Munk Dialogue with Ayaan Hirsi Ali: why the UK is facing a clash of civilizations

Western societies have never been more divided. As the election race heats up in the US, both parties are accusing the other of being a threat to democracy. Meanwhile, years of mass migration into Europe is giving far right parties more power than they have had in decades, and mass riots in the UK have exposed a deep-seated anger that is dividing the nation. Our guest on this Munk Dialogue has a unique insight into these unfolding conflicts. Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born in Somalia where, as a young girl, she grew up in a strict Islamist society that relegated women to second class citizens. At 23, she fled to the Netherlands and claimed asylum to escape a forced marriage. Once there, she worked her way up from being a janitor to earning a Master’s degree in Political Science and serving as an elected member of the Dutch Parliament, where she campaigned to raise awareness of violence against women. She has since become a fierce champion of Western values, especially on issues relating to liberty for women and free speech. Ayaan worries that the authoritarian principles which governed the Somalia of her childhood are showing up in popular leftist movements across the US. She also blames those same leftwing movements in Europe for mass migration and what she calls “the clash of civilizations”.   The host of the Munk Debates podcast is Rudyard Griffiths Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Executive Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch

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