Brazellica

One of the most courageous people of our time, or any time, is Ayaan Hirsi Ali. The guy who killed filmmaker Theo Van Gogh planted a note on Van Gogh’s body that said Hirsi Ali was next. And death threats continue to come in from all over — all to stop her from speaking her mind.

The Dutch government encouraged Ms. Hirsi Ali to run for parliament, promising her a security detail if she did so. Now they’ve announced they plan to stop paying for it. Amsterdam is a great town — they tolerate everyone. But this stance dims my enthusiasm for the Netherlands.

Filling the void, the great writer Sam Harris has started a fund to pay for Ms. Hirsi Ali’s security. I had the honor of shaking Ms. Hirsi Ali’s hand after a debate at the New York Public Library, and am happy to contribute ten bucks a month. I wish I could give more. If you care about the status of women in the Muslim world (i.e., the entire world), or just don’t think people should be told to shut up under threat of death, then please help Ms. Hirsi Ali stay alive.

PKD is important, of course. But so is the life of Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

The following is a word-for-word transcript of a voice mail I got from a friend:

“Hey, Bill – it’s X. Um, I just wanted to say that what we talked about today probably shouldn’t be, uh, commented on … not that I even really said anything, but um, just — you know, if you do end up talking about it, maybe … not that you would, but, you know — obviously I’m not involved, so … I shouldn’t be. All right, uh, just wanted to talk you about that. If you get a chance, call me back.