Ayaan Hirsi Ali Keeps Dutch Citizenship

Michael Galien at Liberty and Justice reports that Dutch lawmakers have forced Minister Verdonk to backtrack and withdraw her decision to strip Ayaan Hirsi Ali of her Dutch citizenship. The decision is reported to be permanent and final.

NOS journaal reports that, during a meeting between different ministers - that lasted until well past midnight - the Dutch Cabinet decided that Ayaan Hirsi Ali is, and will remain, officially Dutch. Although Minister Verdonk did not want to decide this last night already, her fellow ministers enforced a permanent decision. Verdonk will inform Parliament about this matter later today.

According to RTL Nieuws certain political parties, especially GroenLinks, have already announced that they will be giving Verdonk an extremely hard time during the next debate in the lower chamber about this matter. I won't be surprised if Parliament will force her to resign. Lets hope so: she damaged the Dutch reputation tremendously.

NOS Teletekst further reports that Ayaan Hirsi Magan did not break Somali law when she gave Dutch authorities a different name: Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Ali is the name of her grandfather: to use that name is allowed according to Somali law.

Thank God. It was a disgrace for The Netherlands when Verdonk announced that Ayaan 'never received the Dutch nationality'. Verdonk acted way too hasty. Friday she said that Ayaan had nothing to worry about, Saturday the story changes and Monday Ayaan isn't Dutch all of a sudden. All of this within a couple of days.
After this Ayaan controversy Verdonk also lost the race to become leader of the political party the VVD.

I'm glad a bit of sanity broke out over there. It looks like Verdonk is going to pay a hard price for her little bit of grandstanding.