Secular Jihadists For A Muslim Enlightenment

Watch the video version of this show: https://youtu.be/t68VsZYQUZ8  Our three-part series continues: Armin and Ali go back to basics to discuss the two major sects of Islam: Sunni and Shia. What do these terms mean, how did these sects arise, what are their differences, and why have they been so ready to kill one another over them for thirteen centuries? In Part 1, we looked at the early history of each sect and how they came into existence. In Part 2 (which you can listen to with or without Part 1), we talk about the differences in their beliefs and theology. We also take questions from our audience. Check it out.

Watch the video version of this conversation: https://youtu.be/GVJ49EdHi34  After attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad by an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia group, American airstrikes killed Qasem Soleimani, a major general in the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iranians responded by shooting rockets into US bases in Iraq with no casualties. The US said it does not want a war, but all options are on the table. Is this the end of hostilities? Well, there’s a lot more that you may not have heard in the mainstream media. Ali and Armin (who grew up in Tehran) take a closer look at what happened and what might happen next in detail. Check it out.

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fquebecs-ban-on-32440210  In this episode, we are joined by David Rand, president of Atheist Freethinkers in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. David is spokesperson for the “Rassemblement pour la laïcité,” or Alliance for Secularism—a coalition of various Quebec organizations which promote secularism. His writings have been published in Humanist Perspectives, Free Inquiry, Huffington Post Quebec, CBC News, La Raison and others. He has spoken at various atheist and secular events in Canada, Poland, the U.K., Argentina, Chile, Lebanon, France, and more. Atheist Freethinkers supports Quebec Bill 21 which partially implements state secularism. In this episode, we discuss this bill and the backlash against it from a secular perspective. Check it out.

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fdoes-dark-web-32389794  Omar Baddar is an agnostic and a secularist of Muslim background who is Deputy Director of the Arab American Institute and a political analyst. His social and political commentary has appeared on BBC, MSNBC, Al Jazeera, The Daily Beast, and Huffpost, among other outlets. Omar joined us to discuss what he views as an unhealthy tolerance of anti-Muslim bigotry and other illiberal ideas in the “Intellectual Dark Web,” among other topics. Is he right? We got into this and a lot more in an animated, riveting discussion. Check it out.

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fyasmine-mohammed-32233348  Guess who's back? A founding member of this podcast, Yasmine Mohammed, returns—this time as our guest! Her new book is called Unveiled: How Western Liberals Empower Radical Islam. We also talk about her groundbreaking work with Free Hearts Free Minds, providing support for people who have left Islam but still live in Muslim-majority countries. This was a fascinating conversation—check it out.

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fcan-scripture-3-31912275  Former nun and religious apologist Karen Armstrong has made the argument that “sacred texts” are flexible, evolve with time, and are misunderstood by religious fundamentalists and atheists alike because they read them too literally. Her new book, The Lost Art of Scripture, has received a rave review by Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times. Is she right? Armin and Ali are joined by former Islamic preacher-turned-atheist Abdullah Sameer to dig into and debunk Armstrong’s central thesis in this heated episode. Check it out.

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/do-we-need-to-be-31504024  Phil Zuckerman is a professor of sociology at Pitzer College in California, whose latest book is What It Means to Be Moral: Why Religion Is Not Necessary for Living an Ethical Life. A leading specialist in the sociology of secularity, he is the critically acclaimed author of several other books, including Living the Secular Life, Society Without God, and Faith No More. We talk about the roots of morality and religion, secularity, and whether one needs to be religious to be moral. Check it out.

Watch the video version of this conversation: https://youtu.be/e66EfbD-XSM  After two elections failed to give rise to a governing coalition, Israel’s president is floating the idea of having a third one. Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu has been indicted on corruption and fraud charges. What led up to these events? And what does this mean for the future of Israel, and the future of secularism in Israel? Armin and Ali help guide you through the impasse. Check it out.

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/atheist-who-zac-30896129  Zac Alrayyis is an atheist from Saudi Arabia and was raised in an extremely religious Salafi Islamic family. He abandoned Islam at age 13 and a few years later, escaped to Germany where his asylum application has recently been accepted. He is an activist for secularism, freedom, human rights, and animal rights. We spoke about his childhood, his journey from religion to reason, his complicated relationship with his family, atheism in Saudi Arabia, and his views on MBS (Muhammad bin Salman) and its current leadership. Don't miss this.

Watch the video version of this conversation: https://youtu.be/M4c_oNS5gJg Protests in Iran have erupted again, and they're more intense than ever. After Iran's desperate, sanctions-choked Islamic regime raised fuel prices by up to 300%, people across the country who have already been suffering under the human rights abuses of this government—along with record levels of unemployment and inflation—have spilled out onto the streets. Despite a country-wide internet shutdown by the spooked government, we're seeing images of burning banks, municipal buildings, even mosques and Qurans. Protestors are loudly rejecting the Islamic Republic and blocking highways in defiance of the Islamic government. Some have burned down the regime's banks, police cars, and buildings. Is this time different, considering the fiercest protests are outside Tehran and the regime is more vulnerable than ever? Or will they be quashed again like 2009 and 2018? Armin is in touch with people inside the country, and in this episode, he and Ali

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fislam-science-31186751  Umar and Tahir Nasser are the founders of Rational Religion, a UK-based forum where they take on the big questions in religion, atheism, science, and society. The brothers are Ahmadi Muslim physicians who are deeply familiar with the atheist arguments against religion and Islam and openly engage with the opposing side to further dialogue. They joined us to talk about whether science has made religion obsolete, whether the Qur'an is divinely revealed, the Big Bang, the nature of time, and lots more. This was a truly enjoyable discussion with believing Muslims we disagree with, and it will leave both Muslims and atheists with a lot to think about. Check it out.

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/return-of-with-30924321  Firebrand atheist activist David Silverman is the newly appointed Executive Director of Atheist Alliance International and former President of American Atheists. He returned to Secular Jihadists to talk about the allegations that led to his leaving American Atheists (he is currently suing the organization and his accusers for what he believes were false accusations and a wrongful dismissal), how he earned his new position, working with the UN to save the lives of ex-Muslims and others persecuted in oppressive countries, the current state of the movement, his plans for the future, and a really interesting discussion about Falun Gong. Check it out.

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fsarah-haider-ex-30618417  Fresh off her appearance on HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher, the wonderful Sarah Haider returns to the podcast. Sarah is the co-founder and Executive Director of Ex-Muslims of North America, and is now launching her new project, When Rights and Religions Collide—the conference happens Saturday, October 19. Check it out.

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fmost-muslims-are-30348229  Wissam Charafeddine is a former Imam with diplomas from Al-Azhar University and the Hawza in Qum, Iran. He hails from Lebanon and now lives in Dearborn, the city with the largest population of Muslims in the United States. He is the co-founder of Muslimish, a growing organization where questioning Muslims and ex-Muslims can come together for open dialogue as part of a common community. Muslimish is holding its semi-annual conference in Detroit on October 26 about the compatibility of Islam with science, where Ali will be a speaker. We'll talk about what it means to be "Muslimish," and much more. Don't miss this.

Watch the video version of this conversation: https://youtu.be/yZuU6EerE4A  On September 14, a drone and missile attack on Saudi oil facilities cut the kingdom's oil production in half and sent markets spinning. The Trump administration determined that Iran was responsible, with a series of provocations that includes the Islamic Republic shooting down a Navy drone in June. With the recent firing of Iran hawk John Bolton, the cancellation of the Iran Deal, Trump's aversion to intervention, and Iran promising an all-out war if it is attacked, there is confusion about what will happen next. Join Armin and Ali as they unpack all of this.

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/what-israelis-30272512  Corey Gil-Shuster was born in Ottawa, Canada, and has spent 20 years in Israel. He has a graduate degree in Conflict Studies from University of Ottawa and currently works as Director of the International Program in Conflict Resolution and Mediation at Tel Aviv University. Corey has become known for his "Ask an Israeli/Ask a Palestinian" YouTube project, where he interviews people on the ground on both sides. The project is shedding light on how both sides think of the conflict, each other, and a range of other issues. He spoke to us about what he's learned, and some of it will surprise you. Don't miss this.

Watch more conversations (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/SJME  “Zac” (not his real name) joined us from Pakistan to talk about what it’s like on the ground there for the underground LGBT community and the growing (but notoriously secret) ex-Muslim atheist voices. He is also launching The Sinning Skeptics, the very first secular podcast out of Pakistan. This brave young man, who grew up in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, has an incredible story to tell, and you will learn a lot from him, as we did. Don’t miss it.

Watch more conversations (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/SJME    Harris Sultan is one of the only Pakistani atheists who makes his videos in Urdu, and recently hosted debates on religion and Islam with top Pakistani celebrity Hamza Ali Abbasi. He is also the author of "The Curse of God." Recently blocked from Facebook (possibly because of his increasing prominence in Pakistan, where blasphemy is punishable by death), Harris joins the podcast to talk about recent polling in the Muslim world showing the rise of the non-religious, the increasing profile of the non-religious in Pakistan, how things may (or may not) change under the new Prime Minister, Imran Khan, Pakistan's censorship of and crackdown on atheist and secular bloggers in recent years, and much more. Check it out.

Watch more conversations (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/SJME    Seth Andrews is a pioneering legend in atheist activism, a former Christian broadcaster, and one of the most avid supporters of the Ex-Muslim movement. He joins us on Secular Jihadists as we talk about political fracturing within the atheist movement, problems with our fellow leftist liberals, free speech, cancel culture, "milkshaking," the damage Trumpism has done to the ex-Muslim movement, US politics, and lots more. For those of you feeling caught between left-wing hypocrisy and right-wing bigotry, this is a must-listen episode. Don't miss it!

Watch more conversations (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/SJME   As a youth, Leon Korteweg joined a neo-Nazi group in the Netherlands, dabbled in Holocaust denial, resisted what he thought was the replacement of the white race with immigrants, and dreamed about an ethnostate. Today, he speaks out against nationalist and religious tribalism in all its forms, and warns about the dangers of radicalization. We talk about the factors that led him to be a white nationalist, the factors that helped him abandon the ideology, the parallels between white supremacist terrorism and Islamic terrorism, the recent rise of far right authoritarian populism, the left's failures in understanding and countering this problem, the differences between far-right and far-left violence, the El Paso and Dayton shootings, Christchurch, incels, and the most effective approaches to counter the threat of radicalization among (mostly) young men. This is an eye-opening conversation that couldn't be more important or relevant in these t