Author

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.

From Maajid Nawaz

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

From Maajid Nawaz

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

From Maajid Nawaz

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

From Maajid Nawaz

I realised that the idea of enforcing sharia is not consistent with Islam as it's been practised from the beginning. In other words, Islam has always been secular, and I had been totally ignorant of the fact.

From Maajid Nawaz

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.

From Maajid Nawaz

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

From Maajid Nawaz

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

From Maajid Nawaz

Language that is designed to dehumanize has consequences.

From Maajid Nawaz

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.

From Maajid Nawaz

Maajid Nawaz

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