Ayaan Hirsi Ali still hoping to return to Australia after cancelling tour

Controversial speaker Ayaan Hirsi Ali has not backed down from her divisive comments about Islam despite having cancelled her upcoming Australian tour over concerns for her safety.

No stranger to controversy: Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Source: AP

Speaking to Channel 7 from an undisclosed location, Ms Hirsi Ali, who lives with round-the-clock security, said she does not believe 'all immigrants and Muslims are bad'.

"I don't hold that view ... the burqa that covers the face and that is really very much in your face ... that is just like the ISIS flag, it's like wearing a very big swastika," she said

"I cannot think of a system of law that dehumanises an degrades women more than Islamic law," Ms Hirsi Ali told Channel 7.

Her comments came a day after the decision to cancel a speaking tour around Australia and New Zealand, with the former politician citing fears for her safety.

However Ms Hirsi Ali said she would endeavour to return to Australia again soon, praising the work of Australian law enforcement.

"I feel very welcome and I feel I am in a free country, the only thing I hope is for Australians not to take that freedom for granted, but to defend it," she said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ms Hirsi Ali condemned a video produced by Facebook page Persons of Interest in which a number of Muslim women distanced themselves from her statements that implied they lacked autonomy.

"I just want to point my finger at all the places in the world today where Islamic law is applied and how women are treated and I want to say to these women, 'shame on you', she told AAP.

Watch: Muslim women respond to Ayaan Hirsi Ali

"Shame on you for carrying water for the Islamists, shame on you for trying to shut people up who are trying to raise awareness about sharia law," she said.

Reverend Peter Kurti from the Centre for Independent Studies told SBS he believes Ms Hirsi Ali's views are a valuable addition to debates surrounding Islam.

"I think she is a person who is an important voice in contemporary Islam," he said.

"I know she provokes very strong reactions from people who don't want to hear what she has to say, but she is an important voice and a significant figure because of the courage she has displayed in all kinds of ways throughout her life.

"I think if Australia can't host somebody like that, it's troubling, it's very disappointing."

Watch: What does Ayaan Hirsi Ali's cancellation mean for freedom of speech?