Should Hirsi Ali be forced out?

Jeff in England assumes from my criticisms of Ayaan Hirsi Ali that I support the removal of her Dutch citizenship and her expulsion from the Netherlands. He writes:

I’m probably not the first to say this nor the last but can’t you see that the forced ejection of Ali from Holland sends a wrong message worldwide to the mainstream of Muslims whether “extreme” or not. That is if you oppose Islam, Muslims will get you one way or another. Whether by the sword or by the law opponents of Islam will be destroyed. Which is exactly what seems to be happening as it is no secret that many Dutch Imams have pressured the Dutch goverenment to get rid of Ali so Holland can have a “harmonious” society. All the other parts of the Ali story/scanrio pale before this. Doesn’t matter if you like her or see flaws in certain of her views. Doesn’t matter that she lied about her asylum claim. This is a war and all that has to be submerged for the greater good. She was the person (icon) so many mainstream people took notice of when speaking out against Islam and Muslim culture and the image of her being booted out will send a message of defeat around the world. What an act of tactical suicide by the Dutch and the West if the ejection is carried out ( I know she will leave anyway). Tactically yours, Jeff

LA replies:

This is a good point, and I think I would agree with you. I did not say at any point that I approved her being ejected. I said Minister Verdonk’s action was astonishingly precipitate, and I predicted that a way would be found to allow Ali to remain.

Let me be clear. I do not want Ali ejected from the Netherlands, both for the reason you’ve given, and, more importantly, because I don’t want her here. I think she is trouble. Wherever she is, there is a psychodrama revolving around her and her (as you have described it) iconic status. The issue becomes her, rather than Islam and what we need to do about it.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at May 20, 2006 08:40 AM | Send