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A Good Cause

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Ayaan Hirsi Ali


You guys know me -- I'm not the type to be raising money for the cause-of-the-week. But for the first time in two years, I want to use the blog to request money for a good cause.

What's the cause? It's free speech. A few months ago I read a moving article by Ayaan Hirsi Ali on the web. She told her life story, and how she has stood up against extremism in her country. I was so moved that I wrote Ayann and told her it was important to speak out -- that no matter what the death threats were, society can only make progress by people having the courage to talk about things. No, I'm not talking about some fat cushy anti-war protester who is marching in a parade claiming to speak "truth to power" -- I'm talking about somebody who other people are trying to kill. That takes a special kind of courage that a lot of people just don't have. Most people would rather have the "good feeling" of protesting without the moral baggage and uncertainty that comes with truly challenging political speech.

Ayaan wrote me back a day or two later. It was a nice note, and I was impressed that she took some time to write.

I'll let Wiki tell more -- you should pop over and read the entire article, though.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, MA (pronunciation (help·info); Somali: Ayaan Xirsi Cali; born Ayaan Hirsi Magan 13 November 1969 in Mogadishu, Somalia) is a Dutch feminist and political writer, daughter of the Somali scholar, politician, and revolutionary opposition leader Hirsi Magan Isse. When she was eight, her family left Somalia for Saudi Arabia, then Ethiopia, and eventually settled in Kenya. She sought and obtained political asylum in the Netherlands in 1992, under circumstances that later became the centre of a political controversy.

She is a prominent and controversial author, film maker, and critic of Islam. Her writings, especially her screenplay Submission and her autobiography Infidel, led to death threats from numerous Muslim organizations and individuals, which forced her to live under guard and in relative seclusion.

She was a member of the Tweede Kamer (the Lower House of the States-General of the Netherlands) for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) from January 30, 2003 until May 16, 2006. A political crisis surrounding the potential stripping of her Dutch citizenship led to her resignation from the parliament, and indirectly to the fall of the second Balkenende cabinet.

She has received numerous awards for her human rights work, and in 2005, was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. She is currently a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.

As of October 2007 she has been doing this work from a secret address in the Netherlands. Following the murder of Theo Van Gogh, the Dutch government had been financing round the clock security for her. However, they decided to stop paying for protection while she is living abroad. As a result, Hirsi Ali returned to the Netherlands.


As a libertarian I'm a sucker for little guy versus the man stories. Ayaan's story seems to have a lot of that.

Just the other day I got this email. All I ask is that you consider this request:

Dear Supporter of Ayaan Hirsi Ali,
Last week, we sent out preliminary information about a fund that has been set up to privately finance Ayaan Hirsi Ali's security, now that it is no longer being provided by the Dutch government. Below and attached, please find more detailed information about how you can contribute to this fund. This is the most accurate and up-to-date information; please disregard the previous e-mail you were sent.
This new information is ready to be widely disseminated and replaces any previous communications you may have received. Please feel free to share the details with anyone interested in helping Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Sincerely,
Yael Levin
Office of Ayaan Hirsi Ali
American Enterprise Institute

PROVIDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
FOR AYAAN HIRSI ALI’S SECURITY DETAIL

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, former Dutch parliamentarian and an outspoken defender of women’s rights in Islamic societies, is at risk from a variety of extremist threats in both Europe and the United States. She has needed constant security protection since her life was originally threatened in 2002. Up until October 1, 2007, this protection was provided by the Dutch government.[1]
Now a permanent resident of the United States and a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, Ms. Hirsi Ali must raise her own funds to finance her costly—but necessary—protection. In response to the numerous private citizens who have expressed interest in helping Ms. Hirsi Ali fund her security detail, the Ayaan Hirsi Ali Security Trust has been established.
The preferred and most immediate way to assist Ms. Hirsi Ali in the financing of her private security protection is through the Ayaan Hirsi Ali Security Trust. This private trust fund can accept non-tax deductible donations from within the United States and internationally, and is entirely dedicated to financing Ms. Hirsi Ali’s security.
Checks should be made payable to the Ayaan Hirsi Ali Security Trust and sent to:
Ayaan Hirsi Ali Security Trust
Bank of Georgetown
1054 31st Street, N.W.
Suite 18
Washington, DC 20007
Ayaan Hirsi Ali Trust Tax Identification Number: 75-6826872
Thank you for your interest in assisting Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
For more information please contact: John Matteo (jmatteo@jackscamp.com) or
Mackenzie McNaughton (mmcnaughton@jackscamp.com), representatives for Ms. Hirsi Ali.
Telephone: 202.457.1600

There are also banking and routing information for those interested in wiring money -- just drop me an email and I'll hook you up.

I think we in the west cannot solve the problem of bringing tribal cultures into modernity. They can only solve it for themselves. But for them to do that, they need to have an honest dialog. Aside from the simple plea to help save somebody's life, the larger cause of promoting free speech, I think, is one of the best things we can freely do with our money right now.

We now return you to the usual claptrap, humor, and meandering that passes for a blog here. (grin)

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This page contains a single entry by DanielBMarkham published on October 29, 2007 11:23 AM.

Is F-Sharp Enough? was the previous entry in this blog.

Remembering Molecules? is the next entry in this blog.

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