Atheist, Humanist, Buddhist, and Leftist Voices Against The Islamic Threat To Freedom

This is an extremely varied group of individuals. Their criticisms of Islam are also quite varied, and to some extent they hardly belong all lumped together in this way, except for one thing. And that one thing is what they are not. They are not right-wing xenophobic Christians, like Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich.

In addition to those named below, also see the 12 signatories of the 2006 statement for "The Universality of Freedom of Expression" (there is some overlap).

Sam Harris (American, atheist, long-time student of Buddhist philosophy and meditation)

• Silence is not moderation
• What Obama got wrong about the mosque
• Debate between Sam Harris and Reza Aslan
  

Bill Maher (American, political satirist, social critic, self-declared apatheist)

• "Islam was extreme to begin with. Muhammed was a warrior."
• "Their religious whackos are a lot more whacko than ours."
• Bill Maher stands by Muhammed remarks.

Richard Dawkins (British, atheist, scientist, writer)

• Fury over Richard Dawkin's burqa jibe
• Muslim parents "import creationism" into schools

Lama Ole Nydahl (Danish, Lama in the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism)

• "Islam, I warn against. I know the Koran, I know the life story of Mohammad and I think we cannot use that in our society today."
• "I have two fears for the world: overpopulation and Islam. Those two things could destroy the world, which could otherwise be a beautiful place.
• The Buddha meets Holger Dansk: "Aldous Huxley, who I studied intensively at the university, called it 'herd poison'. If a lot of people do something, it will attract others who want to belong or be a part of something. And if an incipient movement is sufficiently extremist, it will always attract certain unstable individuals. That is the reason why something that is basically against most people's nature may become powerful and therefore very harmful."
  

Pat Condell (British, comedian, troublemaker, atheist)

• "The trouble with Islam"
• "Islam in Europe"
• "What I know about Islam"

Femke Halsema (Dutch, LeftGreen party leader)

• "A religious axis of evil"
• Dutch Green leader calls for critique of Islam

Villy Søvndal (Danish Socialist Peoples Party leader)

• Danish Socialists Denounce Islamist "Rubbish About No Freedom"
• A Danish Socialist Speaks Out

Bahram Soroush (Iranian, Worker-Communist Party of Iran)

From an Interview with Maryam Namazie:

"No one deserves to die because of their views or the views that they have expressed. Actually that shows the essence of the political Islamic movement. It is a violent movement; it is an atrocious movement, and it needs to be stopped. They will start with van Gogh and Ayaan and then try to impose their dark scenario and rule in the West over the rest of the population . . . .

"It is difficult to say it in one sentence. In essence, it's from the standpoint of the human being, from a humanistic perspective, against religion as an ideology, against political Islam as a political movement, in defence of women's rights, in defence of children's rights, in defence of political freedoms and the right to freely and safely criticise any religion."

Maryam Namazie (Iranian, atheist, One Law For All Campaign, UK)

• I would be executed in Iran for my Facebook page
• Manifesto of Liberation of Women of Iran
• Islamic States are a threat to humankind

Alice Schwarzer (German feminist pioneer)

• "the headscarf is 'a flag and symbol of Islamists'"
• Islam Ist Undemokratisch (Video auf Deutsch)
• Eyes Wide Shut (Der Spiegel interview in English)

Taslima Nasreen (Bangladesh, atheist, humanist, feminist, writer)

• Lajja means "Shame"
• "Should the right to oppose Islam not exist?"

Philippe Val (French, former editor and director of leftist magazine Charlie Hebdo)

• French cartoons editor acquitted
• Court Acquits Satirical French Mag Over Mohammed Cartoons
• Those Muslim-themed cartoons (again), this time in French court

Caroline Fourest (French, feminist, anti-racist and secularist activist, Le Monde Columnist)

From Brother Tariq: The Doublespeak of Tariq Ramadan

Hassan al-Banna is a figure revered by Islamists the world over. In the early years of the twentieth century, this Egyptian preacher developed a program for reasserting social and political control that has served as amodel for all those engaged in the fight to extend the reign of a form of political Ialsm that is both archaic and reactionary. He oversaw the birth of a diabolical machine -- the Islamic Brotherhood -- that to this day grinds out its fundamentalist message, spreading it to the four corners of the world. Even Al-Qaeda is no competitor in terms of the scope of this negative force. Al-Qaeda militants were often fascinated by al-Banna before they crossed the line into bin Laden-type terrorism. Given the nature of al-Banna's influence, which remains a constant threat, citizens of Muslim origin are often uneasy when they see Tariq Ramadan continue his grandfather's work in the very heart of the West [Tariq Ramadan is the grandsom of Hassan al-Banna, and both of his parents were ardent supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood].

In a collection of interviews with Alain Gresh, editor in chief of Le Monde diplomatique, Tariq Ramadan made no secret of the fact that he had taken Hassan al-Banna as a model: "I have studied Hassan al-Banna's ideas with great care and there is nothing in this heritage that I reject. His relation to God, his spirituality, his mysticism, his personality, as well as his critical reflections on law, politics, society and pluralism, testify for me to his qualities of heart and mind." And he added: "His commitment also is a continuing reason for my respect and admiration." This admission is in itself terrifying. Every word was chosen to to play down the fanaticism and totalitarianism advocated by al-Banna, a man for whom "the Islamic banner must wave supreme over the human race." His name still fills any Muslim who is modern and liberal—or simply healthy-minded—with rage over the crimes that have been committed in the name of Islam. Yet his grandson finds nothing wrong in all this. On the contrary, in a book written for a popular audience, he fully accepted his role as one whose mission it was to continue in the footsteps of his grandfather, whom he presented as a model of “spirituality” and of “critical appreciation of society.” By extolling his grandfather’s “critical reflections on pluralism,” essentially he was praising the virtues of al-Banna’s totalitarian outlook.