Fatima Jibrell

Country of origin: Somalia

Fatima Jibrell (Somali: Fadumo Jibriil, Arabic: فاطمة جبريل‎) is a prominent Somali-American environmental activist. She is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Horn of Africa Relief and Development Organization ("Horn Relief"), co-founder of Sun Fire Cooking, and was instrumental in the creation of the Women’s Coalition for Peace.

Read the rest of her story on her Wikipedia page.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Country of origin: Somalia

“Tolerance of intolerance is cowardice.”

Ayaan Hirsi Magan Ali (About this sound pronunciation (help·info); Somali: Ayaan Xirsi Cali; Arabic: أيان حرسي علي‎ / ALA-LC: Ayān Ḥirsī ‘Alī; 13 November 1969) is a Somali-Dutch feminist and atheist activist, writer and politician who is known for her views as a prominent critic of Islam, as well as strongly opposing its related practices of circumcision and female genital cutting. Her screenplay for Theo van Gogh's movie Submission led to death threats, which resulted in the director's murder. She is the daughter of the Somali politician and opposition leader Hirsi Magan Isse and is a founder of the women's rights organisation the AHA Foundation.

The rest of her fascinating story can be read here.