Tuesday 5 May 2009

Heroic Woman

I hope you know about Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Idle has been a big fan for ages and swooned when meeting her last autumn. This brave and thoughtful woman has so many fatwas against her, she can barely breathe. She talks more sense about Islam within Western Europe than anyone. She's one of very few who know what they are talking about and can do so without be branded a racist.

In 2006, I had a debate with Tariq Ramadan, the author of Western Muslims and the future of Islam. In the hypothetical event of a war between Egypt and Switzerland, for which community would he be prepared to die, I asked him.
Mr Ramadan has dual citizenship. He's an Egyptian by birth and a Swiss by naturalisation. His response was one of rage on different levels. Above all I think he was outraged that one should ask such a question. He refused to answer.
Mr Ramadan, like many other Muslims, may have two or more citizenships. From all that he expresses both in person and on paper, it is clear that his loyalty, above all, is to Islam. I do not doubt that he would die for Islam, like most Muslims, and that's his prerogative. But what European countries have done is give citizenship to individuals who feel no obligation to share in their societies for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer and in the event of a catastrophe, sacrifice themselves.


Full article at The First Post.

7 comments:

Lexander said...

Absolutely right. The question of dual citizenship and dual passports needs sorting out once and for all. It's quite amazing how high profile muslims seem to acquire this very useful status. At least Fahad has been blocked, but it doesn't stop him costing us millions and being able to trade here.

Philipa said...

She is very striking and I agree with her comments about Islam: "what European countries have done is give citizenship to individuals who feel no obligation to share in their societies for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer and in the event of a catastrophe, sacrifice themselves"

Call me a cynic but I cannot help wondering if the men here would be so admiring of her if she wasn't so beautiful?

Anonymous said...

Our family lived in the Yemen when part of it was still run by the British. The children were looked after by Yemeni ayas (nannies) whom both children and parents were very fond of. Our family moved on and some years later the Brits moved out. Years later during a rare lunch out my father claimed he recognised one of the staff; unbelievably he was right and the Somali person in question explained how he too had been obliged to leave when the British had gone. It really is, at least sometimes, a small world.

idle said...

Interesting point, pip. All I can say is that I'd try.

Anon, small world indeed. You have reminded me of my own small world story, which I will post in due course.

I take it you mean Fayed, Lex. If so, I agree that he should have been run off Beachy Head at the point of a bayonet many years ago.

Electro-Kevin said...

A brave woman indeed.

How do the left square their love of Islam with its misogyny and homophobia ?

It's the left which gives Islam its power in the west. Because the left love ANYTHING so long as it's not white, male and middle class.

idle said...

e-k, something to do with the 75% likelihood of Moslem immigrants voting Labour, I think.

And the white man's burden, of course.

William Gruff said...

Re. citizenship: I've been ranting on about the very same for years, but in this age of equality I cannot possibly hold views equal to those of a beautiful, young(ish), 'black' Moslem female.

Oh to be the Archbishop of York or the Bishop of Rochester, or a 'persecuted', and beautiful, young(ish), 'black' Moslem female.

I'm sure that grass roots Conservatives know what needs to be done but I doubt that those of their ilk sitting in the HoC have the balls to do it.