Women’s fight against genital mutilation backed by Google exec

Ayaan Hirsi Ali of the AHA Foundation has gained the support of the Google Executive Chairman, Eric Schmidt in her fight to end female genital mutilation and honor killings. Both practices are two of radical Islam’s most barbaric practices that are still currently being practiced, even in the United States.

Who is Ayaan Hirsi Ali? Ali is internationally known women’s rights activist and best-selling author. She was born in Somalia but eventually became a member of the Dutch parliament. She now lives in the United States as a Dutch-American dual citizenship. Ali is best known for her strong views on female genital mutilation, Islam and Muslims, support of women’s rights, and fearless free speeches. In 2005, Ali was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

In 1969 when Ali was just a young girl living in Somalia, she was a victim to female genital mutilation at just five years old. Ever since, she has questioned and been fighting the barbaric practice as she saw it happening to women all over. After being forced to marry a distant cousin, she ran away to Holland where she claimed political asylum. She began working as a janitor, only to eventually work her way up to serving as an elected member of the Dutch parliament. It is then that she began campaigning to raise awareness of violence against women, including female genital mutilation and honor killings.

Ali continues to campaign and has even started her own organization called the AHA Foundation, whose goal is ‘to end honor violence that shames, hurts, or kills thousands of women and girls in the U.S. each year, and puts millions more at risk.’ The organization’s work is ‘built on the belief that there is no culture, tradition or religion that justifies violence against women and girls.’ However, after gaining significant recognition, she has since become a target of radical Islamists. After her short film, Submission came out in 2004, the director of her film, Theo Van Gogh, was assassinated by a Dutch Muslim. Submission focuses on the oppression of women under Islam. Van Gogh was found with a death threat pinned to his chest left by the assassin. Ali is now on Al Qaeda’s hit list.

In support of Ali’s campaign, Schmidt has pledged $100,000 to help her end the fight against the radical Islam’s violent practices against women. After meeting with Ali at a recent conference, he said, “I don’t see how anyone who believes in the rule of law and the rights of women could do anything other than support efforts to end female-genital mutilation, forced marriage and honor-killings -- practices that have no place in the 21st century.”

About female genital mutilation and honor killings

Female genital mutilation is a practice which involves either partially or completely removing the external female genitalia. The procedure, which is called “cleansing” by those who practice is, is often performed without the use of anesthesia. To those who believe in it, the practice is done to make sure that females remain virgins until marriage. There is absolutely no health benefit; but it can cause severe bleeding, problems urinating, cysts, infections, infertility as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths. FMG is mostly practiced in Africa and the Middle East on girls between birth and age 15. However, this is not just an issue abroad. According to a 2013 census by the Population Reference Bureau, about 500,000 women and girls in the United States have undergone, or are at risk of the procedure.

An honor killing is when a family member murders another member of their family because of the ‘belief that the victim has brought shame or dishonor upon the family, or has violated the principles or a community or a religion.’ Reasons for that family member bringing “shame and dishonor” usually include refusing an arranged marriage, being in a relationship that the family does not approve of, having sex outside marriage, seeking divorce, becoming the victim of rape, dressing in ways which are deemed inappropriate, or homosexuality. It is unclear how many honor killings occur worldwide, however, a 2000 estimate by the United Nations claimed there are 5,000 honor killings annually. But other studies claim this number may only suffice for Pakistan alone, and that the worldwide number is actually much greater. The number is significantly underestimated largely due to the fact that most honor killings are not classified as such. Those who commit the crimes are rarely prosecuted, or when prosecuted in the Muslim world, receive a light sentence. Even in the West, honor killings are not always acknowledged for what they truly are.

In 2013, Ali was listed as one of ten Al Qaeda’s hit list which they released an Islamic propaganda magazine with the subtitle: “A bullet a day keeps the infidel away.” Ali has been under protection since 2002, but refuses to be silenced. “The worst thing I can do is give in,” she said. “Going into hiding, not publishing, lying, saying I am going back to the faith -- all of that is giving in.”