liberal in the Amis sense

Fairly astonishing interview with Ayan Hirsi Ali in Reason. Highlight:

Reason: Explain to me what you mean when you say we have to stop the burning of our flags and effigies in Muslim countries. Why should we care?

Hirsi Ali: We can make fun of George Bush. He’s our president. We elected him. And the queen of England, they can make fun of her within Britain and so on. But on an international level, this has gone too far. You know, the Russians, they don’t burn American flags. The Chinese don’t burn American flags. Have you noticed that? They don’t defile the symbols of other civilizations. The Japanese don’t do it. That never happens.

Also on the secular fundamentalism front, she wants to amend the US constitution to enshrine religious discrimination against Muslims.

Via Aqoul, which does the heavy lifting.

UPDATE: Thanks to Dave in comments, here's a global gazetteer of American flag burning.

Comments

[davesgonechina]

Clearly, she's never seen this.

[Alex]

"We can make fun of George Bush. He’s our president. We elected him. And the queen of England, they can make fun of her within Britain and so on."

We? Our? Interesting from a woman who, we learnt recently, spent the last few months trailing around Washington with a Dutch government security detail.

It's not a generic "we", either; note that the British are "they".

[jamie]

But if you don't think of George as "our" president, then you are clearly objectively Muslim.

[Alex]

I knew the kebabs were significant.

[Matthew]

I can imagine that having death threats made against you does rather warp your judgement. But it doesn't explain why she is taken so seriously by the Decent left.

[Alex]

Being really cynical for a moment; frankly, who doesn't think that a team of private securigoons isn't a big status enhancer chez AEI?

[jamie]

It's notable that none of the other folks trading at the same pitch feel the need for bodyguards. Irshad Manji explicitly rejected them. Of course, none of her colleagues have been murdered but there's no reason why IM would be in any less danger.

[Mike Power]

The Japanese don’t do it. That never happens.

Amazing how a couple of nuclear bombs can concentrate the mind.

[Mike Power]

This is the bit that really troubled me:

I completely and utterly agree with John Bolton...

Sorry, but agreeing with 'Mr Pastry' about anything gets you crossed off my Christmas list.