Promoting Science and Critical Thinking
Hemant Mehta has written a recent posting in which he describes in precise detail how words can be lifted out of context and then re-purposed as a weapon. It is a fascinating read, and to tempt you into reading it all let me give you a summary. Last January Sam Harris interviewed his friend and … Read more
If I should happen to get in your face and explain in great detail that you are dumb / ignorant / bigoted / stupid / (you can think of lots more), then you would of course immediately embrace and cherish the experience … right? What if I was actually right and you did in a … Read more
Is meaningful dialog between opposing views possible? What I mean by “meaningful” is that the exposure to a different view changes minds, or at least by putting a friendly face to “them” it all becomes less confrontational. Maajid Nawaz, a Muslim reformer sat down with Sam Harris and had a frank but meaningful dialogue, so much … Read more
The former Islamic extremist and now anti-extremist campaigner, Maajid Nawaz, has had a bit of a hatchet job done to him by David Shariatmadari within a Guardian article. He was supposedly being profiled, but then Mr Shariatmadari laced it all with some anonymous quotes and essentially stuck the knife into him. Was it Really A hatchet Job? … Read more
Maajid Nawaz (pictured above), a former radical Islamist, now a liberal counter-extremism activist, and author of his autobiographical book ‘Radical’ , held an AMA (ask me anything) over at /reddit/r/books a few days ago, here are some of the questions and answers from that session. The Introduction to the AMA opened with this … My name … Read more
Jesus and Mo illustrates what happens when you raise the topic of stoning in a public debate … Now this is where you might be tempted to chip in and suggest that the above is a cartoon, and that it does not in any way represent how a devout Muslim would really reply …. well, hold … Read more