After listening to
Ayaan Hirsi Ali's talk at Harvard JFK's School of Government this afternoon, I went up to shake her hand and let her know much I admired her. She is physically a slight woman. How can it be that such a small woman is so feared? How can it be that men would kill her for her ideas?The event was the JFK School's "Profiles in Public Leadership," moderated by Professor Barbara Kellerman. Ayaan spoke for about an hour (I missed the first half hour, dratted day job!), and fielded questions for another half hour. You needed prior permission to attend the event and a picture ID to get in. There were four strong-looking guys in suits in the room, posted up front and at the doors to (a familiar site at local lectures by critics of Islam). About 125 people were there, mostly grad students and professors.
Ayaan spoke of her evolution in thinking about Islam and becoming a politician and activist. She was raised Muslim, but at some point decided that there was no God. Once she was free of the fear of God, hell and damnation, she was able to critically look at Islam and ask questions. After 9/11, she asked, is terrorism linked to Islam or not? Can Islam be refomed? Her answer to the second question: Yes, but it must be reformed by Muslims. And it cannot be reformed without negating (not just ignoring) certain parts of the Koran.
[after hearing rambling incoherent questions and nonsense from the moslem grad students and post grads (the elite of the elite of the Moslem world)
...Here Ayaan asked "I really wonder what you (referring to all the grad students) are doing here" It was along the lines of "What are they teaching you anyway? Do you not know how to debate or discuss an issue?"