Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Somali-born Dutch-American feminist, author, and activist. She is best known for her fierce advocacy of women's rights and her campaign against the practice of female genital mutilation. Born in Somalia, she endured a strict Muslim upbringing in exile and eventually immigrated to the Netherlands in 1992.

Hirsi Ali received a degree in political science from Leiden University in 2000. While there, she worked with the Dutch Labor Party and became an outspoken critic of female genital mutilation and other abuses against women in her native Somalia. In 2002, she was elected a member of the Dutch Parliament, where she served until 2006. During her tenure, she was a strong voice for women's rights, freedom of speech, immigration reform, and an end to the practice of female genital mutilation.

In 2004, Hirsi Ali wrote and co-produced the short film Submission, an exploration of women's oppression in Islamic societies. This film sparked an international controversy and led to death threats against Hirsi Ali. In 2006, she moved to the United States, where she continues to work as an advocate for women's rights.

Hirsi Ali has written several books, including Infidel (2007) and Heretic (2015). These books detail her upbringing, her journey from Somalia to the Netherlands, and her faith and identity struggles. She has also written extensively on the oppression of women in Islamic societies and the dangers of radical Islam.

Hirsi Ali is a vocal advocate for the rights of women and girls worldwide, and she continues to speak out against female genital mutilation and other abuses. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an honorary fellow of the American Enterprise Institute.

Hirsi Ali has received numerous awards, including the Femina Politica Award, the Dutch Freedom Award, and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Award. In 2014, she was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People.

Hirsi Ali is an outspoken critic of Islam and a vocal advocate for the rights of women and girls in Islamic societies. She has spoken out against forced marriage, honor killings, and other abuses against women in the Muslim world. She is also a strong proponent of freedom of speech and democracy and advocated for greater religious tolerance and understanding within the Islamic world.

Hirsi Ali has been a frequent guest on talk shows and news programs, and her work has been featured in documentaries and television programs. In 2017, she was the subject of a feature-length documentary Ayaan: The Story of a Rebel.

In addition to her advocacy work, Hirsi Ali is a successful author and public speaker. She has written several books, including Nomad: From Islam to America (2010) and Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now (2015). She has also written for numerous publications, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Hirsi Ali is an honorary fellow of the American Enterprise Institute and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2019, she was named a fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

Hirsi Ali has received numerous honors, including the Femina Politica Award, the Dutch Freedom Award, and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Award. In 2014, she was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. In 2018, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump.