netherlands, but Pasic can't even be allowed to stay a few weeks extra to finish her exams?

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

"Jazz turning another corner? Do tell. That was slightly illuminating. Who knew she was being hounded out of Holland and that she could become an "ILLEGAL ALIEN?" But what is with the Jewish angle? Is it the Mossad again? Are they trying to get her out? And what about those overseas "anti-Europe squad???" It's all getting very complex. I feel like Cuba."

I feel for Ayaan' message, but she personally lost a lot of credibility with her very weak (terrible!) debates this last year.
I personally attended a couple of debates (as part of the audience) and it was a sad performance at least.
She clearly can't handle young intelligent and outspoken Muslim girls, but can't handle debate in general.
I think she is the laughing stock of most intelligent/educated outspoken Muslims, while she needs these boys and girls in the fight to liberate imo.

Most - if not all- of her fans are white/western people who already agreed with her before they heard of her.
That's cool, but she is in no way reaching those who need to be reached, which makes the whole thing pretty useless imo.

The Jewish angle; every conspiracy ends up being a 'Jewish thing', so you know .. just to make things faster and easier .. cut to the chase and stuff.

The overseas anti-Europe squad (sounds like a very bad German b movie to me);
I mean the particular groups who are walking away with Ayaan, people like Robert Spencer for instance (who's general message about Islam I feel for as well), but loads of blogs and such.
The constant anti-Europe nonsense and Ayaan are two pillars for so many right wing blogs today.
Most of the anti-Europe stuff is silly and without thought, and Ayaan brings nothing new and doesn’t know how to reach the people she is talking about.

ps: Rita Verdonk ("Iron Rita") has taken back her words, and Ayaan' case is being reopened.
Ayaan already confessed being a liar, so I don't think she makes a very good chance .. but everything can happen right.
The end result might be that she will be put on a plane to Africa without a passport.
That would be a sad thing (and I already know who will be celebrating) but no one is above justice or above the law in this case, so that might be a good sign as well.

Welly-well-well, too much anti-Europeanism for you, huh Jazz? Tee hee. Welcome to the world of silly thoughtless attacks.

Over here we've been living that life for a loooooooong time with much of the silly thoughtlessness coming from within. It is possible to look at the attacks as a badge of honor in many ways. Kind of shows your relevance, don't you think? At the same time, it' largely white noise. A constant drone like a toilet that won't stop running. You finally acclimate yourself to it and it is just another sound like the birds and the bees.

I would be willing to bet on a stack of Nietzsche tomes that she will NEVER be deported to Africa though. I am as certain of that as I am that Hillary Rodham Clinton will not be the 2008 Democratic Presidential candidate in the US. I will bet you any amount of Dutch chocolate shoes you like!

Robert Spencer is no genius but I like his Politically Incorrect Book on Islam though.

But that is an interesting bit of news on AHA (good initials) and the Muslim Youf debates. Since she is an apostate I doubt her line of reasoning is going to make many inroads toward moderating extreme Islam. Oh, well, keep checking MEMRI because there are scores and scores of Muslims from all parts of the Ummah who have a chance to make a great impact.

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

That would be AHM, Ayaan Hirshi Magan .. she lied about her name.

Spencer' PIG is a good read, I agree.

I think there is a real possibility that Ayaan has got to leave the country, but I'm sure the US will welcome her with open arms (America is a better stage for her anyway).

The problem is more national I think, and mainly a problem for the VVD.
Rita verdonk and Ayaan are from the same political party, and there is a very big chance that Rita will lead that party coming year.

Today the Volkskrant (yes another written medium, yuk) writes that Ayaan is indeed leaving Holland to go to the US.
They mention an official thingie this week.

Geert zuigt, but not as hard as Wiegel zuigt for instance .. bunch of Vara rats .. or something in that line of not so zuigende thoughts.

This is where Ayaan is going to work:
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=4456

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

That was a pretty funny link, Jazz, with a selective view of the American Enterprise Institute.

People For the American Way might be described as left wing propagandists, but so it goes. Here are some of the People for the American Way (as opposed to those of us who Against the American Way). Deep thinkers all.

People For the American Way Foundation
Board of Directors
Norman Lear – Co-Chair
Alec Baldwin
Blair Brown
Bianca Jagger
Kathleen Turner

When you said she was embraced by the right wing, I thought she might be heading off to some Idaho Militiaman organization!

I love the AEI which is a brilliant group of Think Thankers including my fave -- the brilliant ex-CIA op, Reuel Marc Gerecht. Their seminars are often broadcast on CSPAN. Here's their website where you can compare and contrast to the Left Wing Extremist PFAW descriptions. Anyone who wants to get a true sense of what they're about -- and the group is varied -- should download some CSPAN video. Well informed, thoughtful, invigorating discussions! If she can't hold her own, it will quickly be evident at AEI.

http://www.aei.org/

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

It was just the name of the think tank I read on the website,  I don't read what I copy and paste  (it's the last rebellious nerve twist, whoohaa!)

it's all happening very fast, so another update;

Because Ayaan lied about her name and age, the 'greencard' she revieved is not hers but for someone who doesnt exists.
Verdonk doesn't even have to take it away from her.

Ayaan is leaving Dutch politics tomorrow .. probably.

Wowee, zowee! I thought she was currently in the US. I remember reading she was at Harvard last week. Would they do this backstabbing while she's not even in Holland to defend herself? Names shmames. Do you think when she was a young woman she had the intention of plotting her rise to political fame on a phony name or was it simply done for the assurance that she would receive protection from the state?

Boy oh boy, I didn't know she was persona non grata with the people of Holland. I thought it was just with the few. Here in the US it's almost impossible to be deported. My my, this went quickly. I wonder how long she knew this was in the works.

This from a lecture at the American Jewish Committee last week in Washington:

Below the full store from Expatica. Note the nonsensical final note re/AEI. If Jazz is correct and she's not the sharpest tool in the shed, that is what will make her uncomfortable not the so called "religiously tinted world view."

Hirsi Ali - reactions

She's no loss to Netherlands - Wiegel

The coming departure of Ayaan Hirsi Ali from the Dutch parliament is "no loss for the Liberal Party (VVD)" or for the Lower House of Parliament, former VVD leader Hans Wiegel said on Monday. He was commenting on the news, Hirsi Ali is moving to the US to work for a political think tank American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Wiegel, who is known for speaking his mind, told a radio programme Hirsi Ali is a "brave woman" but her standpoints are polarising. He cited her views on the freedom of education and minority groups as examples. "I did not agree with this line," he said. Wiegel said he did not think much will be heard of Hirsi Ali again once she takes up her job in the US. "That I don't find so bad," he said.

Departure is painful - Van Aartsen

Former VVD political leader Jozias van Aartsen expressed regret at Ayaan Hirsi Ali's decision to go to America. "It is painful for Dutch society and politics that she is leaving parliament," Van Aartsen said in a statement. "The Netherlands complains all the time about grey politicians who don't dare speak their minds. Here we had someone who does and did that, and we were very negative about that."

Muslim group not mourning

The Contact Organisation for Muslims and Government (CMO) indicated on Monday it was not sorry that Ayaan Hirsi Ali is going to American to work. Her strong attacks on Islam have caused "a lot of damage", CMO secretary Nasr Joemman said. "I celebrate that she is leaving the Netherlands," Joemman said. "I hope that by her departure we can move forward with building a harmonious society."

European minister wishes MP well

European minister Atzo Nicolaï wished his party colleague Ayaan Hirsi Ali every success on hearing she is moving to America. "It is nice if a MP does not resign directly after elections, but can move on to other things at the end of a period," Nicolaï said after a meeting of European ministers in Brussels on Monday. He said he did not have the impression the move was something that came up in the last few weeks. "I think this has been thought about for longer."

Hirsi Ali 'out of place at AEI'

Researcher Peter van Ham of the Clingendael Institute said Ayaan Hirsi Ali will be out of place at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). "You would sooner expect Geert Wilders to be there than Hirsi Ali," he said in reaction to the news she is leaving the Netherlands to work for the AEI. According to Van Ham the AEI is a very conservative institute that has flourished since President George W. Bush came to power. "It is definitely not a liberal bastion," he said. Hirsi Ali, he predicted, will not be encouraged to express liberal views about euthanasia, homosexuality and abortion. "The people who work there have a very religiously-tinted worldview. I think Hirsi Ali will feel totally claustrophobic there."

And this from Peak Talk:

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

It's odd (at least!) how so many of the people around her join the backstabbing of her.

The negative/weak elements of her public performance I wrote about, are not my only thoughts about her.
I stand by what I wrote about her before (also in PM's and such).
She is a balsy intelligent and powerful woman, and I know for sure she's going to become even bigger in the US and A.

It's not that most of the Dutch want her deported.
There is a big political powerplay going and a bunch of other (outside of the political arena) take the oppertunity to dance on her 'grave'.

The Dutch do want her out of parliament though (according to polls).
I think that is not particular weird in a functioning democracy, after so many lies of her.
The people of Holland voted for a government who would act firm and according to stricked laws.
Now, I don't know if that is a smart move (different discussion), but people did.
The VVD party is the main sybol of that toughness.
Both Rita Verdonk and Ayaan Hirshi Magan are from that same party .. the irony! 

With respect to my grandparents;
Holland has a tradition of holding laws more dear than anything else.
Most Jews (%) were deported from this little country, after Hitler made little rules for that.
oops, a Hitler comparison. 

Her statement is in.  It is still rather shocking to me that she is, in effect, being tossed out of a free country.

Susan 

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

It's not such a happy day.

With a little luck Rita Verdonk will have to leave parliament as well pretty soon .. just a little luck ..

So now she's in Philadelphia where she is being mistaken for Iman or Naomi Campbell. Nice long article rom the Philadelphia Inquirer.

"Freedom Fighter."

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/special_packages/sunday_review/14710997.htm

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

Another lady confronting Islam, Oriana Fallaci in the New Yorker Magazine. She's a pistol! A long information-packed piece.

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060605fa_fact

Susan

PS  Oriana Fallaci's trial began today in Italy.  Charges:  Defaming Islam!  Who knew that was against in Italy?  And there are more than a handful in Europe who decry the US infringement on civil liberties. 

Italian author to be tried for defaming Islam
Associated Press, THE JERUSALEM POST     Jun. 12, 2006

Italian author and veteran journalist Oriana Fallaci goes on trial Monday, charged with defaming Islam in a 2004 book. Fallaci, who lives in New York, was not expected to attend the hearing in Bergamo, northern Italy.

Muslim activist Adel Smith filed a lawsuit against Fallaci, charging that some passages in her book, "The Strength of Reason," were offensive to Islam. Smith's lawyer cited a phrase from the book that refers to Islam as "a pool ... that never purifies."

Fallaci told The Associated Press last year that "I have expressed my opinion through the written word through my books, that is all."
 

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

Now here's the Alarab.com version of the Oriana Fallaci trial:

Trial of Fallaci starts

The trial of Italian author Oriana Fallaci accused of defaming Islam in a book published in 2004 started on Monday in the northern city of Bergamo and was immediately adjourned to 26 June.

 Fallaci, 76, did not attend the hearing to protest against a case she has described as "unforgivable." Adel Smith, the head of the small Muslim Union of Italy, brought the veteran reporter to court for offending Islam in the book "The Strength of Reason."

 A group in France unsuccessfully sought to stop distribution of another best-selling essay of the author, "The Rage and the Pride," written in the aftermath of the September 11 “terror” attacks on the US.

 In "The Strength of Reason" Fallaci accuses Europe of having sold out to what she describes as an Islamic invasion.

 She is reportedly charged with insulting Islam in the book in more than 18 sentences.

 "Distoring the thought of a person, picking up a word here and another there ... is illegitimate, illegal, criminal," the author told conservative daily Il Foglio in an interview published over the weekend.

 Smith is known in Italy as a radical activist. He became a well known figure in 2003 when he unsuccessfully tried to have a crucifix removed from his son's elementary school classroom in central Italy.

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin