November 2023 Newsletter: Israel, FGM, and more. AHA tends the flame of liberty this Thanksgiving

Dear Friend,

As the conflict in Israel rages on, I want to express once more my solidarity with all the victims of terrorism. As Thanksgiving approaches, I am grateful to live in a free and prosperous society, and I hope that one day all people around the world can enjoy such stability. You can find my commentary on the crisis in Israel here.

Free societies require maintenance. We must be ever-vigilant in defending our Western freedoms and ideals. Without care, the flame of liberty will get dimmer and dimmer until eventually, it dies out completely.

Tending the flame of liberty is at the heart of what AHA Foundation does. That is why I am proud to share my friend Evelyn Markus’s moving blog on the Israel crisis, in which she speaks out for liberty against the evil of anti-Semitism. See here.

Here are some of the other ways in which we have tended that flame recently.

Last month, we published a groundbreaking new report on female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in the U.S. Authored by data and FGM/C expert Sean Callaghan and supported by AHA Foundation, this report will be an invaluable tool for all those committed to ending this abusive practice. You can find the report, including a list of its key findings and a link to a special webinar about it, here.

Meanwhile, we have released new online anti-FGM/C trainings for police, social workers, and school counselors in Chicago. These can be found alongside our other trainings on this page.

Also last month, The Ayaan Hirsi Ali Dialogues series of webinars wrapped up with a conversation between me and the canceled academic Kathleen Stock. Thank you to all who attended this enlightening series on free speech. You can read more about it and find links to all the recordings here. I also recently spoke in a webinar with one of our campus program fellows, Hanna Nour, on the future of free speech. You can watch the video here.

Finally, tending the flame of liberty requires us to help those most in need. Our second blog this month is an interview with Dolly, a young lesbian woman whom AHA Foundation helped find freedom and safety away from her repressive culture in Egypt. Read the interview here.

Thank you again for supporting AHA Foundation. I hope that you will keep standing with us in keeping the flame of liberty alive. One way in which you can do so today is by giving a gift. I would be incredibly grateful if you did.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am grateful for the strength of people like you, who stand up fearlessly for Western freedoms and ideals. Thank you, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones.

Gratefully,