Well Al Hirsi has certainly been in the thick of european immigration and integration politics for many years. But again some reservations must be kept.

Firstly the genital mutilation she suffered ( which probably accounts for the greater part of her antipathy against Islam ) is a cultural tradition. Female genital mutilation is neither condoned, promoted or practiced in most of the muslim world. It is however a common practice in Somalia even among non-muslims there.
Of course as is typical, local customs are given "divine justification" by the local mullahs, who falsely call the practice "islamic". No such actions are promoted by the quran or the hadith.
Just as the Pushtun infer from their interpretation of the Quran and the hadith that women are to be kept locked up and uneducated ( whereas Punjabis do NOT ), so too do the conservative elements of somalia infer from the quran and hadith that female genital mutilation is accepted and promoted ( whereas the VAST MAJORITY of muslims completely disagree with it).

Anyhow while her experiences are true and unembellished, they do not prove a causal link between Islam as a theology and her awful experience. Rather she clearly illustrates a causal link between local culture and the integration of local customs and practices imposed by local imams into Islamic theology. Like i said, the mutilation she has suffered is an old pre-islamic somalian tradition practiced by non-muslims also. Just because in her case this violation was OKed by a muslim, does not mean that the approval comes from islamic theology. The distinction is important to make because onemust always know what the problem is.

The problem facing Somali women is that their indigenous tradition demands such mutilation. The only way this problem can be combatted is if conditions return to some level of normalcy in Somalia and that a women's empowerment campaign is launched so they become aware of their rights as idividuals. I can assure you that muslim clergy from elsewhere will quite willingly condemn and oppose this awful tradition.

As always i must again end with the fact that Islam is divided into 73 different sects and innumerable sub-sects and groups. the inhuman practices conducted in the name of "islam" are generally local customs or traditions incorporated into the main body of theology and re-launched as "islam".

This unfortunately leads to a great deal of confusion both within various muslim communities as well as the world as a whole.