Seeking a New Global Order: The Viability of Hope featuring Ayaan Hirsi Ali in conversation with David A. Harris.
Former Dutch Member of Parliament and author of Infidel Ayaan Hirsi Ali has a conversation with American Jewish Committee Executive Director David A. Harris about her life's journey from being raised a devout Muslim to leaving her religion and seeking asylum in the Netherlands.
They cover issues of tolerance, freedom of expression, and how Muslim immigrants integrate into western culture.
Bio
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is an outspoken defender of women's rights in Islamic societies. Hirsi Ali was born in Mogadishu, Somalia. She escaped an arranged marriage by immigrating to the Netherlands in 1992, and served as a member of the Dutch parliament from 2003 to 2006.
In parliament, she worked on furthering the integration of non-Western immigrants into Dutch society, and on defending the rights of women in Dutch Muslim society. In 2004, together with director Theo van Gogh, she made "Submission," a film about the oppression of women in conservative Islamic cultures.
David A. Harris
David Harris is executive director of the American Jewish Committee, a leading global advocacy organization. Harris is a widely recognized and quoted specialist on international affairs. The author of six books, Harris has written scores of articles in leading newspapers and magazines, has a weekly commentary on the CBS radio network, and is a frequent contributor to the Jerusalem Post blog. He has been honored by the Bulgarian, French, German, Latvian and Polish governments.
Harris graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania, pursued his graduate studies in international relations at the London School of Economics and then spent a year as a junior associate at Oxford University (St. Antony's College). In 2000-02, he was a visiting scholar at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. In 2003, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Hebrew Union College. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali describes the ease of immigrants integrating into the United States, stating that America is a concept, not an ethnicity. She also warns that there is still a danger of radical Muslims living within the United States, even though they are now less visible.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali describes how she was taught to think about people of the Jewish community while growing up in a Muslim country and how her perspective changed after she moved to the Netherlands.
Ms. Ayaan, I appreciate what you are doing to inform people about the true nature of Islam. I have been overseas in the middle east, North, West, East, and South Central Africa among other places and generally concur with your opinions. But I must say that my heart is with Africa in general. I share many of your views and concerns in regards to women's right and to the general compliancy of the US population. I too am quite concerned that the radical second left is taking our contry in a perilous direction. I am amazed at your perceptions and insites and your willingness to articulate them as a relatively new US resident. I hope that you decide to become a citizen if you are not already. I have read your book Infidel when I was last in the middle east.
I am currently labouring on my BS Degree in Adult Education. I would like to send you some discovery questions concerning your American Enterprise Institute employer. It's purpose is to discern AEI's mission statement and how it values internship or linkage programs. There are about twenty questions.
I hope to hear from you via email. Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in representation in my university paper.
Thank you for you Courage and Service.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kumasi
It is amazing the microphone situation did not get fixed and Ayaan Hirsi Ali had to keep holding this little microphone in her hand. Otherwise it was amazing to hear her speak, wow, amazing courageous and insightful.