‘‘I do not despise Islam,’’ writes Somali-Dutch activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali at the outset of her fiercely independent first book, ‘‘The Caged Virgin,’’ a bestseller in Europe that consolidated her reputation as the Continent’s sternest critic of Islam. ‘‘I am thoroughly conscious of the noble values that the religion promotes, such as charity, hospitality and compassion for the weak and poor.’’ Furthermore, Hirsi Ali acknowledges, ‘‘I know countless wonderful Muslim men who treat their mothers, sisters and spouses decently.’’ Sounds reasonable and moderate. Why, then, must Hirsi Ali live under 24/7 guard from Dutch security after years of regular death...