Why did Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the activist and Muslim apostate, cancel her Australian tour this week?
The truth is mysterious, with plenty of fake news obscuring the important issue at stake: free speech – specifically, how much criticism of Islam our society can tolerate, and how much criticism the critics of Islam can tolerate themselves.
Controversial anti-Islam activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali has spoken out since cancelling her visit to Australia and says we need to better assimilate Muslims in our country.
Ali is a former Somalian refugee and the author of a powerful 2006 memoir, Infidel, in which she detailed her experiences of female genital mutilation and forced marriage (her account of her forced marriage has since been disputed).
It is a forceful polemic which argues Islam is a misogynistic religion with war at its heart. It is also a strong argument for the superiority of civil society over tribalism, and a compelling refugee story.
Read the full article by Jaqueline Maley at The Sydney Morning Herald.