Ayaan Hirsi Ali on Radical Islam
Ayaan Hirsi Ali on Radical Islam
Let us decode what she said, what she missed and what it means for India.
I have followed Ayaan Hirsi Ali since her days as a Dutch Politician. She recently appeared on the Triggernometry Podcast, which made for a fantastic conversation. It raises many important points that we need to decode. You can also join her substack Restorations with Ayaan.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: The Growing Threat of Radical Islam
Migration and Radical Islam
Many people believe immigration is the cause of the radicalised Islam on their streets. Ayaan highlights the radicalisation within 2nd and 3rd generation Muslim citizens of the West. The incoming refugees, some radical others not, are plugged into this radical system. The laws of host countries are being used against it to spread Radical Islam.
It is true that the non-radical refugees are essentially forced to radicalise. Their situation is terrible. The ideology that persecuted them has followed along in their migration.
Yet, many refugees are indeed radicals. There are inherent questions as to why only single young men are migrating AWAY from war-torn regions and not the women and children. The comparison between the refugee profile of the Russia-Ukraine war (predominantly women and children) and these refugees is stark.
The origins of these migrations are in the Quran itself. And whatever follows is not pretty.
Dealing with the radicalizing forces
Ayaan asks why we do not go after the people who radicalise and only go after the already misguided radicals. Referring to the case of Shamima Begum, who left the UK to join ISIS as an ISIS bride, Ayaan says we should investigate the people around Shamima who actually radicalised her and remove them from the equation legally.
This is a fundamentally sound idea. It is also recommended by none other than Mohammad Bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and the leadership of UAE.
We should take heed and act now. India, the West, and the newly Islamising East, the time to act is now. A strict control on Islamic schools and preachers is required.
Do we have enough time?
Ayaan believes the US may have enough time, but Europe does not. The day of reckoning is upon Europe very soon. She is afraid of the emergence of the ultra-right in Europe, which would lead to a civilisational clash on the streets. In a way, the US has enough time since it may be able to set the course right by electing the right people.
Ayaan is right here. It is true. The battle of ideologies is already being fought on the streets of London, Paris, and most of Europe. And the liberal values are indeed losing ground to the radical anti-liberal ideologies of Islam.
Ayaan has answered this question with an eye on demographics. However, demographics are not the only consideration here. The amount of radicalisation is also an issue. In India, for instance, the demography is not with the Muslims, yet the amount of radicalisation is indeed a threat.
Religion as a solution
Ayaan believes that part of the problem in the West is the decline in religion, which offered people a community. This vacuum created by atheism was filled up by the Radical Left, Woke, and Radical Islam, using the appeal of staunch community support. Ayaan believes the West should reinvigorate the idea of Christianity to counter this.
I think this is a good idea. We need a liberal community that honours those timeless values. If we let such a community disintegrate, what takes its place will impose a different kind of value system. We had a rose-tinted view of the world where everyone had these sets of values. Clearly, Islam does not believe in these values.
What Ayaan did not deal with
While Ayaan did touch upon important points, there are still things that she missed.
Halal economy as a source of finance
Halal Economy has become a huge source of financing Radical elements. It forces everyone to comply with Islamic law—the Sharia—in our food habits. To enforce it, a licensing fee is taken from the food producers. It started with Halal-certified food. But it is everywhere, from Halal-certified lipsticks (which are not allowed in Islam) to Halal-certified Refrigerators and microwaves. This certification fee-based economy is set to reach 7.1 trillion by 2025! It will be bigger than the economies of Germany and France put together!
Never before has so much money been available to the radical elements to command. It is possible that the Single Young Men I spoke of were actually paid to immigrate through this route.
Europe and the West have recognised this issue. They are now retaliating with cruelty-free meats and non-Halal options as the dominant options.
Ghosts of the Crusades
While no one talks about them, the Crusades were the medieval solution to the problem posed by Radical Islam. It hasn’t yet been 100 years since Europeans stopped going on blood-thirsty genocides across the world. There is a fear, and Ayaan hinted at it, that Europe may awaken its bloody past are unleash another war upon us.
Beware of pre-enlightenment Christianity
Modern Christianity in the West draws from the post-Enlightenment Protestant movement and aligns itself with universal values. However, the other sects within Christianity, including the pre-Enlightenment versions, are equally radical as Islam itself.
It is indeed possible that as the pendulum swings, it goes to the other extreme. We want Islamic-Enligtenment, not Christian dark ages.
This is even more critical for India, as many of these radical Christian denominations are active in India, carrying out conversions and capturing positions of power within India.
Does India have time?
In India, our inherent pluralism allowed these counter-culture a foothold in our civilisation. We are under attack by proselytising forces of both religions - Islam and Christianity - and also hobbled by the Indian state tying the hands of Sanatan Dharma while appeasing both these supremacist religions.
I could argue India will have a little more time than the US, but even our time is running out. It is time to resist this Radical Islamic movement.