An excellent book from one of the most important voices in the muslim world. Today extract, above, a self declared former radical, and maajid nawaz who. His organization was featured briefly in this space two years ago, when tommy robinson and kevin carroll left the edl and teamed up with quilliam just before tommys trial see these three. The book has been subsequently adapted into a documentary film of the same title. Oct 07, 2019 in april 2006, nawaz told sarah montague on bbcs hardtalk that his detention in egypt had convinced him even more that there is a need to establish this caliphate as soon as possible. Lesley stahl, 60 minutes maajid nawazs radical is fascinating, and essential if you want to understand in a visceral way why some young muslims embrace extremist ideology. Despite his outward facade of secularism and liberalism, nawaz is in fact a deeply devout sunni muslim s. He spent four years inside egyptian prisons for his political beliefs. In april 2006, nawaz told sarah montague on bbc hardtalk that his.
Nawaz claimed in his book that he and his fellow htaffiliated. The daily mail recently raised a furore over maajid nawaz cofounder and chair of the quilliam foundation, and libdem parliamentary candidate session at a strip club, revealing footage in which he appeared to be repeatedly attempting to molest a dancer. Up until then the book was a little bit dry, but after that it maintained my interest to the end. Its very very easy for me to slander you to pieces in my book, thus ruin not just your personal but professional standing if you think im being harsh now, thank your islamist god that im not speaking against you in public, because trust me, if i was half as ignorant and idiotic as you, i could. Jul 05, 2012 an excellent book from one of the most important voices in the muslim world. A dialogue is a 2015 book collaboration between american author sam harris and british activist maajid nawaz. Nawazs book is very much a companion piece to ed husains the islamist which was published in 2007, in that it is a muchneeded insiders account of islamic extremism and, as such, it merits the. In ed husains book much like maajid nawazs tome radical released. But after four years in prison, he decided to leave the group. Maajid argued for and notably, ayaan hirsi ali argued against. Immediately after robinsons salvation was declared, nawaz issued. Im a teacher and im on my summer holidays as i write this.
Maajid nawaz bases his credibility on a compelling life story, but how much of it is true. The roots of violent islamist extremism and efforts to counter it. He served four years in an egyptian prison as an amnesty international prisoner of conscience, until he became deradicalised and. He is finishing a documentary based on his book with harris, but foremost on nawazs mind these days is the 2017 opening of the first new chapter. One of the first things im going to do when i get back to work is to ensure the school library stocks a copy of maajid nawazs radical. A british muslim reveals a harrowing tale of violence, imprisonment and torture. Dave rubin of the rubin report talks to maajid nawaz author and activist about his new book with sam harris, islam and the future. How british intelligence primed both sides of the terror. Maajid nawaz subtly reveals much in his seemingly effortlessly titled, radical.
Sara khan and maajid nawaz faux indignation and feminist. Apr 24, 2015 whilst sara khan and sarah ditum posited the hypocrisy of maajid nawaz being a feminist and patron of strip clubs, there is further hypocrisy in the fact that many muslim feminists including sara khan deem it perfectly acceptable to excommunicate others who identify as feminists, yet complain of intolerance when they hear. He is a british citizen who was imprisoned in egypt for belonging to a banned political party. I first met maajid nawaz along with his colleague ed husain in october 2009 when i attended the quilliam fringe event at the conservative party conference in manchester. In a world riven by misunderstanding and violence, harris and nawaz demonstrate how two people with very different views can find common ground.
At age 16, maajid nawaz joined the islamist group hizb uttahrir. The tenyear search for bin laden from 911 to abbottabad. The british activist who went from radical islam to staunch. Essexraised maajid nawaz tells edinburgh international book festival of his transformation from radical to rights activist charlotte higgins, chief arts writer sun 12 aug 2012 11. In nawaz s book, radical, he claims he had rejected hts islamist ideology while in prison in egypt, yet he told sarah montague on bbc hardtalk that his detention in egypt had convinced him even more that there is a need to establish this caliphate as soon as possible. Maajids story is a fascinating one in that he got involved, as a young man, in radical islam and then ended up in prison in egypt for his views, then, subsequently, had a conversion and rejected political islam, although he remains a muslim, and now campaigns. In april 2006, nawaz told sarah montague on bbcs hardtalk that his detention in egypt had convinced him even more that there is a need to establish this caliphate as soon as possible. Can the religion be reformed to coexist in a modern world. In this short book, harris and nawaz discuss the nature of islam. Reformed islamist extremist spreads virtues of democracy. At 16, he was already a ranking member in hizb uttahrir, a londonbased islamist group. Radical came alive for me around halfway through when maajid is sent to prison in egypt. In october 2006, nawaz delivered a fiery sermon at the annual alquds rally, a global, islamicoriented demonstration of solidarity with palestinians. In his book, the system of islam, which is studied by all hizb uttahrir.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a top recruiter, a charismatic spokesman for the. The book is in dialogue format, and features an exchange between harris, an atheist and a critic of religion, and nawaz. Thanks in part to the help of douglas murray, ayaan hirsi ali, sam harris, prime minister david cameron and others, maajid nawaz has acquired an undeserved reputation as a secular liberal. This autobiography vividly takes us into his life, from childhood to today. He is the founding chairman of quilliam, a counterextremism think tank that seeks to challenge the narratives of islamist extremists, and the host of a radio show on lbc, every saturday and sunday born in southendonsea, essex to a british pakistani family, nawaz is a. The 1st time i saw him was on a debate islam is a religion of peace intelligence squared u. Oct 21, 2009 maajid nawaz it is inverse racism to reject the governments counterextremism strategy on islamism, but embrace it on the white far right wed 21 oct 2009 06. Maajid nawaz, as we all know, served time for his work with the designated terrorist organisation hizb uttahrir, which is so extreme that it is banned in many countries. The british activist who went from radical islam to.
As a selfprofessed feminist, many eyebrows were raised at nawaz hypocrisy for degrading women in. When one of them is sam harris and the other is maajid nawaz, the answer is a book published by harvard university press. Abandoning his love of hip hop music, graffiti and girls, he was recruited into hizb uttahrir the liberation party where he played a leading and international role in the shaping and dissemination of an aggressive antiwest narrative. He is the founding chairman of quilliam, a counterextremism think tank that seeks to challenge the narratives of islamist extremists, and the host of a radio show on lbc, every saturday and sunday. He now works to prevent others from choosing such a dangerous path and his is a voice i urge you to hear. Maajid was exactly the opposite of what hed described in his book. Prevent double standards maajid nawaz opinion the guardian. My journey out of islamist extremism by maajid nawaz. It is a compelling read, as well as giving insights into the mind of a radical. Hardtalk can be seen on bbc world at 0830 gmt 1530 gmt 1830 gmt 2330 gmt it can also be seen on bbc news 24 at 0430 and 2330.
Maajids autobiographical account of his life story radical has been released in the uk and us. He didnt decide to renounce ht until after his release. So,when he sat down with maajid nawaz and coauthored islam and the future of tolerance, those familiar with his work had good reason to be skeptical that there would be much tolerance in the book since his other books have been particularly intolerant. After four years in prison in egypt, he decided to leave it. The roots of violent islamist extremism and efforts to. Aug 12, 2012 essexraised maajid nawaz tells edinburgh international book festival of his transformation from radical to rights activist charlotte higgins, chief arts writer sun 12 aug 2012 11. My journey from islamist extremism to a democratic awakening by maajid nawaz virgin books. My journey from islamist extremism to a democratic. A dialogue is a transcript of a conversation held between us new atheist, sam harris, and maajid nawaz, a british muslim reformer who runs the counterextremist quilliam foundation. On the new book, islam and the future of tolerance, cowritten by sam harris and maajid nawaz. How orwells animal farm led a radical muslim to moderation when maajid nawaz was 16 he joined a radical islamist group. Oct 02, 2015 dave rubin of the rubin report talks to maajid nawaz author and activist about his new book with sam harris, islam and the future of tolerance, the regressive left, political correctness. Maajids work is informed by years spent in his youth as a leadership member of a global. Hizb altahrir is an international movement that campaigns for the reestablishment of the caliphate in muslim lands.
From then on, nawaz, who was now on hts executive committee, participated in dozens of talks and interviews in which he vehemently promoted the hizb. A dialogue by sam harris and maajid nawaz islam and the future of tolerance. The british activist who went from radical islam to staunch israel ally maajid nawaz spent 5 years in an egyptian prison for espousing extremism. The very evening i was about to order his autobiography from. Maajid nawazs radical is fascinating, and essential if you want to understand in a visceral way why some young muslims embrace extremist ideology. Nov 24, 2009 maajid nawaz is a british citizen of pakistani descent who became involved in his youth with the radical islamic liberation party hizb altahrir alislami, undertaking missions for the party in pakistan and egypt. In april 2002 nawaz was detained by the egyptian authorities. An insightful account of one mans drastic evolution from religious fervor to enlightened peace. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Maajid nawaz spent his teenage years listening to american hiphop and learning about the radical islamist movement spreading throughout europe and asia in the 1980s and 90s. Discover book depositorys huge selection of maajid nawaz books online. Its a coming of age story for our post911 world that is pacy, well written and thoughtful. Aug 18, 2012 maajid nawaz is the chairman and cofounder of quilliam.
My journey from islamist extremism to a democratic awakening by nawaz, maajid isbn. In april 2006, nawaz told sarah montague on bbc hardtalk that his detention in egypt had convinced him even more that there is a need to establish this caliphate as soon as possible. Pdf this book examines the circulation and effects of radical discourse by. Maajid nawaz is the chairman and cofounder of quilliam.
Mar 28, 2017 maajid nawaz near russell square in london. The system of islam book by founder of hizb uttahrir, alnabhani in. Islam and the future of tolerance has been published with the explicit goal of inspiring a wider public discussion by way of example. Maajid nawaz centre with ian nesbit and reza pankhurst were jailed in egypt.
Oct 06, 2015 islam and the future of tolerance has been published with the explicit goal of inspiring a wider public discussion by way of example. Senate, committee on homeland security and governmental affairs, washington, dc. Maajid, apparently, was a political prisoner in egypt for promoting the establishment of a. Maajid nawaz is the cofounder and executive director of quilliam and founder of khudi. Stealth jihadist exposed maajid nawaz is a prominent moderate or secular muslim and the founder of the quilliam foundation in britain. Islam and the future of tolerance is a dialogue between sam harris and maajid nawaz. Nawaz went from being a hiphop loving youngster to a radical islamist before finally renouncing extremism. One of the first things im going to do when i get back to work is to ensure the school library stocks a copy of maajid nawazs radical nawazs book is very much a companion piece to ed husains the islamist. In that bbc hardtalk interview with sarah montague, worth. Meeting racism headon as a teenager in southend in essex, southeast england, in the early 1990s meant that nawaz, whose family was from pakistan, had to fight off british thugs and began to identify with the shock value of american hiphop music. I gained even more respect for maajid nawaz after this book. In under pages, these two men discuss these subjects and more. Yesterday, the proiran, prohizbollah, shiaislamist head of ihrc masoud shadjareh called quilliam founder maajid nawaz a hate preacher on live tv. Founded as the quilliam foundation, it says it lobbies government and public institutions for more nuanced policies regarding islam and on the need.
Maajid is a fellow of the royal society of arts, an honorary associate of the national secular society and has been listed as one of the most influential people in the uk sunday times debretts 500 index. Maajid nawaz is a completely different guy than harris. In april 2006, nawaz told sarah montague on bbcs hardtalk that his. Richard seymour is the author of several books, including corbyn. The word radical, though often used in modern english to mean extreme, actually derives its meaning from the latin word radix, meaning, root. Sarah montague talks to maajid nawaz, one of the jailed men. He is the founding chairman of quilliam, a counterextremism think tank that seeks to challenge the narratives of islamist extremists, and the host of a radio show on lbc, every saturday and sunday born in southendonsea, essex to a british pakistani family.