Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Here is an excellent article in this week's Guardian on Dutch women's rights campaigner Ayaan Hirsi Ali whose challenge to Islamic extremism has left her under armed guard and led to the murder of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh.

I have often wondered why it has been left to the likes of Ms Ali to speak out about the role of women in Islam, while the response of the Western left has been characterised by its silence, if not absurdity (Nick Cohen's comment that "Trots in burkas would be hilarious if it wasn't a symbol of the shambles on the left" just about sums it up).

And there's not only a tremendous amount of ignorance about Islam among Westerners. According to submission.org, which bills itself as "your best source for Islam on the internet", this also applies to many of those who follow the faith.

For example Ahmed Okla points out the Quran does not stipulate covering the head or face. The only part of the body it specifically states should be covered is the "bosom"...

Ahmed goes on to say that covering the head is purely traditional and those who believe adopting it as a symbol of "submission" to God are strictly speaking idolterers - just about the biggest crime under Islam. There is no room for interpretation, as he says:

"The Quran is detailed, and when God says He detailed His book it means FULLY detailed. God does not do half jobs."

So not only would Trots in burkas be hillarious, they would also be going straight to Hell. But they probably knew that anyway.