Debate: Islam Is Dominated By Radicals?

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Debate: Islam is dominated by radicals? Mar 07, 2011
Before the debate:
For the motion: 46%
Against the motion: 32%
Undecided: 22%

After the debate
For the motion: 73%
Against the motion 23%
Undecided: 4%

There were a total of six debaters - three from either side, including Reza Aslan against the motion and Asra Nomani for the motion.

You can watch the debate on youtube


Or in one video here:
http://vimeo.com/8655163 (except sound fails after 55 minutes)

My impression was that Nomani carried her side and was the best speaker of all the members.
At one point, Daveed (who argued in the affirmative) made the observation over how the definition of hegemony changes depending on what context the other side is using it in - such as the US being a hegemonic power but claiming radicals are not a hegemony in Islam because they do not supposedly outnumber the 'moderates'.

Clearly, if the affirmative side used the types of polls Reza Aslan selectively cited, the debate would have been over early on - since poll surveys reveal Muslim support for radical views, eg., amputation, lashing, stoning and capital punishment for blasphemy and apostasy.


It's also interesting to note this debate took place in 2010 - before the recent laws against Ahmadis in Indonesia and the suicide bombing of Copts in Egypt.

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