070 - Talking About Islam Without Being a Bigot with Eiynah

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In this episode I speak with Eiynah about the challenges of speaking about Islam and Muslims in our current political climate. We recorded this conversation on Wednesday evening, March 20, just five days after the horrific terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, that claimed the lives of 50 people.
How can we talk about Islam and Muslims without being a bigot? On the one hand, individuals absolutely have the right to challenge and criticize and type of ideology or belief, including Islam, especially in open, democratic societies. On the other hand, we cannot separate our criticism of religion from the social and political context in which we make those critiques. Timing and tone do matter. While all critiques may be permitted, not all comments are advisable at every moment if we care about the lives of those who are most effected.
Ideology has consequences, as we have seen with acts of terror that run the ideological spectrum from Nazism, to white nationalism and identitarianism (such as the ideology that animated the Christchurch, New Zealand terrorist), to Islamism and more. Islam is not a single thing or a unified way of seeing the world any more than Christianity is.
Eiynah is an ex-Muslim of Pakistani background who was raised in Saudi Arabia and now lives in Toronto, Canada. She is a prolific podcaster, blogger, and commentator at the intersection religion, politics, and human rights.
LINKS
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Polite Conversations podcast | https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/polite-conversations/id1086199663?mt=2
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