Ayaan Hirst Ali on Newsnight

[stubbornhubby]

Very impressed. Hadn't heard of her before, she was excellent

oi, are you robert webb?

Is that you, David ?

She is absolutely brilliant. I will catch up with it on iPlayer.

what did she say that was so brilliant?

I did not see the programme yet, but I heard her interviews before and to me she comes across as a very strong, very well educated and very intelligent woman. What she has achieved in such a short time with such a difficult background is truly remarkable.

Do I sound like a fan?

she was saying that the treatment of women in islamic countries has actually worsened over the last 20-30 years, and it's about time the west stopped preaching tolerance and respect for cultural values and actually stood up for what is right. She welcomed some recent moves in that direction from Cameron, Merkels, Sarkhozy.

But she impressed me partly becasue that seems correct to me, but just generally - she was so articulate and made sense and dealt well with the irritating and slightyl simpering Emilie whatsit.

She is on iPlayer, directly after the (also quite excellent) film report about life for women in Saudio Arabia.

I read one of her biographies and she is an inspiration to how women can take ownership over their own lives.

I would love to meet her.