What is Reddit's opinion of Radical: My Journey Out Of Islamist Extremism?

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BTW, I strongly recommend you check out the book Radical by Maajid Nawaz.. I think you will appreciate it.

He was a British Muslim, raised in a moderate Islamic family. He was well educated and had a promising career ahead of him. In spite of that, he drifted towards radicalism and became a recruiter for the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir. He travelled to Pakistan, Denmark and Egypt, recruiting others to the islamist cause, before being imprisoned in Egypt for his activities.

While in egyptian prison, he came to the conclusion that Islamism was the wrong way, and after being released with the assistance of Amnesty International, is now a campaigner for what he calls Secular Islam.

He is still a devout Muslim, but he now campaigns against Islamism, and for tolerance and acceptance on both sides.

The book is not perfect, but it is well written and I know I came away with a deeper understanding of the issues involved. I have a much better understanding now of the difference between Islam and Islamism and of why we need to fight the latter while being accepting of the former.

I agree. I do believe that the world would be better off without religion, but I do not believe that is a change that can happen by force. You cannot destroy a religion by force in a free society. Doing so will only create martyrs and zealots.

I do pretty strongly recommend the book above. In particular I'd suggest the audiobook. It was recorded a month after the regular book was released, so it has about an extra hour of extra material where they respond to questions and criticisms.

Nawaz' book Radical is also highly recommended. The writing is not perfect, but it is eye opening to how a well-off, well-educated British Muslim from a liberal family can end up recruiting for Islamist organizations in Pakistan and Egypt. I definitely came away with a much deeper understanding of the issue after listening to it.

If you're interested in the experience of "home-grown" Western radicals, check out Maajid Nawaz's book <em>Radical</em>.

The experience he describes is very similar to the one /u/EvilTuxedo described just here. Nawaz had some pretty vicious experiences of racism and xenophobia in his young life as a second-generation immigrant in the UK, and says that Islamism provided a comprehensive explanation of (A) who We are, (B) how this was done to Us, and by whom, (C) why We have every right to fight back tooth and nail, and (D) how We're going to do that.

Radical is a good book about this very topic. It's a bit scholarly at some parts, but it definitely answers all of your questions. http://www.amazon.com/Radical-Journey-out-Islamist-Extremism/dp/0762791365

His name is Maajid Nawaz and he is a political activist right now. I don't know how to go about contacting him, but if anyone would do this, he'd be a good bet.

Nawaz literally joined a terrorist organization.

Ilhan Omar had the unfortunate experience of questioning Israel's funding of American politics...AND criticizing Saudi Arabia... AND the war in Yemen?!

https://twitter.com/ilhanmn/status/1052046943369789440

https://twitter.com/ilhanmn/status/1105516039859826688

How dare she?!

What, an article detailing moderatism reducing religious extremism? Maajid Nawaz is a good example,his book explains it in very extensive detail, or here.

As of "People can do evil shit while thinking they're being good", what does that have to do with anything we're discussing? Yes, people cause harm for religious, political, moral or social reasons while thinking they're doing good. That doesn't mean all political ideologies are harmful. Why would it mean the same of religion?

<em>Radical</em> is a book by a muslim man who was beaten by neo-Nazis and later jailed as a political prisoner in Egypt. Really interesting life and perspective.

I'm a strong atheist who thinks the world would be far better off if we got rid of all religion, but I wholeheartedly oppose banning any religion.

Banning the religion only makes its followers outlaws. Most Muslims do not support Islamism today, but if you banned it, that number would skyrocket.

For those who don't necessarily understand the difference, Islamists are Muslims who want a Muslim state. Isis is the most prominent such group, but they are not the only one. Not all Islamists necessarily are violent, but they all are radical.

To answer your question... I don't know. Personally, I am a free speech advocate, so I genuinely don't believe that banning islamism is the answer. I think banning ideas will fail. I think it takes education and tolerance.

That doesn't mean don't be critical of Islam, but we need to avoid lumping everyone in together.

If you haven't read it, I recommend Maajid Nawaz excellent book Radical. He doesn't offer any magic bullet solutions, but reading his story helps you understand how a well off kid raised in a liberal Muslim household can end up a Islamist, and how we can change the dialogue to discourage it in the future.

He also did a short book with Sam Harris, Islam and the Future of Tolerance that goes into more detail on his views. Both books are very good.

http://www.amazon.com/Radical-Journey-Out-Islamist-Extremism/dp/0762791365

This is a great insight to it