Friday, February 29, 2008 | Reason : Political | print version

Ayaan Hirsi Ali to get EU protection

by Guardian

Thanks to Steve Mading for the link.

Reposted from:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/28/eu.religion

Ian Traynor in Brussels
guardian.co.uk, Thursday February 28 2008

ayaan

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali-born Dutch activist facing death threats for her outspoken criticism of Islam, is to come under national police protection anywhere in the European Union, the top justice official in Brussels said tonight.

Franco Frattini, the European commissioner for justice and home affairs, told the Guardian that Hirsi Ali and any other persons facing threats to their lives because of their opinions or writings, would be guaranteed protection wherever they went in Europe and that the host country would bear the expense.

The issue was discussed at a lunch of all 27 interior ministers of the EU in Brussels today after being raised by the Dutch. Frattini said the ministers agreed and that the pact would be effective immediately based on "unanimous consensus".

Other European sources doubted whether such an agreement could be implemented so promptly.

British sources said a pan-European deal could not be "that simple" since there were cost and legal implications to authorising such special police measures.

"There can't possibly be political agreement on it," said an official.

Hirsi Ali went to the European Parliament two weeks ago to demand that the EU pay for her protection when living in the US.

Her colleague, Theo Van Gogh, was murdered on an Amsterdam street in 2004 after he and Hirsi Ali made a film, Submission, attacking Islamic treatment of women.

From then until last autumn, at a cost of around two million euros a year, she enjoyed special 24-hour Dutch police protection, even after she went to live in the US.

Last autumn the Dutch government withdrew the funding for the US operation and she returned to Europe.

Dozens of MEPs have signed a document of support calling on Brussels for pay for her protection round-the-clock wherever she may be.

"This is a new decision," Frattini said, declaring that no new laws were necessary to try to guarantee the safety of Hirsi Ali and others in similar situations. "If we need a law to guarantee the right to life, we're in a difficult position. We have the decision based on mutual trust."

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1. Comment #135899 by LordSummerisle on February 29, 2008 at 10:33 am

"This is a new decision," Frattini said, declaring that no new laws were necessary to try to guarantee the safety of Hirsi Ali and others in similar situations. "If we need a law to guarantee the right to life, we're in a difficult position. We have the decision based on mutual trust."

Indeed such laws should not be necessary. Still, glad to see the EU doing right by her.

Other Comments by LordSummerisle

2. Comment #135912 by AllanW on February 29, 2008 at 10:50 am

I hope this really does deliver the protection and quality of life she deserves; as free from worry as possible.

One up for Europe I would say (which is difficult for me as I have soooooo many problems with the Euro political elite).

Other Comments by AllanW

3. Comment #135920 by Silent.Bomber on February 29, 2008 at 10:54 am

Truly astonishing, these people have no limits to their cowardice. Money well spent as far as I'm concerned. Hope she stays safe.

~Hollis

Other Comments by Silent.Bomber

4. Comment #135946 by c4chaos on February 29, 2008 at 11:17 am

good news. it's good to know that Ayaan Hirsi Ali can safely proceed with her ass-kicking! w00t!

~C

Other Comments by c4chaos

5. Comment #135948 by skriv on February 29, 2008 at 11:19 am

Ooops! USA dropped the ball. I guess being a superpower and having an election is too much all at once to actually take the lead on something as obvious and important as this...

Way to go EU, now let's hope it sticks.

Other Comments by skriv

6. Comment #135953 by Mango on February 29, 2008 at 11:24 am

How will this work? If AHA's personal bodyguards cost, say, $3,000/day, then if she spends a week in Berlin at a conference she'll send the German government a bill for $21,000? And how does a person get on this list of protected persons?

This is one way radical Muslims can destroy the West -- systematically threaten every person in Europe and make the "host country" pay for their personal protection!

Other Comments by Mango

7. Comment #135955 by Matt7895 on February 29, 2008 at 11:25 am

Fantastic. That means Ayaan can live in the UK if she so desires. I hope she considers it... she'd do a lot of good encouraging people to apostatise from Islam.

Other Comments by Matt7895

8. Comment #135963 by Ian Bamlett on February 29, 2008 at 11:35 am

Fantastic news if it works out. I think it probably will.

Is this Europe starting to develop a spine? I hope so.

Other Comments by Ian Bamlett

9. Comment #135966 by mdowe on February 29, 2008 at 11:36 am

It is great that that Ayaan Hirsi Ali is getting protection, but let's face it, the clear winners here are Islam and Islamic fundamentalists. At present, if you speak out against Islam and happen to win the attention of its practitioners, you will at best live the rest of your life in fear.

Short of keeping Muslims out of your country in the first place (a severe compromise of Western ideals -- not too mention too late in all countries I know), I don't see that this form of intimidation is going to stop until Islam itself changes. It already has the chilling effect the Islamists desire.

Other Comments by mdowe

10. Comment #135969 by kintaro_crab on February 29, 2008 at 11:38 am

This is good news, hopefully they pay the cost no matter where she is.

Other Comments by kintaro_crab

11. Comment #135982 by Mitchell Gilks on February 29, 2008 at 11:52 am

Now move it to the North America, and then perhaps Asia! Why not eh?

Other Comments by Mitchell Gilks

12. Comment #135997 by Gustaf Sjoblom on February 29, 2008 at 12:07 pm

This is good news indeed.

I do not think that many people will get this kind of protection, the threat will have to be very big, span over a long time at the same time as the person is a public figure with so much need to travel around that the nation where he/she lives cannot handle the few trips aswell.

Other Comments by Gustaf Sjoblom

13. Comment #136035 by nattyadams on February 29, 2008 at 12:36 pm

Wonderful news, although using the term "enjoyed" in the phrase "she enjoyed special 24-hour Dutch police protection" doesn't color the situation very accurately. The security hasn't done anything to make her life easier, just safer.

Other Comments by nattyadams

14. Comment #136037 by al-rawandi on February 29, 2008 at 12:38 pm

Does anyone think THAT many people want to kill her.

In the US, apostates have been left alone for the most part. There hasn't been much killing in the name of Islam.

Maybe it is just Europe.

Other Comments by al-rawandi

15. Comment #136096 by Ian Bamlett on February 29, 2008 at 1:10 pm

Al-ranwandi worote:

In the US, apostates have been left alone for the most part. There hasn't been much killing in the name of Islam.

Maybe it is just Europe.

Al, perhaps because here in the USA, if I say Islam sucks, (and I do), I do so knowing I can carry a 9mm on my person should anyone violently object, (and I do).

Just a thought...

:-)

Other Comments by Ian Bamlett

16. Comment #136102 by al-rawandi on February 29, 2008 at 1:12 pm

Ian,

Maybe we should take this over to the Tripoli thread.

That has seemed to die out. I actually asked them to read the second amendment and at least glance at the federalist papers. Then they all left. Funny thing about these socialists, they like arguing random ideas, not facts.

Other Comments by al-rawandi

17. Comment #136121 by Scep on February 29, 2008 at 1:17 pm

How prophetic was this, said by the early "Musketeer of Reason", Carl Sagan.

"We kill each other, or threaten to kill each other...because we are afraid we might not ourselves know the truth, that someone else with a different doctrine might have a closer approximation to the truth. Our history is in part a battle to the death of inadequate myths. If I can't convince you, I must kill you."

Other Comments by Scep

18. Comment #136253 by Scorchio on February 29, 2008 at 3:14 pm

al-rawandi wrote:

"Does anyone think THAT many people want to kill her."

It only takes one person deranged enough by their faith to end the life of someone exercising their right to free speech. Theo Van Gogh is a good example of this. I am sure there are some more Mohammed Bouyeri's out there who, if the opportunity presented itself, would try to do Ayaan harm.

I for one would prefer that the EU err on the side of caution. I am glad that my tax £'s will be used in this way. Ayaan is worth every penny.

Other Comments by Scorchio

19. Comment #136274 by Moridin on February 29, 2008 at 4:33 pm

Finally. I am so happy for her!

Other Comments by Moridin

20. Comment #136278 by Fouad Boussetta on February 29, 2008 at 4:39 pm

Good. Finally. I'll have a toast to her health.

Other Comments by Fouad Boussetta

21. Comment #136300 by Dr Nev on February 29, 2008 at 8:47 pm

This is great news and about time!

Other Comments by Dr Nev

22. Comment #136316 by John Pritzlaff on February 29, 2008 at 10:11 pm

Good news. I hope this works out.

Other Comments by John Pritzlaff

23. Comment #136336 by PLAYBALL on February 29, 2008 at 10:51 pm

Comment #136035 by nattyadams on February 29, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Wonderful news, although using the term "enjoyed" in the phrase "she enjoyed special 24-hour Dutch police protection" doesn't color the situation very accurately. The security hasn't done anything to make her life easier, just safer.

I don't know. Isn't safer in fact easier? I'd have to answer yes. But I don't know about the word enjoyed either.

Other Comments by PLAYBALL

24. Comment #136339 by mmurray on February 29, 2008 at 10:59 pm

So what does this mean for people making regular donations to Sam Harris' fund for her protection ?

Michael

Other Comments by mmurray

25. Comment #136340 by Big T on February 29, 2008 at 11:01 pm

Right on, E U! I argued earlier on this website that she needed and deserved our help, and I sent in several contributions out of my own pocket to pay for her protection. This is the best news I have heard in ages! Obviously, it won't be necessary to pay for protection for all who leave Islam, but this woman is world famous for her apostasy, her books and that famous film. As far as I'm concerned, taxpayers in every country in the Western world should be willing to pay for her protection. She is a heroine! A symbol of free speech, secularism and the Enlightenment.

Other Comments by Big T

26. Comment #136342 by Ramases on February 29, 2008 at 11:02 pm

This is good news, although it could have come earlier.

What I find difficult to understand is why the Dutch have copped the stick in this instead of the Americans. The Dutch were after all prepared to protect her in Holland and on reasonable trips abroard, just not forever when she was living in a different country.

Protection from fanatics, like protection from any other crime, should be the responsibility of the authorities of whatever country you are in, and it should be considered a human right when you are threatened to get such protection.

As far as I can see, it should be up to the US to protect her when she lives there. Pity they have not yet come to the party and agreed to do this.

Other Comments by Ramases

27. Comment #136347 by Doc Watchtower on February 29, 2008 at 11:30 pm

Great! Every governement being obliged to protect her...Wonder what will happen when she moves to say Saudia Arabia, what kind of protection she will get there? She probably will get issued a broomstick when entering the country and a couple of blessings and off you go...
Still the best way to support her might be buying all her books and spread them around your homeplace;libraries, schools, dentists offices. Mosques etc.

Other Comments by Doc Watchtower

28. Comment #136355 by capeslacker on March 1, 2008 at 1:13 am

PLAYBALL wrote:

But I don't know about the word enjoyed either.

"Enjoyed" in this context merely means to possess and benefit from, as opposed to take delight or pleasure in.

Other Comments by capeslacker

29. Comment #136367 by Pantore on March 1, 2008 at 2:31 am

Taxpayers don't need to pay for her protection.
The billionaires from AEI can pay for her security.
And why feel sorry for someone working for people who support agression, genocide and torture.

Maybe people should try to lose their double standards and look at things again...

Other Comments by Pantore

30. Comment #136374 by Steve Zara on March 1, 2008 at 2:55 am

Comment #136367 by Pantore

And why feel sorry for someone working for people who support agression, genocide and torture.

A civilized society should protect anyone, no matter what their views, providing they stay within the law.

Other Comments by Steve Zara

31. Comment #136376 by ficklefiend on March 1, 2008 at 3:09 am

Not sure about the way they say "she enjoyed special 24-hour Dutch police protection" as if 24 police protection is a fun or pleasant thing to have to walk around with.

Other Comments by ficklefiend

32. Comment #136377 by LorienRyan on March 1, 2008 at 3:23 am

I would enjoy police protection if someone was trying to kill me, in all senses of the word. But then again, I'm not a high profile political activist fighting for human rights who makes for a very public and greatly symbolic target, amongst other things, to my would-be oppressors.

Other Comments by LorienRyan

33. Comment #136378 by Richard Morgan on March 1, 2008 at 3:32 am

capeslacker

"Enjoyed" in this context merely means to possess and benefit from, as opposed to take delight or pleasure in.

Anybody willing to take turns with me in reposting this from time to time?
I can understand how this use of the verb "to enjoy" can cause problems for people whose mother tongue is not English.

Other Comments by Richard Morgan

34. Comment #136380 by mmurray on March 1, 2008 at 3:39 am

Just to add to all the other posts. This is from the on-line dictionary.

en·joy (n-joi)
v. en·joyed, en·joy·ing, en·joys
v.tr.
1. To receive pleasure or satisfaction from.
2. To have the use or benefit of: enjoys good health.

Not a good example really as good health is something you might also receive satisfaction from!

Michael

Other Comments by mmurray

35. Comment #136391 by Russell Blackford on March 1, 2008 at 4:30 am

I hope this story has some substance behind it and isn't just PR or a beat-up.

Other Comments by Russell Blackford

36. Comment #136394 by DamnDirtyApe on March 1, 2008 at 4:46 am

Any chance the site admins might implement 'tagging' like on slashdot.org? Because this article would most definately be tagged 'suddenoutbreakofcommonsense'.

Other Comments by DamnDirtyApe

37. Comment #136405 by Nighttripper on March 1, 2008 at 5:18 am

Very good news!

Now let's hope it is going to happen too...

Other Comments by Nighttripper

38. Comment #136407 by 4horsefins on March 1, 2008 at 5:20 am

This is tremendous progress for secularism in my opinion. AHA's commitment to enlightening the world of religious oppression will be viewed as heroic. This will obviously be seen by others looking for strength to leave their faith. Now that's a meme worth spreading.

Other Comments by 4horsefins

39. Comment #136425 by Wolvan on March 1, 2008 at 6:46 am

"As far as I can see, it should be up to the US to protect her when she lives there. Pity they have not yet come to the party and agreed to do this."

As much as I respect everything AHA has done for the cause, I do have to say that protecting her is not the responsibility of the US government.

Very few people in this country get any kind of round the clock protection, and from the federal level it is only Presidential candidates, the Pres/Vice Pres, and registered foreign diplomats.

Ayan is neither a registered diplomat or a US citizen. In this country you have the right to piss of anyone you want, but along with that you also have the right and [i]responsibility[/i] to protect yourself. Hence, we are able to carry guns, like it or not.

Other Comments by Wolvan

40. Comment #136428 by notsobad on March 1, 2008 at 6:55 am

Al, perhaps because here in the USA, if I say Islam sucks, (and I do), I do so knowing I can carry a 9mm on my person should anyone violently object, (and I do).

Just a thought...

We can carry guns too; we just don't allow anybody to buy it on the Internet.

Other Comments by notsobad

41. Comment #136585 by jshuey on March 1, 2008 at 1:16 pm

notsobad:

Nowhere in the US can anybody buy a gun over the internet, per se. You can order a gun on the internet in a handful of instances, but it must still be delivered through a local dealer who is charged with doing the same background check as if you had walked into his shop to buy a gun.

As for Muslim violence in the U.S., we are not so tolerant of that stuff here. Europe has established a reputation for bending over backword to avoid confrontation no matter what the provocation. And weakness begets more attacks, not fewer.

Much as might be said about native Americans, Europeans are suffering from an unenlightened immigration policy.

Other Comments by jshuey

42. Comment #136609 by notsobad on March 1, 2008 at 1:46 pm

jshuey:
Nowhere in the US can anybody buy a gun over the internet, per se. You can order a gun on the internet in a handful of instances, but it must still be delivered through a local dealer who is charged with doing the same background check as if you had walked into his shop to buy a gun.

Yes, but in some state, citizenship and adult age is all you need to buy a gun.

Other Comments by notsobad

43. Comment #136688 by jshuey on March 1, 2008 at 3:04 pm

"Yes, but in some state, citizenship and adult age is all you need to buy a gun."

No. In every state you MUST pass an FBI background check.

Other Comments by jshuey

44. Comment #136882 by Roland_F on March 1, 2008 at 11:37 pm

From then until last autumn, at a cost of around two million euros a year, she enjoyed special 24-hour Dutch police protection, even after she went to live in the US.

So 2,000,000 Euro = 3,000,000 USD per year for the next ?? years. So we are talking about 100Mio USD for the next decades forced upon the EU taxpayers because of a low cost attack on Theo Van Gogh (walking or driving a bicycle some blocks in Amsterdam and using a knife). The attack of 9/11 financed from Saudi Arabia cost them half a Million USD causing damages, disruption of global business worth hundred of Billions not to mention the reduction of civil liberty etc.

This simply tells me the Muslims are winning their game by economic means, every pretending of being offended will calm critics, every threatening letter to Islam critics will cause protection measures costing millions of USD, causing a high financial burden on 'The West'.

So before the mop will attack me here for being so heartless unemotionally and economic just 2 things:
1) Look at Darfur in Sudan: 2 million humans are threatened from (Sudan state supported) Muslim death squadrons. Hundred thousands have already died at the hand of Muslim attackers : Your reaction = ??
2) Read about the moral emotions and the on/off trigger and some of the weird economic implications if giving in. See Steven Pinker 'The blank slate' (just come along this Yesterday ; chapter 14) .

Other Comments by Roland_F

45. Comment #136929 by j s bach on March 2, 2008 at 3:38 am

It would be terrific if Ayaan took up residence in UK but it is highly unlikely and not at all condicive to her well-being. It would be like Daniel in the lions' den. We are known for giving shelter and protection to screaming nut-case Muslims rather than those seeking to escape from the tyranny of this vile religion.

Other Comments by j s bach

46. Comment #136976 by notsobad on March 2, 2008 at 4:46 am

No. In every state you MUST pass an FBI background check.

...which people like Seung-Hui Cho had no problem passing.

Other Comments by notsobad

47. Comment #137039 by Ultraviolet G on March 2, 2008 at 7:51 am

@notsobad:

And every year in the UK over 500 people are killed by people on drugs who had succesfully passed a government examination to use a lethal weapon. It's called drunk driving.

I don't think the US has everything worked out with repsect to guns but it's not as black and white as people think.

Other Comments by Ultraviolet G

48. Comment #137440 by Clydey on March 2, 2008 at 9:45 pm

I think the article could and should have been worded better. To say that AHA "demanded" protection paints her as some sort of diva. I think "pleaded" would be more accurate.

Others have already noted the questionable use of the word "enjoyed". It might seem pedantic, but I hate lazy writing, like "extremely unique", "an historic" (don't get me started on that trend) etc.

I'm no Tolstoy myself, but then again writing isn't my chosen career path. You'd expect the pros to take some pride in their work.

Other Comments by Clydey

49. Comment #137504 by Dannyjgb on March 3, 2008 at 2:35 am

Excellent decision by the EU!

Hopefully the US will follow suit; as we cannot allow such curtailment of free speech through extremist intimidation.

Other Comments by Dannyjgb

50. Comment #141372 by Michael King on March 10, 2008 at 10:10 am

In comment 129048 in the earlier report about Ayaan Hirsi Ali's request for protection I included the text of a message that I had sent to all the MEPs in the South East of the UK. I have finally received one reply from the office of Green Party MEP Cariline Lucas, which is as follows:

Dear Michael,

Thank you for your email about the written declaration calling on the
European Parliament to offer protection to Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Caroline
will be adding her signature in support during this coming week's plenary
session in Strasbourg.

Like you, she supports Ms Ali's human right to freedom of expression
and welcomes constructive dialogue about the role of religion in society
and how religious expression can work alongside other forms of
expression.

Kind regards,
Cath.

Cath Miller
Constituency Co-ordinator and Researcher
Office of Dr Caroline Lucas, Green Party MEP for SE England