Brave women who are making history

Countless women around the world have contributed positively to history. To add to some already mentioned, I would list Mother Teresa, Margaret Thatcher, author Jane Austen, Pamela Gellar, Clare Lopez and such women as Brigitte Gabriel, Anni Cyrus and Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Let me tell you a bit about the last three.

Brigitte Gabriel escaped Lebanon at 19 after an Islamic attack that destroyed her home and forced her and her parents to live in a cave underground for 10 years. They had barely enough to keep alive but lived in fear of being killed if they went out. Now, in the U.S., she works tirelessly to educate and act against dangerous forces within and without our government. She is a proud U.S. citizen.

Anni Cyrus was born in Iran into a Muslim family, forced to marry at 13 to a stranger who beat her. Thanks to the help of her grandmother she escaped and made it to the U.S.. She is now a citizen and a Christian and an activist trying to not only help other women but educate Americans to dangers from Iran.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born into a Muslim family in Somalia. She suffered female genital mutilation at 5 years old and was married off by her father at a very young age. She managed to escape and get an education in the Netherlands and the U.S.. She now works to help other girls like her. Like the others, she is an amazing young woman.

These last three women are in constant danger because of what they do. They are forced to always travel with security. They are some of the most courageous women I have even known or will ever meet. They never stop fighting against the dangers women and girls in some segments of our society face and trying to shine a light on all persecution of women.

Sara Schmidt

Des Plaines