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Ayaan Hirsi Ali

アヤーン・ヒルシ・アリ

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Aliases: Ayaan Hirsi Magan / Ayaan Xirsi Cali

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1969-11-13 （Mogadishu, Somalia）
Nationality
Somalia, Netherlands, United States
Languages
English, Somali, Arabic, Swahili, Amharic, Dutch
Religion
Christianity (converted) Baptized in 2023
Residence History
Somalia (early childhood) → Saudi Arabia → Ethiopia → Kenya (about 10 years) → Netherlands (arrived 1992) → United States (primarily Washington, D.C., and elsewhere)

Career

Occupations
Politician, Author, Activist, Public intellectual
Active Years
1992-
Affiliations
American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University (Fellow), Hoover Institution (Stanford University), AHA Foundation (founder and president)
Memberships
Member of the Mont Pelerin Society
Influenced By
Bernard Lewis, Herman Philipse, Christopher Hitchens
Influenced
Yasmine Mohammed, Maryam Namazie
Nominations
Nobel Peace Prize nominee (nominated in 2006 by Norwegian parliamentarian)

Education

Leiden University
Faculty of Political Science
Degree: MSc（政治学）
Country: Netherlands
Obtained a master's degree in political science
HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht (introductory social work course)
Introductory course in social work
Country: Netherlands
One-year introductory course

Awards

Prize of Liberty
2004
Organization: Nova Civitas
Result: 受賞
Freedom Prize (Venstre)
2004
Organization: Venstre (Denmark)
Result: 受賞
Harriet Freezerring Emancipation Prize
2005
Organization: Opzij (editor-endowed prize)
Result: 受賞
Bellwether Prize
2005
Organization: Human Rights Service (Norway)
Result: 受賞
Democracy Prize
2005
Organization: Liberal People's Party (Sweden)
Result: 受賞
Time 100 (one of the 100 most influential people)
2005
Category: Leaders & Revolutionaries
Organization: Time magazine
Result: 選出
Tolerance Prize
2005
Organization: Madrid
Result: 受賞
Reader's Digest European of the Year
2006
Organization: Reader's Digest (European editors)
Result: 受賞
Glas der Vernunft
2006
Organization: Awarding body (Kassel)
Result: 受賞
Moral Courage Award
2006
Organization: American Jewish Committee
Result: 受賞
Goldwater Award
2007
Organization: Goldwater Institute
Result: 受賞
Simone de Beauvoir Prize
2008
Organization: Simone de Beauvoir Prize organization
Result: 受賞（共同受賞）
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
2008
Work: Infidel
Category: ノンフィクション
Organization: Anisfield-Wolf
Result: 受賞
Emperor Has No Clothes Award
2010
Organization: Freedom From Religion Foundation
Result: 受賞
Philip Merrill Award for Outstanding Contributions to Liberal Arts Education
2016
Organization: American Council of Trustees and Alumni
Result: 受賞
Oxi Day Courage Award
2017
Organization: Washington Oxi Day Foundation
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

De zoontjesfabriek (The Son Factory)

2002 Essay collection / Social commentary

A collection of essays about Islam and integration, discussing the situation of Muslim women in the Netherlands.

Women's rightsImmigration and integration

The Caged Virgin

2004 Polemic / Essay collection

A collection of essays criticising the oppression of women and certain Islamic practices.

Women's emancipationCritique of religion

Infidel: My Life

2006 Memoir 447 pages

An autobiography recounting her childhood, political career in the Netherlands, and move to the United States; discusses FGM, alleged forced marriage, and her critique of Islam.

Personal historyWomen's rightsTestimony and reform

Nomad: From Islam to America

2010 Memoir / Commentary

A sequel memoir exploring her life after renouncing Islam, her move to America, and evolving views on religion and women's rights.

Religion and conversionImmigrant experience

Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now

2015 Polemic

An argument for a reformation within Islam, identifying historical interpretations and institutional problems that must change.

Religious reformationReligion and violence

Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women's Rights

2021 Polemic / Social commentary

A recent book arguing connections between immigration and sexual violence and warning about erosion of women's rights in Europe.

Immigration policyWomen's safety

Bibliography

  • De zoontjesfabriek (2002)
  • De Maagdenkooi / The Caged Virgin (2004)
  • Mijn Vrijheid / Infidel (2006 NL / 2007 EN)
  • Nomad: From Islam to America (2010)
  • Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now (2015)
  • Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women's Rights (2021)

Adaptations

  • Short film 'Submission' (2004)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Direct and polemical styleBlend of memoir and political argument
Recurring Motifs
FreedomWomen's rightsCritique of religionDefense of Western liberal values

Health

  • Female genital mutilation (FGM)
    幼少期（5歳時）
    Underwent FGM at age five; she has described this childhood trauma and it has influenced her activism against the practice.

Legacy

Internationally known commentator on women's rights and critic of Islam. Celebrated by supporters as a defender of women's emancipation and criticised by others as Islamophobic. Her books became bestsellers and have shaped public debate.

Academic Societies

  • Mont Pelerin Society (member)

Archives

  • Various archives of writings and public statements (digital and publisher archives)

In Popular Culture

  • Her collaboration on the film 'Submission' led to controversy and was followed by the assassination of Theo van Gogh
  • Was listed on an al-Qaeda-associated hit list and has been subject to death threats

Quotes

  • “Islam is part religion, and part a political-military doctrine.”
    Source: Public statements and interviews (various) (2007)

Trivia

  • Arrived in the Netherlands in 1992 and applied for asylum.
  • Resigned from the Dutch parliament in 2006 after controversy over her asylum application details.
  • Received U.S. permanent residency in 2007 and became a U.S. citizen in 2013.
  • Announced conversion to Christianity in 2023.