Jennifer Byrne Presents: Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Jennifer Byrne Presents: Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Jennifer Byrne Presents is a series of individual treats for lovers of books and writing. A panel of leading authors and expert celebrity guests join Jennifer for investigations into some of the most popular reading genres. They reveal the conventions, controversies, and titles that have helped shaped the literary landscape. On tonight’s show, Jennifer talks to author Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Born in Somalia and raised a devout Muslim, Ayaan Hirsi Ali broke tradition when she escaped an arranged marriage and fled to the Netherlands where she was given asylum and eventually citizenship. Hirsi Ali gained international recognition as the controversial member of the Dutch Parliament who wrote a short film attacking Islam, which led to the murder of its director, Theo Van Gogh, and a similar threat against Hirsi Ali. Ayaan Hirsi Ali has since become an active critic of fundamentalist Islam and an advocate for women’s rights. She will be joining Jennifer Byrne to discuss her new book Nomad, the follow-up to her best-selling memoir Infidel, which traced her journey from Somalia to Holland. Nomad picks up the story of her physical and emotional journey to freedom. The challenges she faced not only show the difficulty of reconciling the contradictions of Islam with Western values, but are a touching and uplifting account of one woman’s discovery of today’s America.

Executive Producer: Sophia Zachariou; Series Producer: Brendan Walls.