87this way pose a genuine danger to civilization.
The prob lem, however, is that this way of thinking
seems to be readily justifi ed by recourse to scrip-
ture. On any list of Islamic doctrines in need of
reform, I think those relating to infi dels and to
martyrdom should be at the very top.Nawaz The questions you’ve raised are serious prob-
lems for Muslims to address in our age. I’m not in
the business of denial, or of burying my head in the
sand. That’s why I do the work I do, because I want
to confront these issues head-on. I wish other Mus-
lims would confront them as well, and have con-
versations with the likes of you and Ayaan, because
that’s what’s needed. It’s how we will resolve all this.
John Donvan, the commentator who moderated
my Intelligence Squared debate with Ayaan, put a
question to her the second time around, at the
Richmond Forum: “Well, what relevance do you
have in this debate? You’re not even a Muslim.
You’re an apostate. So why would anyone take you
seriously discussing Islam?” I interjected, “Actually,
no, it’s wrong of you to say that to Ayaan, because
she does have a role in this conversation.” We
cannot disempower people who aren’t Muslims
from discussing this, because everyone— the whole
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