Mention the name of Ayaan Hirsi and every Somali will nod with familiarity.
Born in 1962 in Somalia, she is the renegade lady who abandoned Islam and it precepts, a radical move that angered puritanical adherents of the Islamic religion.
She ran to the Netherlands from his birthplace, escaping an arranged marriage in 1992.
Her books that take a critical look at Islam are smash bestsellers that have attracted rave reviews and critical acclaim.
''The Infidel'', ''Nomad'', ''Heretic'', ''The Caged Virgin'' and ''The challenge of Dawa'' have sold million of copies and have been the subject of great debate across the world, attracting the raw anger of those who profess the Islamic faith.
''Islam is a political philosophy that tries define how the society should be organised, advocating for a set of principles that are incompatible with liberal Western societies,'' she told a programme a year ago.
Her criticism of Islam has not shown in books but in a film played called ''Submission'' that chronicled the suffering of Muslim women.
Her close friend Theo Vaan Gaal was brutally murdered by a fundamentalist who pinned a message to the body aimed at Ayaan Hirsi.
Ayaan resigned from the Dutch parliament after an unsuccessful challenge to have her citizenship revoked and moved to the United States of America where she currently lives.
In spite of these threats to her life, Ayaan continues with her crusade unfazed.
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