Note: this post was adapted from our October 2022 newsletter, in which AHA celebrated 15 years of defending freedoms in the U.S.
Dear Friend,
This is a very special day.
Exactly 15 years ago, AHA Foundation was founded by me and a group of caring, generous friends.
And what a 15 years it has been! Our achievements are many, from more than doubling the number of state bans on female genital mutilation (FGM) to launching a nationwide campus program and spearheading a global anti-Islamism coalition. Across all our areas, we have excelled—and it’s all thanks to your support over the years. Watch our 15th-anniversary video above, or by clicking here, to see the impact we made over the years—together.
There is still work to be done, however. And that is why we at AHA Foundation have been looking to the next 15 years. To guide us in the future, we have revamped our mission statement: “to protect, preserve, and promote Western freedoms and ideals.” With all of the news coming out of Iran, Russia, and many other places, this task seems more vital than ever. Such events remind us of how important it is to sustain and strengthen our hard-won freedoms.
In a special blog to mark our anniversary month, AHA Foundation’s Executive Director George Zarubin unveils our revamped mission while looking back at our history and achievements. Read it here.
Meanwhile, another dear friend contributes a special blog this month. Chris DeMuth, who helped me come to America many years ago and who has served as Chairman of the AHA Foundation Board since 2013, writes about our long-standing friendship and his work at the Foundation. Read his blog here.
Chris is sadly retiring as Chairman soon. I want to take this opportunity to say: thank you Chris, for everything. Your enormous contribution to the success of AHA Foundation will never be forgotten. I am the luckiest person in the world for having met you and for your friendship and love.
I hope you, our staunch supporters, will continue to stand with us as AHA Foundation moves forward into the next 15 years and beyond. And there’s one way you can do this right now. Excitingly, one of our generous donors has pledged $50,000 in matching funds. Imagine what we could accomplish with $100,000! Please give a gift to AHA Foundation to celebrate our big anniversary, and help us unlock $50,000.
Your gift will help us get the next 15 years of preserving, protecting, and promoting Western freedoms and ideals off to a great start.
Thank you so much for your support these past 15 years. I can’t wait to see what the future holds—and I’m sure you are as excited as I am.
With warmth and gratitude,
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Founder