Ayaan Hirsi Ali Height, Weight, Age, Husband, Children

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Somali-born Dutch-American activist, former politician, and author who gained widespread recognition for speaking out against Islam’s regressive practices against women. She has advocated for Muslim women’s right to self-determination and has been a staunch critic of practices such as child marriage, forced marriage, honor killing, and female genital mutilation.

Born Name

Nick Name

Ayaan

Sun Sign

Scorpio

Born Place

Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somali Democratic Republic

Nationality

Dutch, American

Occupation

Former Politician, Activist, Author

Family

• Father – Hirsi Magan Isse (Scholar, Leading Figure of the Somali Revolution)

Build

Slim

Height

5 ft 4 in or 162.5 cm

Weight

62 kg or 136.5 lbs

Boyfriend / Spouse

Ayaan has dated –

1. She was subjected to a forced marriage in the early 1990s. But, she ran away from her marriage and sought political asylum in the Netherlands. She officially divorced her husband many years later.
2. Niall Ferguson (2011-Present) – On September 10, 2011, Ayaan tied the knot with Niall Ferguson, who is a reputed British historian. Ayaan gave birth to the couple’s 2 sons, one of whom is named Thomas (b. December 2011).

Race / Ethnicity

Black

She has Somalian ancestry.

Hair Color

Black

Eye Color

Dark Brown

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

Mole on her cheek

Religion

Christianity

Ayaan was formerly a Muslim. Hence, she followed Islam. However, after the 9/11 terrorist attack, she became an atheist and left the Islam religion. In November 2023, she announced that she had become a Christian.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Facts

1. She was subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) at the age of 5 years at her grandmother’s orders even though her own father was against the practice. Her surgery was performed by a man and ended up being “much milder” (according to Ayaan herself) compared to when women performed the mutilation.
2. Ayaan grew up as a devout follower of Islam and wore the hijab as a school-going girl. However, after arriving in the Netherlands and learning about the wider worldview, she decided to renounce Islam and identify as an apostate in 2002.
3. She is fluent in 6 different languages: English, Dutch, Somali, Swahili, Arabic, and Amharic.
4. In 2006, she was nominated as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian member of parliament, Christian Tybring-Gjedde.
5. Ayaan arrived in the Netherlands in 1992 and sought political asylum as a single Somali woman escaping a forced marriage. She was subsequently taken to an asylum seekers’ center located in Leintern.
6. She wrote the screenplay for the short film called Submission (2004), which was produced and directed by Theo van Gogh. The film showed controversial Koran verses painted onto women’s bodies and highlighted women’s mistreatment in Islamic society. Unsurprisingly, the film sparked outrage among the Dutch Muslims upon its release.
7. In January 2006, the American magazine Reader’s Digest named her as the ‘European of the Year’.
8. Ayaan was a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the VVD (People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy) from January 30, 2003, until May 17, 2006. She resigned from the position after concerns were raised over her Dutch nationality as it was claimed that she had provided incorrect information during her application for Dutch citizenship.
9. In 2007, she founded the AHA Foundation which primarily focuses on the defense of women’s rights.

Featured Image by Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0