I got to meet a woman today who I have long admired. She spoke for only twenty minutes - she was one of ten contributing to the debate - but what she said and how she said it was profound. Somali women of Yemeni origin are a new one on idle, who has tried manfully to expose himself to the women of the world, but you will have to take it from me that Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a luminous beauty. It is hard to believe that such a slight and soft-spoken woman can be quite so brave. Her upgrade to Hero status was passed nem con. Read her autobiography.
One of the benefits of temporary idleness (Indian plutocrats take a lot of getting along with, and sometimes my sunny diplomatic nature turns to naked contempt) is that one can take up all sorts of diversions and distractions. So I found myself today attending The Centre for Social Cohesion's conference in Westminster, sitting next to the grandson of a very great Prime Minister, and being intellectually challenged and entertained by, amongst others, Ayaan, Mark Steyn, John O'Sullivan, Melanie Phillips, Theodore Dalrymple and others. This was robust stuff, discussing "Soft Jihad, and How to Stop it", followed by "Western Civilisation: Strategies for Recovery". It was all off the record, so I will simply say that there was consensus that our late-twentieth century liberal Western civilisation was more likely to die by suicide than murder, and that we had to organise ourselves to avert the catastrophe.
It's not an attractive name, The Centre for Social Cohesion, and there are a few swivel-eyed neocons passing through, but today's confab was excellent, and meets the approval of the founder of the No Nonsense Party. And I got to meet Ayaan.
8 comments:
Wow! You lucky man.
A faberoonie female in almost every aspect (do you have a profile pic?) and the Tuscan is exceeding envious of your ability to trip up to London to spectate at shows like that at the drop of a deerstalker.
However, it is amusing to consider that the anti-racist brigade probably use her as a stereotypically shining example of how good all Somalis are, and condemn whitey's prejudice agin them. The Somali unemployment rate in the UK (is it really 85%?) and their predeliction for extreme armed violence being a figment of the simple indigenes' fevered imagination.
I notice Mrs 45 deep in this book, and considered it out of my bailiwick - but will investigate further.
As TT suggests (I think), she may be the exception that proves the rule.
Interesting Blog here too...
http://www.socialcohesion.co.uk/blog/2007/10/ayaan_hirsi_ali_in_hiding_agai.html
Good one Iders, I didn't know about all this.
Yes, TT and 45, she is somewhat unrepresentative of her fellow Somalis. It is her apostasy from Islam which is of interest here.
I found Somalis to be real trouble when I was working in London. They bring issues from their torn country with them.
On ballance this is one immigrant group we could certainly do without.
I agree about Somalis. However, that is not the point of this post. It may be, of course, that the brave Ayaan was encouraged towards apostasy by the awfulness of all things Somali, but what I admire about her is the bravery and determination she has displayed in the face of dire threat and the cowardice of the Dutch government.
she is truly to be admired.
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