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September 25, 2005 | Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Dutch MP and author of the controversial film Submission, addressed the Georgetown community on the challenges facing Muslim women in Europe. Hirsi Ali, a Member of the Dutch Parliament, is outspoken on issues such as the role of women, immigration, development, and democracy. In her talk, Hirsi Ali combined political and policy analysis with personal anecdote. She related how she avoided an arranged marriage by deplaning in Germany when her Canada-bound airplane stopped to pick up more passengers. From Germany, she took a train to Holland where she set down roots, became educated, and emerged as a figurehead for human rights issues. Today the Netherlands and all of Europe face unprecedented challenges stemming from the growth of cultural and religious pluralism in largely secular societies. The event was co-sponsored by the Berkley Center and BMW Center for German and European Studies.