Point of Inquiry: Islam needs to be vigorously criticized

[mralstoner]

Faisal Saeed Al Mutar is an Iraqi refugee, and founder of the Global Secular Humanist Movement.

Skip to 15 mins if you just want to hear about Islam, Ben Affleck and so on.

Faisal has a clear-eyed view of Islam. He says the doctrine/ideology of Islam is the problem (jihad, martyrdom, the violent example of Mohammed) and must be reformed somehow. Moderate Islam (denial and ignoring the violent verses) will not solve the problem.

Killing ISIS will not make the ideology go away, it will just reappear in some other group. Rather, this is ideological warfare.

Faisal makes the important point (that Ben Affleck can't see) that criticising the doctrine of Islam is not the same as criticising all Muslims.

Surviving Saddam and Confronting Islam, with Faisal Saeed Al Mutar
http://www.pointofinquiry.org/surviving_..._al_mutar/

As the threat posed by radical Islamists like those of ISIS grows in popular awareness, Islam itself becomes more of a target for criticism; some of it fair, and some of it based in ignorance or bigotry. Can efforts to defend Islam and Muslims from discrimination and racism go too far, and keep us from having an honest discussion about something of such critical importance?

This week, Point of Inquiry welcomes Faisal Saeed Al Mutar, an Iraqi refugee turned activist, and founder of the Global Secular Humanist Movement. Al Mutar talks about growing up in Iraq under the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, and his belief that Islam needs to be more vigorously criticized, and that its adherents must be held to a higher moral standard.