Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a women’s rights advocate and critic of Islam, said in a statement on Wednesday that Brandeis University had betrayed the principles of freedom of expression and religion by rescinding an invitation to her to receive an honorary degree.

“Neither Brandeis nor my critics knew or even inquired as to what I might say,” Ms. Hirsi Ali said in the statement. “They simply wanted me to be silenced. I regret that very much.”

As reported on Wednesday, Brandeis withdrew its invitation to Ms. Hirsi Ali because of her past statements about Islam, saying they did not reflect the university’s core values. The university had been sharply criticized for extending an invitation to honor Ms. Hirsi Ali at its commencement on May 18.

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A native of Somalia, Ms. Hirsi Ali rebelled against a Muslim upbringing in which she endured genital cutting and her family tried to force her into an arranged marriage. She moved to the Netherlands, where she was later elected to Parliament. After she and Theo van Gogh made a film critical of Muslim treatment of women, they received death threats, and Mr. van Gogh was murdered.

First known as a campaigner for women’s rights, she has also become known for sharp comments about Islam, including calling it a “nihilistic cult of death” and “the new fascism.”

The full text of Ms. Hirsi Ali’s statement: