AFP: JAIPUR, India — Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali-born former Dutch lawmaker threatened with death for her outspoken criticism of Islam, on Sunday accused the world's liberal democracies of appeasing radical Muslims.
Hirsi Ali, who since 2004 has lived under constant guard against death threats from Islamic extremists, made her accusation during an unannounced appearance at the Jaipur Literary Festival in India.
Speaking to a packed audience, Hirsi Ali said fear of offending Muslims and the wider Islamic world meant Islam had been largely exempted in Europe and the United States from the critical scrutiny applied to other religions.
"In the West, people are frigidly stuck in an attitude of self-doubt," fearful of Muslim radicals but also worried of being seen as anti-Muslim and thus betraying their own liberal traditions, Hirsi Ali said.
"This appeasement has made the public space in these countries a lot less safe," she added. >>> AFP | Sunday, January 24, 2010
