Making Sense with Sam Harris #23 — Islam and the Future of Tolerance (Audiobook Excerpts)
Dec 21, 2015
Maajid Nawaz, an expert on Islam and a counter-extremism activist, joins Sam Harris to discuss topics such as the role of religious beliefs in Islamism and jihadism, the impact of religious ideology on radicalization, the challenges faced by doubting Muslims, and the manipulation of scripture interpretation by extremists.
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First Meeting Challenge
- Sam Harris recounts his first meeting with Maajid Nawaz at an Intelligence Squared debate where he challenged Maajid's approach to reforming Islam.
- Maajid remembers the exchange and explains he chose to present Islam as a religion of peace in that debate to reflect most Muslims' current beliefs.
Scripture Needs Interpretation
- Maajid argues Islam is neither inherently peaceful nor warlike; scripture requires interpretation.
- He framed his debate choice as pragmatic: most Muslims today do not view Islam as a religion of war.
Four Drivers Of Radicalization
- Maajid identifies four elements in ideological recruitment: grievance, identity crisis, charismatic recruiter, and dogma.
- He compares variations in Islamism to factional disputes within communism to explain methodological differences.