Ayaan Hirsi Ali

In 2016, the Southern Poverty Law Center included Hirsi Ali in its 'Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists'. The classification fuelled lasting controversy over the boundaries between criticism of Islam, hostility towards Muslims and activist labelling.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

In November 2023, Hirsi Ali announced that she now considered herself Christian after years as a figure of 'New Atheism', citing both a personal spiritual journey and what she considered the need to defend the foundations of Western civilisation against Islamism, authoritarianism and 'wokeism'.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

In 'Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women's Rights', Hirsi Ali maintains that certain migratory flows from Muslim societies have brought misogynistic attitudes into Europe, contributing to sexual violence and a decline in women's safety.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

A group of Australian Muslim women launched a petition challenging Hirsi Ali's tour and describing her speech as 'hate-mongering and bigotry'. The tour of Australia and New Zealand was ultimately cancelled at the last minute.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

In 'Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now', Hirsi Ali distinguishes, among others, Mecca Muslims, Medina Muslims and reforming Muslims, calling for changes to several doctrines she considers incompatible with modernity. The book marks an evolution from her earlier position that Islam should be defeated.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

Brandeis University had announced an honorary doctorate for Hirsi Ali before removing her from its list of recipients, explaining that it could not ignore certain past statements considered incompatible with its core values.

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

Ahead of Hirsi Ali's lecture at Yale, the Muslim Students Association circulated a letter expressing serious concern about her comments concerning Islam. Several organisations were listed as signatories, in turn sparking controversy about whether some had consented to being included.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

In a lengthy interview with Reason, Hirsi Ali declined to restrict her formulation to radical Islam: she spoke of 'defeat Islam', stated 'we are at war with Islam' and considered that there was no moderate Islam as a distinct doctrine.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

Hirsi Ali acknowledged providing a false name, incorrect date of birth and inaccurate travel route in her asylum application. In 2006, Minister Rita Verdonk initially considered her naturalisation invalid, sparking a major political crisis.

Attribution

Personally implicated

Following serious threats, the Dutch state housed Hirsi Ali in a specially secured apartment. Other residents brought proceedings against the state, citing the exceptional risk of an attack and their feelings of insecurity in the building.

State of the evidence

Documented

Hirsi Ali wrote the screenplay for 'Submission', a short film directed by Theo van Gogh denouncing violence against women in the name of Islam and projecting Koranic verses onto women's bodies. The film prompted enormous religious and political controversy. Van Gogh was murdered in November 2004 by Mohammed Bouyeri, who left a letter threatening Hirsi Ali on his body.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Person targeted by the proceedings

Mohammed Bouyeri

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted