AYAAN HIRSI ALI was born in Somalia and raised a devout Muslim.  In 1992, Ayaan was married off by her father in a ceremony which she refused to attend.  In order to escape this marriage, she fled to the Netherlands where she won asylum, and eventually citizenship.  After earning a degree in political science she served as an elected member of the Dutch parliament for three years.  She has since become an active critic of Islam, an advocate for women’s rights and a leader in the campaign to reform Islam.  Her willingness to speak out and her abandonment of the Muslim faith have made her a target for violence and threat of death by Islamic extremists.

Ms. Hirsi Ali was named one of TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” of 2005, one of Glamour Magazine’s Heroes of 2005, and she received the Prix Simone de Beauvoir in 2008. She has published a collection of essays entitled The Caged Virgin and a best-selling memoir Infidel.

In response to the continuing threats to her life and in order to support the work of other dissidents, Ayaan Hirsi Ali has established the Foundation for Freedom of Expression.  The Foundation is a charity organization which believes that open discourse, dialogue and freedom of expression are essential for the survival and vitality of liberal democracies.  The Foundation will support Muslim dissidents who have been victims of violence, abuse or neglect, or who have been threatened with violence, because of their political or religious beliefs.  It will do so by promoting and distributing their work, as well as by providing security and personal support when needed and wherever possible.

Ever since becoming a permanent resident of the United States, Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been forced to personally finance her costly – but necessary – protection.  To help her bear this burden, the Ayaan Hirsi Ali Security Trust has been established to directly finance her security.   Freedom of expression requires freedom of movement, and it is unfortunate that in today's world anyone should need physical protection in order to live freely and without fear.  The goal of the Security Trust is to provide that basic freedom to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a true champion for free speech.