The great debate over Islam
This deliberate distancing from the West, while living within its boundaries, gives rise to an understandable degree of hostility. –Photo by Reuters
Although I get my share of spam in my inbox, I often receive very interesting and useful links as well. One took me to a recent debate at New York University. Organised by Intelligence Squared, the topic was ‘Islam is a religion of peace’.
IQ2 has become an increasingly important forum for debate and discussion, and is based in London. Recently, it had invited Pervez Musharraf to hold forth, and I must say this was not the organisation’s finest moment because as I noted in this space while covering the event, the interviewer let the ex-dictator get away with far too much.
Defending the proposition were Maajid Nawaz of the anti-terrorist think-tank, the Qulliam Foundation, and Zeba Khan, a young Indian-American who set up a volunteer group, Muslims for Obama. Opposing it was Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the famous Somali dissident who first migrated to Holland, and now lives in the United States. Sharing the panel with her was Douglas Murray, the director of London’s Centre for Social Cohesion.
The format of IQ2 debates is very interesting: the audience vote for the proposition before and after the debate, and the question and answer session that follows. The side that changes the most minds through their arguments is declared the winner.
IQ2 has become an increasingly important forum for debate and discussion, and is based in London. Recently, it had invited Pervez Musharraf to hold forth, and I must say this was not the organisation’s finest moment because as I noted in this space while covering the event, the interviewer let the ex-dictator get away with far too much.
Defending the proposition were Maajid Nawaz of the anti-terrorist think-tank, the Qulliam Foundation, and Zeba Khan, a young Indian-American who set up a volunteer group, Muslims for Obama. Opposing it was Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the famous Somali dissident who first migrated to Holland, and now lives in the United States. Sharing the panel with her was Douglas Murray, the director of London’s Centre for Social Cohesion.
The format of IQ2 debates is very interesting: the audience vote for the proposition before and after the debate, and the question and answer session that follows. The side that changes the most minds through their arguments is declared the winner.