Well this is a new angle – although so far I’ve found only angry Islamist sources for it, but they say it’s in a segment on CNN. The claim is that Sam Harris is writing a book with Maajid Nawaz, and that he gives money to the Quilliam Foundation. If that’s true, well, that’s good news.
Here’s the awful 5pillarz on the subject:
The prominent Islamophobe Sam Harris has revealed that he is writing a book with Maajid Nawaz and that he’s giving money to the Quilliam Foundation.
Harris made the admission during an interview with CNN which can be seen HERE after 5 mins 45 secs
It’s not an “admission” because it’s not a bad thing to do. It’s a good thing to do. The people at 5pillarz are dreadful.
The Quilliam Foundation, a supposed counter-extremism think-tank, is regularly given a platform by the mainstream media to demonise Islam and Muslims and is rejected by vast swathes of the British Muslim community.
Bullshit. Quilliam doesn’t demonize Muslims, and part of the reason some Muslims reject it is because people like those behind 5pillarz tell lies about it.
Now to watch that video.
I think Manji offers some good criticism of Sam Harris, and criticism of what he ACTUALLY believes.
Manji criticizes Sam for focussing too much on drawing attention to the problems with radical Islam and not giving enough attention to the Muslim moderates and reformists who ARE speaking out against those problems.
By focussing only on the negative, it all seems like doom and gloom and people get exasperated about the problems with Islam and don’t actually do anything about it. She implores him to give strength to those speaking out against radical Islam.
Sam seems to take this advice to heart in the interview.
Don’t know much about Quilliam, but a quick look over their site suggests they oppose both extremism and hate-crimes.
This seems like a positive development.
I’ve just finished this book and I’ve learned more about Islam and the “thought” processes of violent Islamists and Islam in general than from any other source I’ve ever read. Along with Sam Harris I’m an atheist and I don’t single out any religion to be “phobic” about until it’s adherents decide that my life is worthless and decide to end it in the name of ancient scriptures. I’m also a Christianphobe and a Zionophobe and and any other “phobe” you like where iron-age nonsense fairy tales are concerned. They are all man-made and all equally laughable.
I highly recommend this book as it has helped me realize what a small minority of Muslims are violent fundamentalists and what a temporary blip in history they occupy. As education levels amongst their faith improves and they become aware of the futility of violence and the non-justification for that violence, they will become as placid as the Church of England. It may take 50 years, but there is only one way for all religions in this age of the New Enlightenment and the ubiquity of scientific thought.