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Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Sarah Haider: Islam and \Nthe Necessity of Liberal Critique]
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Moderator) Hi everybody and welcome \Nto this next presentation entitled
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Islam and the Necessity of Liberal Critique".
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'd like to welcome Sarah Haider, \Nwho is one of the co-founders
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of the Ex Muslims of North America group.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, please join me in welcoming Sarah.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Sarah Haider) Hi, everyone.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm Sarah, and for the last two years,\NI have worked for an organization about
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,non theist ex-Muslims, those who once\Nidentified themselves with Islam,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and now call themselves Atheists, \NAgnostics or Deists.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the organization is called Ex-Muslims \Nof North America.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We are a relatively new organization but\Nwe are growing quickly
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we now have communities of ex-Muslims\Nin over 15 cities.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As you can imagine, it is \Nnotoriously difficult for ex-Muslims
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to find others like ourselves, \Ntrying to build friendships among people
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who are often under siege and deep in\Nthe closet is incredibly difficult.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the first place, how do you even find\Npeople who are often deliberately
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,doing their best to stay under cover?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As an organization, we work to provide\Nex-Muslims with much needed support,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,support to free themselves \Nfrom the shackles of religion
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and to be themselves; to learn about\Neach other's suffering
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and, above all else, endure.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We are in a peculiar situation, \Nmy colleagues and I,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we are intimately connected with more\Ngodless ex-Muslims
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than likely anyone else in the world.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I have heard thousands of stories\Nfrom hundreds of people
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about their experiences with Islam.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some luck few were able to leave the faith\Nwith little consequence.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Their relationships with their families \Nand friends and communities
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,remained intact.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But for most, this was not the case.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Our journeys have seen \Ntremendous struggles.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For some, the cost was only social:\Nloss of friends and families.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For others, they risk their health and\Nmental well-being
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from being locked into psychiatric wards\Nto enduring physical violence
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from all family members.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Ex-Muslims, arguably \Nmore than any other group,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are deeply familiar with the problems\Nentrenched within Muslim communities
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and inherent within Islamic scriptures.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As most of us happen to be both \Npeople of color
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and first- or second-generation \Nimmigrants, we are doubly affected
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,both by hatred and violence from Muslims,\Nbut also bigotry and xenophobia
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from the broader American public.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Despite all this, my experience \Nover the last two years
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,has made me wary of speaking up,\Neven to an audience such as this.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I always expected feeling unwelcome\Nfrom Muslim audiences,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but I didn't anticipate \Nan equal amount of hostility
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from my allies on the Left.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For example, when I first published a piece,\NFact-checking Reza Haslan,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who is a prominent Muslim scholar,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on his dismissal of \Nfemale genital mutilation
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as only an African problem, \Nnot a Muslim one,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I got many responses from people\Nunhappy with what I wrote,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,almost all of whom questioned my motives,\Nrather than addressing my claims.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To my surprise, most of my critics \Nwere not Muslims.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Rather, they identified as Liberals, \Nand even sometimes as Atheists.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some darkly alluded to my agenda and \Nothers claimed that, as a former Muslim,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there was no way I could be trusted \Nwith "fair criticism".
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now remember: I published a fact check.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It seems to me that it would be easy \Nto verify my claims:
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,fact-check the fact-check, so to speak.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But instead, Muslims \Nand some people on the Left
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,preferred to throw all-round suspicions\Nabout my character and my intelligence.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Those who oppose \NChristian authoritarianism
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,will find that the broad majority \Nof Liberals, religious or non-religious,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,side with them \Nand will offer their support
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the fight to push religious morals\Nout of our politics and public life.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even religious Liberals \Nsometimes look upon
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the politically-charged religious right\Nwith distaste
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and some work with secularists\Nto keep them out of our politics.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The executive director of Americans United\Nfor Church and State, for instance,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is an ordained minister.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Atheists and Secularists \Ncan feel secure in the knowledge
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that their allies in the Liberal Left\Nwill stand with them
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when their target is the Far-right\NChristians.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It makes sense: Liberals don't share \Nmuch -- many common values
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with the religious Right.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But when the same scrutiny \Nis applied to Islam
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you find that, inexplicably, some people \Non the Left will start to align instead
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with the Islamic religious Right.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The consistent exceptions have been\Nthe secular and Atheist communities.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When luminaries of disbelief movement,\Nlike Harris and Dawkins, speak about
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the horrors of Christianity and write\Nbooks condemning it, they are cheered,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,their works lionized, their presence \Nsought at events and conferences.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But when they turn the same critical gaze\Ntowards the religion of my family,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they are told to cease \Nsuch offensive talk,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to refrain from criticizing \Nthe same oppressive forces
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that they criticized in the past.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There is an instinct to pigeon-hole\Nanyone who says something negative
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about Islam, to broadly label them \Nin such a way that nearly guarantees
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that most on the Left will ignore\Nwhat they have to say.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The first method, I found, of people\Ndismissing my claims has been that
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,since I as a brown person, I can easily\Nbe painted as bigot,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is that I must be pro-war or broadly\Nsupport the Far-right agenda in some way.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is not true.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Sometimes, I'm called an Uncle Tom\Nor a House Arab. (5:58)