Normal and extremist defined


Adam Deen of the “Deen Institute” (he’s the founder and executive director) (of the “institute” he bashfully named after himself) is ranting at and about Maryam Namazie on Twitter. He’s ok with ex-Muslims, you see (for the purposes of this discussion), but not with ex-Muslim extremists. What’s that? One observer suggested “the difference is between silence and speech.”

Author of Jesus & Mo obliged with an illustration.

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Adam Deen (of the eponymous “institute”) offered an amendment.

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I see. Normal is moving on, extremist is criticizing what you left.

I don’t accept that definition of “extremist.”

Comments

  1. Jeff Engel says

    It looks like you get to be an “extremist” on Deen’s reading just by actually verbalizing the ellipses. So, he’s not okay with someone explaining their position.

    At that point, there doesn’t seem to be much value to be had paying attention to him.

  2. screechymonkey says

    Change “muslim” to “believer,” and the Author’s version works equally well for the difference between atheists and Gnu/Extreme Atheists.

  3. says

    Funny how you’re not expected to “move on” if you become a Muslim: “I converted to Islam… and then I moved on.”

  4. Andrew B. says

    “Deen” just means “religion” in arabic. So maybe he adopted the surname, assuming he converted.

    But yes, there’s a nice false dichotomy he’s given us. One either keeps quiet about one’s former religion, or one starts saying batshit crazy things. No middle ground. You’re either one or the other. Wonder where that attitude came from?

  5. Shatterface says

    Sort of like the difference between being a feminist and a Eurocentric colonialist liberal fundamentalist or being gay and shoving your homosexuality in someone’s face.

  6. aziraphale says

    Seems to me that if anyone here “won’t be criticised” it’s Deen and his friends.

  7. rnilsson says

    So he IS ashamed of his first (VERYFIRST!!!) name, Adam?* Where will he go, one wonders.

    (Actually, one might in fact suspect his name is completely made-up, his Father probably named him Whooly cloth.)

  8. StevoR : Free West Papua, free Tibet, let the Chagossians return! says

    I see. Normal is moving on, extremist is criticizing what you left.
    I don’t accept that definition of “extremist.”

    Me neither.

    (Comic Book Guy voice) Worst. Definition. Of. “Extremist”. Evah.(/Comic Book guy voice.)

  9. RJW says

    I prefer ex Muslim ‘extremists’ to Muslim extremists, no mention of high explosives, beheadings, FGM, theocracy, jihad….

    Islam was spread by war, rape, pillage, banditry, slavery and forced conversion from its invention in the 7th century by following Mohammed’s example, so actually, who are the extremist Muslims?

  10. says

    Heh. The trick of course is that any reason you state for leaving Islam that anywhere includes “Islam is not true” is also attacking Islam and thus extremism.

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