Maajid Nawaz Quotes

British - Activist

I can now say that the more I learnt about Islam, the more tolerant I became.

Islam More Say I Can Learnt Tolerant About Became Now

Ironically, xenophobic nationalists are utilizing the benefits of globalization.

Globalization Benefits Xenophobic Ironically Utilizing

There are no globalized, youth-led, grassroots social movements advocating for democratic culture across Muslim-majority societies. There is no equivalent of Al-Qaeda without the terrorism.

Culture Terrorism Without Social Advocating Al-Qaeda Democratic Equivalent Grassroots Movements Social Movements Societies Across

Islamism is not Islam. Islamism is the politicisation of Islam, the desire to impose a version of this ancient faith over society.

Faith Society Islam Desire Ancient Impose Version Over

Preying on the grievances of disaffected young men is the bedrock of Islamism.

Men Young Young Men Bedrock

After much soul searching I was able to renounce my past Islamist ideology, challenging everything I was once prepared to die for.

Soul Past Die Everything Challenging Ideology Prepared Renounce Searching Able After Much Once

In Bosnia, the case was there were white, blond-haired, blue-eyed Muslims who were being slaughtered and identified as Muslims. That really touched me.

Me Who White Being Blue-Eyed Bosnia Case Identified Muslims Slaughtered Touched Really Were

I really didn't grow up religious, and I didn't grow up acknowledging my Muslim identity. For me, I was a British Pakistani.

Me Grow Identity British Acknowledging Grow Up Muslim Pakistani Religious Really Up

I was in prison with pretty much the who's who of the jihadist and Islamist scene of Egypt at the time, and Egypt was the cradle of Islamism for the world - it's where it began and where jihadism began as well.

Time World Who Prison Began Cradle Egypt Scene Much Pretty Well Where

Expressing myself through language was always something that I had had to learn to do more so than others.

Myself Always More Language Expressing Had Learn Others Something Than Through

Top 10
Maajid Nawaz
Quotes

I used to MC a bit when I was young - 14 or 15 years old.

Old Young Years Used Bit

What we cannot deny is that there's an association between exclusion, segregation, non-violent extremist thinking, and jihadism.

Thinking Cannot Segregation Between Association Deny Exclusion Extremist Non-Violent We Cannot

I was, by the way - I'm an Essex lad, born and raised in Essex in the U.K.

Way Born Raised Lad

One of the problems we're facing is, in my view, that there are no globalized, youth-led, grassroots social movements advocating for democratic culture across Muslim-majority societies.

Culture Problems View Social Advocating Democratic Facing Grassroots Movements One Of The Problems Social Movements Societies Across

The conclusion that I have come to is that actually, no religion, whether it's Islam, Christianity or any idea based on scripture or texts, is a religion of 'anything,' really.

Religion Islam Anything Come Christianity Conclusion Scripture Texts Actually Any Based Idea Really Whether

Islam will be what Muslims make of it. And it is the sum total of the interpretation that Muslims give to it.

Will Islam Make Give Interpretation Muslims Sum Sum Total Total

Wherever I've been, I've left people who joined Hizb ut-Tahrir. I have to make amends. What I did was damaging to British society and the world at large.

World People Society Who Amends British Damaging Joined Large Wherever Been Did Left Make

Hizb ut-Tahrir spearheaded the radicalization of the 1990s and cultivated an atmosphere of anger.

Anger Atmosphere 1990s Cultivated

I say I haven't lost my religion. I've lost my ideology.

Religion Lost Say Ideology

My arrest in Egypt happened in 2002, and I was convicted to five years as a political prisoner.

Political Egypt Arrest Years Convicted Prisoner Five Happened

I think I would encourage leaders to start working with communities in order to inoculate angry, young teenagers.

Angry Think Start Young Communities Encourage Leaders Teenagers I Think Order Working Would

Muslim communities themselves, as they expect mainstream society to stand down racists, must do more to also stand down the Islamist extremists.

Society Stand Down More Communities Expect Extremists Mainstream Muslim Racists Also Must Themselves

Academic institutions in Britain have been infiltrated for years by dangerous theocratic fantasists. I should know: I was one of them.

Dangerous Know Been Should Academic Britain Institutions Them Years

The University of Westminster is well known for being a hotbed of extremist activity.

Well University Being Activity Extremist Well Known Westminster Known

I was born and raised in Essex, just outside London, to a financially comfortable, well-educated Pakistani family.

Family Born Just Outside Financially London Pakistani Raised Well-Educated I Was Born Comfortable

I had a mind inquiring enough to question world events, as well as the passion fostered by my background to care, but I lacked the emotional maturity to process these things. That made me ripe for Islamist recruitment. Into this ferment came my recruiter, himself straight out of a London medical college.

All my friends were non-Muslims. I actually knew very little about Islam - like, very little.

Islam Like Friends About All My Friends Actually Knew Little Very Were

I became, suddenly, not just a Muslim in faith. I became a Muslim in politics. Somebody whose politics were pre-defined by one interpretation of Islam.

Politics Faith Islam Just Interpretation Muslim Suddenly Whose Became Somebody Were

America did not invade Iraq because Iraqis are Muslims. Oil, money, economic interests. Who knows? But it was not because Iraqis are Muslims.

Money Who America Economic Interests Invade Iraq Iraqis Muslims Oil Because Did Knows

Before someone can change his ideas, he has to open his heart.

Change Heart Ideas Someone Before He His Open

I was filled with hate and anger. But during my trial, something decisive happened: Amnesty International adopted me as a prisoner of conscience, and it was an unbelievable feeling to know that there is someone fighting for you on the outside. Amnesty's 'soft' approach made me seriously consider alternatives to revenge.

I come from an immigrant family, but I know no other nationality apart from British.

Family Know British Immigrant Apart Nationality Come Other

I worked my way through the education system and was treated as though I had value.

Education Way Value Through Treated Had System Though Worked

My upbringing was completely liberal from the start. In fact, I didn't even have a Muslim identity.

Identity Start Muslim Upbringing In Fact Liberal Even Fact

Back when I was an Islamist, I thought our ideology was like communism - and I still do. That makes me optimistic. Because what happened to communism? It was discredited as an idea. It lost.

Me Communism Like Lost Ideology Optimistic Back Because Happened Idea Makes Our Still Thought

To be forced to defend oneself is an inherently undesirable position to be in. The focus shifts from ideas to the person conveying them.

Focus Person Ideas Position Conveying Defend Forced Inherently Oneself Shifts Undesirable Them

To suggest that a Muslim cannot think for himself sounds to me very much like an incident of anti-Muslim bigotry.

Me Think Like Cannot Incident Muslim Sounds Suggest Himself Much Very

Language that is designed to dehumanize has consequences.

Language Consequences Designed

I am a Muslim. I am born to Muslim parents. I have a Muslim son. I have been imprisoned and witnessed torture for my previous understanding of my religion.

Religion I Am Son Parents Imprisoned Muslim Previous Torture Understanding Witnessed Am Been Born

My feminism, as intended by me, extends to empowering women to make legal choices, not to judge the legal choices they make. My fight is for rights.

Women Me Fight Legal Choices Empowering Feminism Intended Judge Make Rights

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