Maajid Nawaz
Maajid Nawaz
Maajid Usman Nawazis a British activist, author, columnist and politician. He was the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for London's Hampstead and Kilburn constituency in the 2015 general election. He is also the founding chairman of Quilliam, a counter-extremism think tank that seeks to challenge the narratives of Islamist extremists...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionActivist
extremism fact groups minority muslim problem serious within
The fact is that there is a serious problem of extremism with minority groups within Muslim communities.
bigoted demands dominate extremism groups increase intolerant seeking society
Non-violent extremism is essentially the increase of intolerant and bigoted demands made by groups seeking to dominate society.
groups theocracy form
I'm yet to discover any form of theocracy that isn't homophobic, that isn't bigoted to the out group.
appeal attention competing failure grasp narratives
There has been a failure to grasp how competing narratives fight for the attention of angry young Muslims, and we have grossly underestimated the appeal of the jihadist brand.
cannot extremism hope online
We cannot hope to effectively counter extremism if we just focus on schools, universities and prisons: we need to take this online as well.
conveying defend forced inherently oneself
To be forced to defend oneself is an inherently undesirable position to be in. The focus shifts from ideas to the person conveying them.
incident sounds suggest
To suggest that a Muslim cannot think for himself sounds to me very much like an incident of anti-Muslim bigotry.
acquainted against liberals pitfalls
Being veterans of the struggle to push back against fundamentalist Christians, American liberals are well acquainted with the pitfalls of the neoconservative flirtation with the religious-right.
banks civil contrary cover expect faces identify islam nor rest teachings women
Yes, women should be free to cover their faces when walking down the street. But in our schools, hospitals, airports, banks and civil institutions, it is not unreasonable - nor contrary to the teachings of Islam - to expect women to show the one thing that allows the rest of us to identify them... namely, their face.
expressing
Expressing myself through language was always something that I had had to learn to do more so than others.
broader concerns treated
Broader social concerns within Muslim communities, such as discrimination, integration or socio-economic disadvantages, should be treated distinctively and not as part of counterterrorism agenda, which has been counter-productive.
anymore close dear family fell immediate marriage members simply talking
There are members - very, very close and dear members - of my family - I'm talking immediate family - who simply don't speak to me anymore and haven't done so for years. My marriage fell apart.
counter discussion extremist founded ideology movement tries
I have founded Khudi, in Pakistan, a youth movement which tries to counter extremist ideology through healthy discussion and debate.
arabic faith product proud speaks
My identity comprises of more than just my faith. I am a proud Muslim, but I am also a liberal, a Briton, a Pakistani, a Londoner, a father, a product of the globalised world who speaks English, Arabic and Urdu.