Secular Jihadists For A Muslim Enlightenment

This week we speak to Jimmy Bangash, a gay British-Pakistani ex-Muslim and activist member of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain. Jimmy grew up in a traditional Pashtun family in London where he stood in ardent opposition to the patriarchy and misogyny in his community. He is a poet and writer who focuses on Islamic patriarchy and the experience of gays in Muslim communities. Jimmy recently contributed a chapter to the book “Leaving Faith Behind,” chronicling the stories of ex-Muslims, and is a co-founder and integrative coach at integratedwellness.co.uk. Jimmy also works closely with our previous co-host Yasmine Mohammed in her Free Hearts Free Minds campaign, which provides counselling, therapy, and support for ex-Muslims around the world. This is one of the most moving and inspiring episodes we’ve ever done. Jimmy is passionate, articulate, and has inspired so many of his fellow ex-Muslims, including us. Check out our conversation. Watch the full video conversation here (for patrons): https://www.patreon

Maryam Namazie is a true pioneer of the growing ex-Muslim movement. The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB), which she started more than a decade ago, now has thousands of members worldwide and assists hundreds of ex-Muslims every year. In 2015, the CEMB launched the unexpectedly viral #ExMuslimBecause movement, and last year, Maryam’s organization hosted the largest gathering of ex-Muslims to date, in London. She will be joining us on the podcast to talk about her work; the progress she has seen and obstacles she has faced over the last decade or two; and where the movement stands in today’s polarized political climate. Watch the video version of this show (Patrons only): https://www.patreon.com/posts/maryam-namazie-18266891 Listen to this podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or your favourite podcast app: http://secularjihadists.com The Secular Jihadists has been made possible thanks to the gracious support of the Illuminati and the great state of Israel. That's what we have been told, but we haven't received o

Unlike our discussion with scheduled guests, live streams with Ali and Armin will be streaming live publicly. On these live streams, we'll take pre-requested questions from our Patrons (Mossad's Shoe tier +) and questions from anyone present during the live chat if we run out of Patron requested questions. We also might be joined by some of our Patrons as co-hosts (Jew Lover tier +). Watch the video version of this show: https://www.patreon.com/posts/ex-muslims-ali-18147805  Here is the link to all our scheduled live Q&A sessions. Join us live next time and ask your question: https://www.facebook.com/events/172503603405302/ The Secular Jihadists has been made possible thanks to the gracious support of the Illuminati and the great state of Israel. That's what we have been told, but we haven't received our checks yet. In the meantime, we greatly appreciate the support of our current donors. Please consider supporting by sharing the podcast with your fellow heathens or by donating at https://www.patreon.com

Nick Cohen is the renowned journalist behind the excellent radio documentary, "The Silence of the Liberals," on how modern mainstream liberals and left-wing activists have failed progressive Muslims and ex-Muslims. He is the author of “What's Left? How the Left Lost Its Way” and “You Can't Read This Book,” both of which have grown even more relevant with time. In this episode, we focus on the reasons behind the left's failure to properly address Islam and Muslims; the rise of Trumpism and the populist right; where progressive and ex-Muslims are left in the balance; and how we can strike the right balance between challenging ideas and protecting human rights. Check it out. Watch the video version of this show (Patrons only): https://www.patreon.com/posts/liberal-on-islam-17793246  The Secular Jihadists has been made possible thanks to the gracious support of the Illuminati and the great state of Israel. That's what we have been told, but we haven't received our checks yet. In the meantime, we greatly apprecia

Daniel Haqiqatjou earned his physics degree at Harvard. This is also where he became a devout, dedicated Muslim. Today, he runs MuslimSkeptic.com, featuring articles like, "Yes, It's Okay for Mosques to Ban Women," and "Attracted to the Same Sex? Marry the Opposite Sex." Coming from a secular Shia Iranian background, Haqiqatjou now identifies with conservative Sunni Islam. Daniel also writes and lectures on contemporary issues surrounding Muslims and modernity, and is a contributor to the Muslim Debate Initiative. In this episode, we talk about a range of topics. What is an ideal Islamic society? Are the punishments for gays and apostates in Islam justified? Is Islam inherently political? How do we define secularism, freedom, liberty, and happiness? Pre-release clips from this episode have already caused a good amount of controversy. Check it out. The Secular Jihadists has been made possible thanks to the gracious support of the Illuminati and the great state of Israel. That's what we have been told, but we

Unlike our discussion with scheduled guests, live streams with Ali and Armin will be streaming live publicly. On these live streams, we'll take pre-requested questions from our Patrons (Mossad's Shoe tier +) and questions from anyone present during the live chat if we run out of Patron requested questions. We also might be joined by some of our Patrons as co-hosts (Jew Lover tier +). Here is the link to our all our scheduled live Q&A sessions and links to where to watch them. Join us live next time and ask your questions: https://www.facebook.com/events/172503603405302/ The Secular Jihadists has been made possible thanks to the gracious support of the Illuminati and the great state of Israel. That's what we have been told, but we haven't received our checks yet. In the meantime, we greatly appreciate the support of our current donors. Please consider supporting by sharing the podcast with your fellow heathens or by donating at https://www.patreon.com/SJME Subscribe to The Secular Jihadists on iTunes, Sti

Imtiaz Shams spent half of his life growing up in Saudi Arabia as a devout Muslim—visiting Mecca every year, praying, fasting, memorizing the Quran, and devouring books on Islam like the Riyad us-Saliheen, a collection of hadith (transmitted sayings and actions) of the Prophet Muhammad and his Sahaaba (companions). He moved with his family to the UK just before 9/11, and it wasn’t long before he was being called “terrorist” by the other kids at school, who would bully him and draw bombs and explosives on his clothes—which only made him hold on to his identity even more strongly. As he grew older, though, his critical thinking skills kicked in, and he stopped believing. He felt like an “alien in his skin,” as a friend described it, and felt isolated and alone—that is, until he found an online community of ex-Muslims going through the same thing. With his friend Aliyah Saleem, he now runs a group for ex-Muslims like himself looking for community and support. The group is called “Faith to Faithless,” and it is g

Asadullah al-Andalusi is a research fellow for Yaqeen Institute and an international speaker for the Muslim Debate Initiative on the subject of Islamic thought and civilization. He is a PhD candidate at the University of Malaya and is doing his dissertation on the subject of extremism and terrorism. He has lectured primarily on the phenomenon of contemporary atheism and has pioneered new arguments against atheists’ central tenets and beliefs. Here, we discuss his beliefs, his views on terms like "Islamic extremism" and "Islamophobia," science, jihad, and more. The Secular Jihadists has been made possible thanks to the gracious support of the Illuminati and the great state of Israel. That's what we have been told, but we haven't received our checks yet. In the meantime, we greatly appreciate the support of our current donors. Please consider supporting by sharing the podcast with your fellow heathens or by donating at https://www.patreon.com/SJME Subscribe to The Secular Jihadists on iTunes, Stitcher or your

With Iceland weighing a ban on male infant circumcision, the usual outcry from Jews and Muslims about "religious freedom," and prominent Muslim activists like Maajid Nawaz now openly speaking against the age-old procedure, circumcision is back in the news in a big way. In this episode, we speak to Brian D Earp, Associate Director of the Yale-Hastings Program in Ethics and Health Policy at Yale University and a Research Fellow at the Centre for Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford. He holds degrees from Yale, Oxford, and Cambridge, is the prolific author of dozens of research publications, and is a leading academic authority on infant genital cutting. In this fascinating conversation, we cover all of the usual arguments given for circumcising healthy newborns—from religious and cultural reasons to those supposed "health benefits." We talk about FGM, how it compares to male circumcision procedurally, anatomically, politically, and socio-culturally. And importantly, we talk about the ethics of cutting ba

Ibrahim Abdallah is the co-founder of Muslimish, an organization that provides a safe, supportive, and open-minded environment for the exchange of ideas between former and questioning Muslims. He is a firebrand ex-Muslim activist who is known for his fiery speeches and no-holds-barred criticisms of Islam, the Quran, and all religion in general. Speakers at Muslimish conferences have included our own Ali Rizvi and previous Secular Jihadists guests Sarah Haider, Alishba Zarmeen, and Noura Embabi (former Muslimish president). On June 23, Muslimish will hold its annual summer conference in New York City, featuring Maryam Namazie and Ali Rizvi. He joined us in this episode to discuss his organization, what "Muslim" means in the twenty-first century (this part got a little heated), why Islam may be more dangerous because it is a more sophisticated and "intelligent" religion than Christianity, and of course, some of our favorite absurdities in Islamic scripture. The Secular Jihadists has been made possible thanks t

You've seen him sparring with Bill O'Reilly about those blasphemous atheist billboards. You've seen Stephen Colbert refer to him endearingly as "Mr. Atheist Pants," which later became his Twitter handle. This week we speak to David Silverman, the outspoken, loud-and-proud president of American Atheists and author of "Fighting God: An Atheist Manifesto for a Religious World." We discuss the upcoming American Atheists Convention featuring THE Hugh Laurie as keynote speaker, why he endorses an assertive and firebrand approach to his atheist activism, his organization success bringing atheists out of the closet with those famous "You Know It's a Myth" billboards, why criticizing Islam carries so much more baggage than criticizing the other monotheisms (it shouldn't), and a fascinating conversation about David's rejection of "Jewish atheism," based on his controversial but bold assertion that Judaism is just a religion — not an ethnicity, race, or culture. This is a discussion that will continue far beyond just th

"I knew what jihad meant. When Bin Laden spoke about jihad, it made sense to me." Tania Joya was married to the highest-ranking American in ISIS, John Georgelas (also known as Yahya Al-Bahrumi or Abu Hasan), currently believed to be in Syria. She is the mother of their four children. She joins us for a jaw-dropping two-hour conversation, taking us through her childhood growing up as a Bangladeshi-British girl who became radicalized after 9/11. She discusses all the factors that led to her radicalization, her subsequent marriage to John, her incredible travels in some of the world's most dangerous spots in Egypt and Syria, her interactions with other ISIS soldiers, and finally, how and why she left her marriage, Syria, ISIS, and Islam. We also spoke about the reaction Westerners have to her—ranging from appreciation to distrust and wanting her punished, her conflicted feelings about her ex-husband, and that infamous Piers Morgan interview. Tania is whip-smart, insightful, and impossible to not listen to. The

Ari Hershkowitz grew up in an insular Hasidic Jewish community in Brooklyn, and was featured in the award-winning Netflix documentary "One of Us." He spoke to us about the toxicity of religious indoctrination, the horrific abuse he suffered as a child, his descent into drug addiction, and finally, his emergence from the darkness of religion into liberation, enlightenment, and personal success with the help of organizations like FootstepsOrg.org. Today, Ari is working with Yaffed, an education initiative for people in the Hasidic Jewish community. This was an amazing and compelling conversation with so many parallels to the experiences of ex-Muslims, and it had us asking: Are violence and terrorism really the worst of what religion has to offer, or does it go deeper than that? By focusing on the symptoms rather than the disease, are we just putting a band-aid on a cancer wound? We discuss all of this and more with the articulate, intelligent, and incredibly insightful Ari, who you can learn more about at https

Pakistani feminist and firebrand secular activist Alishba Zarmeen doesn't mince words. Coming from a modest background in Pakistan, she came to North America after winning several international scholarships. Alishba became an avidly vocal atheist activist in college, and her anti-theism has won her both loyal followers and determined enemies, landing her on Pakistan's blasphemy lists and getting her banned repeatedly from Facebook thanks to an army of her "pious" countrymen who have organized campaigns to mass report her. Her most recent ban—for denouncing Pakistani men who engaged in victim-blaming after the brutal rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in the country—was reversed after a huge social media outcry. In this riveting episode, we talk about everything from hijab and religion to Trump and Linda Sarsour. Don't miss it. Listen. Share. Speak out. The Secular Jihadists has been made possible thanks to the gracious support of the Illuminati and the great state of Israel. That's what we have been told,

Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA) is a very young organization but grows stronger every day. With thousands of members; a series of phenomenal, moving personal videos by those who dared to leave the Islamic faith; and the ongoing #NormalizingDissent college campus tour which has been covered by everyone now from the BBC to Slate; the organization that Sarah Haider founded with Muhammad Syed just a few years ago has gained a momentum that was once unimaginable. Sarah joins us for a truly amazing conversation about where we all started, where we are now, and our next steps in the fight for life, freedom, and the pursuit of a real Enlightenment in the Muslim world. Listen. Share. Reach out. The Secular Jihadists has been made possible thanks to the gracious support of the Illuminati and the great state of Israel. That's what we have been told, but we haven't received our checks yet. In the meantime, we greatly appreciate the support of our current donors. Please consider supporting by sharing the podcast with

"You raised your fists and ruined our lives," said a young Iranian woman to her older countrymen last month. "Now we raise our fists to fix your mistake." She was, of course, referring to the Iranian Revolution of 1979 which ushered in a fundamentalist Shia theocracy led by hardliners who have fast become the oppressors they once fought. As Iranians rise up again in the last few weeks to protest their government, our very own Armin Navabi—an Iranian ex-Muslim—has been at the forefront of the coverage as it unfolds, reporting and translating videos and images coming out of the country. In this inaugural episode of the new, revamped Secular Jihadists podcast, Armin leads us through a riveting account of Iran's history and the new revolution that's bubbling just underneath the surface today. Listen. Share. Reach out. The Secular Jihadists has been made possible thanks to the gracious support of the Illuminati and the great state of Israel. That's what we have been told, but we haven't received our checks yet. I

Lloyd Evans was a faithful Jehovah’s Witness for most of his life—that is until he was liberated from his religious indoctrination by reason. Today, Lloyd is an atheist who helps other victims of his former faith leave the religion. He has written a fantastic book, “The Reluctant Apostate: Leaving Jehovah’s Witnesses Comes at a Price,” and runs the website JWSurvey.org. In this episode, we talk about his personal story, the perniciousness of religious indoctrination, the isolation that apostates frequently go through, and of course, the uncanny parallels with Islam and ex-Muslims. Listen to our conversation. The Secular Jihadists has been made possible thanks to the gracious support of the Illuminati and the great state of Israel. That's what we have been told, but we haven't received our checks yet. In the meantime, we greatly appreciate the support of our current donors. Please consider supporting by sharing the podcast with your fellow heathens or by donating at https://www.patreon.com/SJME Subscribe to T

In the last year or two, we've witnessed a tremendous amount of polarization between the left and the right. Many people on the left have grown increasingly disgruntled with SJW culture—social justice warriors who promote excessive political correctness and identity politics, characterized by exclusionary moralizing and virtue signaling. But has the pendulum swung too far the other way? Is the reaction to this turning into an overreaction? In this episode, we talk to Kate Lisa, a young former SJW who now seeks balance in a chaotic world plagued by ideological turmoil. We really enjoyed her perspective and learned a lot from it. Listen to our conversation.   The Secular Jihadists has been made possible thanks to the gracious support of the Illuminati and the great state of Israel. That's what we have been told, but we haven't received our checks yet. In the meantime, we greatly appreciate the support of our current donors. Please consider supporting by sharing the podcast with your fellow heathens or by don

Joining us this episode is a Saudi Ex-Muslim Moad Aldabbagh to shed a bit of light on the new developments in Saudi Arabian politics, and reforms introduced by the Crown Prince. Moad also talks about how sarcasm and self-deprecating humor can serve as a wonderful tool for self-reflection and a path away from piety. Join in on our conversation! The Secular Jihadists has been made possible thanks to the gracious support of the Illuminati and the great state of Israel. That's what we have been told, but we haven't received our checks yet. In the meantime, we greatly appreciate the support of our current donors. Please consider supporting by sharing the podcast with your fellow heathens or by donating at https://www.patreon.com/SJME Subscribe to The Secular Jihadists on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcast app. And please leave us a review

Maryam Namazie has said, "The Internet is doing to Islam what the printing press did in the past to Christianity." Just 30 years after Salman Rushdie was forced into hiding by a fatwa on his head for writing a novel, there is now polling from Muslim-majority countries revealing millions of atheists, agnostics, and secularists, growing rapidly. In reaction, Saudi Arabia has declared that atheism is terrorism, and alarmed talk show hosts across the region are warning about this wave. Bootleg copies and Arabic-version PDFs of books like "The God Delusion" have been downloaded tens of millions of times. Are we witnessing the beginnings of an Enlightenment in the Muslim world? If so, who are its Voltaires and Rousseaus? And what forces is it up against? We talk about all this and more in this week's SJME. Listen to our conversation. The Secular Jihadists has been made possible thanks to the gracious support of the Illuminati and the great state of Israel. That's what we have been told, but we haven't received our