Wisdom of Crowds An Illiberal Muslim Secedes from America
Are Muslim communities increasingly tilting to the right? After about two decades of being alienated by Republicans, American Muslims continue to align themselves with the Democratic Party. But as the country polarizes and the progressive agenda makes gains, writers like our guest find it increasingly untenable for Muslims to continue nodding along with the left’s conceptions of gender identity, sexuality, and secularism.
This week, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic talked to The Dragoman, a pseudonymous writer who wrote a fiery provocation in The American Mind titled “Meet Your New Allies”, where he makes the case for why Muslims should align themselves with the right to counter the left’s excesses. This is a provocative and wide-ranging conversation that really gets at how deep difference and philosophical disagreements are difficult to reconcile. You won’t want to miss this one.
The three discuss Dragoman’s decision to remain anonymous, whether he considers himself a reactionary, his appeal to the dissident right-wing, and his plans to leave the United States to raise his children. As a believing Muslim himself, Shadi challenges Dragoman to articulate the threat to Western civilization posed by the left and the implications of aligning with the Trump wing of the GOP.
In the full episode (for paying subscribers only) Shadi and Dragoman diverge on the role of Islam and democracy in shaping a moral society. It gets heated, leading to one of the more charged exchanges in recent WoC history. They also delve into the influence of Western academia on Muslim thought and the Anglo world’s limitations in understanding non-Western perspectives. The conversation concludes with a reflection on the generational differences among Muslims.
To listen to the full episode, subscribe here.
Required Reading:
* “Meet Your New Allies,” by Dragoman (The American Mind).
* Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam Is Reshaping the World, by Shadi Hamid (Amazon).
* “Subversive with Alex Kaschuta” (Apple Podcasts).
* “Muslims vs. Democrats: A Story of Betrayal,” by Shadi Hamid (Wall Street Journal)
* The Liberal Archipelago: A Theory of Diversity and Freedom, by Chandran Kukathas (Amazon).
* “Navigating Differences: Clarifying Sexual and Gender Ethics in Islam,” the statement signed by dozens of American Muslim scholars and imams.
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