Monday night, I was a guest on The Kelly File, for a one-hour special on Islam called “Defying the Sword.” (Not followed by the unreleased documentary, “Begging the Question.”) And why? My Religion Dispatches review of Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s book, Heretic: Why Islam Needs A Reformation Now, that’s why.
Host Megyn Kelly moderated the discussion.
I went on because I think Ayaan’s book is self-defeating.
First, because of Ayaan’s reputation in the Muslim communities, any and every idea she endorses is guaranteed to be ignored, maligned, or rejected. She’s made a living out of calling for war against Islam, which most Muslims interpret as a war against them, which means she’s the wrong messenger. Fortunately.
Because she’s the wrong messenger for the wrong message, which like any double negative fortunately negates itself. Ayaan’s planned Reformation isn’t just bad, it’s downright dangerous. Her solution to extremism is to propose a Reformation, though she doesn’t know Islam already had a Reformation.
And that it was a major contributor to extremism. In other words, the author’s solution to the problem is the cause of the problem. (Oops?) If we paid her any mind, then, we’d make the problem of extremism far, far worse. Ayaan responded to my arguments by alleging I might be a jihadist.
All in a day’s work.
