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Tuesday, 18 January, 2005, 17:25 GMT

Threatened Dutch MP out of hiding

Liberal deputy Ayaan Hirsi Ali Liberal Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a critic of Muslim fundamentalism who had received death threats, has emerged from hiding.

The Somali-born deputy returned to her office in parliament on Tuesday amid tight security.

She wrote the script for the controversial short TV film Submission by director Theo Van Gogh, who was murdered in Amsterdam on 2 November.

"Dear Ayaan, welcome back in our midst. We missed you," the speaker said.

Challenging Islam

Mrs Hirsi Ali was flanked by bodyguards as she appeared in the parliament after spending two months in hiding, under police protection.

"It's great to be back," she said.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali taking her seat

An outspoken critic of Islamic values, she describes herself as a "lapsed" Muslim. She had caused outrage by calling Islam "backward" and by pouring scorn on the Prophet Mohammed.

The film she made with Van Gogh told the story of a Muslim woman forced into marriage and abused by her husband. The authors claimed the Koran encouraged violence against women.

A letter left on Van Gogh's body contained death threats against Mrs Hirsi Ali, Dutch Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner said. It had been pinned to his body with a knife.

The letter threatened to bring down "non-believers". It was typed in Dutch and contained Koranic verses written in Arabic and translated into Dutch.

Nine suspects, all believed to be radical Islamists, have been arrested in connection with the murder.

Mrs Hirsi Ali said she was planning to work on a sequel to Submission and a book called Short Cut to Enlightenment, for Muslims.



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Related to this story:
'Islamist' held in Van Gogh case (03 Nov 04 |  Europe )
Life of slain Dutch filmmaker (02 Nov 04 |  Entertainment )
Moving stories: Ayaan Hirsi Ali (23 Dec 03 |  Africa )
Imams on Dutch culture course (28 Nov 02 |  Europe )
Somali woman heads for Dutch parliament (03 Jan 03 |  Europe )
Dutch 'should be spoken in mosques' (01 Oct 02 |  Europe )

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Theo Van Gogh
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