Watch the video version of this show: https://youtu.be/s7jHNNaVWzo Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently tweeted about an open meeting of "Arab countries sitting down together with Israel in order to advance the common interest of war with Iran." He later deleted the tweet, ending it instead with "combating Iran." Meanwhile, source ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fleaving-islam-in-27245708 Nun Benson is a Somali ex-Muslim who has publicly shared her views on Islam's tolerance of slavery, the destructive influence of Islamic imperialism in Somalia, and the rampant anti-black racism within Muslim communities. She jo ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fleaving-islam-26960714 Sohail Ahmad (@ReasonOnFaith) was raised in the minority Islamic sect of Ahmadiyyat, a community that is persecuted relentlessly by mainstream Muslims. Today, he has come out of the closet with an explosive, controversial video dis ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fexploring-with-26598316 Tom Holland is a historian and author of the bestselling book, In the Shadow of the Sword, which charts the origins and early history of Islam based on recent scholarship. His documentary, Islam: The Untold Story, was both eye-ope ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fis-america-with-26697962 Andrew Seidel is a constitutional and civil rights attorney with the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), the largest advocacy group for atheists in the United States. His explosive first book, “The Founding Myth: Why Christi ...…

Watch the video version of this show: https://youtu.be/KeKkZNLaJBw This is the first of a 3-part series about the two largest Islamic sects, Sunnism and Shiism. In this episode, Armin and Ali go back to basics to discuss the alleged historical events that led to the development of these sects. We talk about what these terms mean, which Islamic ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Ffaith-to-with-26412179 Aliyah Saleem is the co-founder of Faith to Faithless and co-editor of Leaving Faith Behind: The Journeys and Perspectives of People Who Have Chosen to Leave Islam. Aliyah comes from a Sunni background and spent about 6 years in fo ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fwhy-i-left-islam-26344555 She was an ultra-conservative Salafi Muslim, a member of the Tableeghi Jamaat, and wore a niqab at age 11. Two years ago, she gave it all up. Today, she is a free woman who wants to normalize leaving Islam so that others like he ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fgoing-undercover-26273116 He went undercover with jihadists to foil a potentially devastating Toronto terrorism plot. He counsels returning ISIS fighters. He fights Islamic terrorism. And as a Sufi Sunni Muslim, he has no regrets. Mubin Shaikh is a forme ...…

Watch the video version of this show: https://youtu.be/7uNxnibMIPI 52 Muslims were killed in a horrific terrorist attack in New Zealand. Countless Muslims and their children are being targeted and killed in Yemen, China, Myanmar, Iraq, Syria, and more. We talk about how to look past the popular media narratives on these stories, and as always, ...…

Thomas Smith is host of the popular Serious Inquiries Only podcast, formerly the Atheistically Speaking podcast, and is known for his commentary on science, skepticism, atheism, and politics. He also previously hosted Thomas and the Bible, a witty podcast on the so-called "good" book. We talk to Thomas about current schisms in the atheist movem ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fex-muslim-women-25566215 "My life is coloured with a constant sense of relief. Relief that I escaped an abusive relationship with Allah and Muhammad. Relief to be free of indefinite guardianship. Relief that I can embrace my true potential. Relief that I ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons):https://www.patreon.com/posts/grooming-from-in-25146365 In this episode, we speak to Lara, a grooming survivor who was lured to Pakistan from Australia, entrapped, isolated, abused, and worse—until she made her daring escape. Incredibly articulate and determined to raise awareness about ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/Fex-muslim-of-24886479 Nik J. Gray is a white Australian woman who grew up wearing the niqab, memorized the entire Quran, and briefly lived in Somalia. As the daughter of a Sunni Muslim convert, Nik was raised in a very pro-jihadist, anti-West household. T ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fex-muslim-with-24351338 Farhan Qureshi was raised in an Ahmadi Muslim family. He then left Ahmadiyyat and became a devout mainstream Sunni Muslim for around a decade, during which he publicly debated Christian scholars like James White and David Wood. He ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fislam-vs-muslims-24403719 Hassan Radwan is a living legend in skeptic and ex-Muslim circles. Beginning his journey many years ago, he made some incredible videos for the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain when the organization began in 2007. Today he conti ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/Fstand-up-comic-24142960 Mohanad Elshieky is killing it. Conan O'Brien named him one of his "comics to watch." Wanda Sykes tapped him for her show, "Unprotected Sets." An immigrant and refugee who arrived in the United States from Libya just a few years ag ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fwomen-who-leave-23945629 We speak to the rising ex-Muslim YouTube star Mimzy Vidz (Marwa) about what it’s like to be a woman who leaves Islam, her personal journey from religion to reason, her activism for other ex-Muslims, the Rahaf Al-Qunun case, and w ...…

Watch the video version of this show: https://youtu.be/agJH-rukB-c For years, ex-Muslims had been dismissed as a fringe phenomenon that supposedly couldn't gain any traction or influence. In 2019, we know that nothing could be further from the truth. A young Saudi ex-Muslim woman, Rahaf Al-Qunun, escaped her family while they were on a trip to ...…

Watch the video version of this show: https://youtu.be/KYcRAdXRs6o In this special Ask-Us-Anything episode, we dive into a comparison of the three Abrahamic monotheisms, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity—their scriptures and their practice, their similarities and their differences—both currently and through history. Check it out. 🤗 Secular Jihad ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fhas-isis-been-24033979 In this episode, we speak to Graeme Wood, author of the award-winning book, The Way of The Strangers: Encounters with the Islamic State. Graeme is a contributing editor to The Atlantic and wrote one of the magazine's most widely re ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/2Fgenetically-more-23463351 We speak to Drew McCoy, more famously known as Genetically Modified Skeptic, with over 100,000 YouTube subscribers and millions of views on his brilliantly insightful, thought-provoking, and inspiring videos. We talk about skept ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/Fislam-and-future-23320993 We speak to filmmaker Jay Shapiro, who directed the new film, Islam and the Future of Tolerance, based on the book of dialogue between atheist neuroscientist, Sam Harris, and former Islamic radical turned Muslim reformer, Maajid ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/secular-saudi-23173227 Habeeb is a Saudi ex-Muslim who left Islam in 2003. Currently living in the United Arab Emirates, Habeeb has been making some waves for his insightful and witty commentary on a range of issues from Middle East politics to secularism ...…

Watch the video version of this show: https://youtu.be/N1V6PhpZg6A There is a lot of dialogue out there about Islam and Muslims today, and that inevitably brings with it many misconceptions. In this episode, Armin and Ali discuss some of these misconceptions and also answer your questions about a range of other topics. Some topics discussed: an ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/beating-bigotry-22868589 We speak to the wonderful, hilarious, and increasingly popular Veedu Vidz, the ex-Muslim satirist and YouTube commentator who has gained a massive, growing audience by using comedy to challenge our religious and cultural preconcept ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/curse-of-god-ex-22701746 "The Curse of God" is the new upcoming book by Harris Sultan, a passionate ex-Muslim activist who of Pakistani origin who now lives in Australia. We talked about what motivated him to write his excellent book, his background, and h ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/india-religion-22107682 India is the largest secular democracy in the world, but religion still plays an important role in its society and its politics. While 80% of its population is Hindu, it also has the third largest Muslim population in the world afte ...…

Watch the video version of this show: https://youtu.be/HWbi8vQz7hM We speak to Shaan Taseer, the son of assassinated Pakistani governor Salman Taseer who stood with Asia Bibi, a poor Christian villager, when she was charged and jailed for blasphemy in 2010. Now acquitted and released, her life remains under threat from Islamic fundamentalist mo ...…

Watch the video version of this show: https://youtu.be/TeTLt8OJGFA Ex-Muslims Armin and Ali discuss the Khashoggi killing. Ali speaks about what it was like growing up in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Armin talks about Iran, and they answer your questions on blasphemy, Yemen, "taqiyyah" accusations, Linda Sarsour and the Women's March, and a varie ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/how-to-engage-21859143 Abdullah Sameer is an increasingly popular and influential atheist writer and YouTuber who was once a very religious Muslim. He preached Islam for fifteen years and founded popular Islamic websites like Light Upon Light and the now d ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/sam-harris-to-ex-21638925 In 2004, Sam Harris published his award-winning first book, "The End of Faith"—a scathing attack on religion and superstition that helped launch the so-called "New Atheist" movement along with later books by Richard Dawkins, Chris ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/shia-muslims-21564006 In this episode, we speak to Zara Kay, a member of the Khoja Shia Ithnasheri Jamaat, a large and very prominent Shia Muslim community spread across the Indian Subcontinent, East Africa, Canada, and London. Zahra speaks to us from Aust ...…

Watch the video version of this conversation (for patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/ex-muslims-syed-21402575 Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA) is at the frontlines of tomorrow. The organization is only five years old, yet is growing faster than ever, with thousands of members and counting. EXMNA is currently conducting the widely covere ...…

There are some things we know about Muhammad—but what's more interesting is what we don't know. The earliest surviving biography of Muhammad, by ibn Hisham, is from over 200 years after his death. That biography is based on an earlier biography by Ibn Ishaq which did not survive to the present day except in fragments, but itself was written ove ...…

In this episode, we discuss Armin’s recent visit to the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) with Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA), where he and a few other ex-Muslims were asked to leave a Starbucks at the Hilton simply for wearing t-shirts saying things like, “I’m an ex-Muslim. Ask me why.” We also discuss how ex-Muslims can engage with ...…

We speak to Salwa, a young Saudi woman who made her escape from Saudi Arabia at great risk. Now she is a refugee in Canada, a vocal atheist, and her social media posts documenting simple, daily life for a free woman in Canada have drawn tens of thousands of followers from her home country. In this episode, she is joined by her translator friend ...…

In this AMA episode, we talk about engaging with Muslims, Imam Tawhidi, the difference between Sam Harris's and Robert Spencer's approaches to criticizing Islam, the significance of the Arab Spring looking back now, Hindu nationalism, Faith Goldy's mayoral run, Trump's approach to Israel/Palestine, Sunni-Shia differences, and most importantly, ...…

A key element of the Enlightenment was the emergence of Biblical criticism as an academic discipline. This practice, which arose out of the German Enlightenment in the 1700s, was centered around applying a non-sectarian, reason-based approach to studying scripture in order to avoid dogma and bias. Biblical criticism was instrumental in the neut ...…

Armin's viral "Allah is Gay" video at Vancouver's Pride celebrations brought out a barrage of homophobic death threats against him and his family from religious Muslims. Raif Badawi and his recently arrested sister Samar found themselves at the center of an international diplomatic firestorm between Saudi Arabia and Canada. We talk about these ...…

The Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) is the largest advocacy group for atheists in the United States. At the organization, constitutional and civil rights attorney Andrew Seidel works to ensure that the government obeys the First Amendment and that Thomas Jefferson's "Wall of Separation" between church and state remains tall and impregna ...…

In this month’s Ask Us Anything episode, we take on your questions about whether Islam was spread by the sword, Pakistan’s recent election results, conservative vs liberal Muslims, the best versions/translations of the Quran for English speakers, the utility (or not) of comparing things to Nazism, the impending release of Anjem Choudary from pr ...…

Matt Dillahunty is an atheist activist and true pioneer of the current movement. Raised as a Southern Baptist, Matt became an atheist after studying to become a minister. From the early days of his widely popular show, The Atheist Experience, to his recent Pangburn event with Jordan Peterson, Matt has proven to be one of the most articulate and ...…

In many countries—especially Muslim-majority countries—atheists live in mortal danger. Thirteen of these countries—Afghanistan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen—officially punish atheism with death. This grim reality led the Center for Inquiry (CFI) to start ...…

Masih Alinejad is the Iranian journalist and activist who founded #MyStealthyFreedom, inviting women in Iran—where the Islamic headscarf (hijab) is mandatory—to post pictures of themselves without it. The project went viral, and is making international headlines today more than ever. Masih's riveting book, The Wind in My Hair: My Fight for Free ...…

Steven Pinker is the Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, and the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Better Angels of Our Nature and most recently, Enlightenment Now, which Bill Gates has called "my new favourite book of all time." He joins us in this episode of Secular Jihadists for a wide-ranging and truly fascin ...…

Everyone wants to know what happened at the two back-to-back Jordan Peterson vs. Sam Harris Pangburn Philosophy events in Vancouver last month. (Videos of the events won't be out until the next two events in the UK are completed.) Fortunately, our very own Secular Jihadists host Armin Navabi is Director of Media at Pangburn Philosophy, and was ...…

In this episode, we are joined by the renowned evolutionary biologist and New York Times-bestselling author of Why Evolution is True, Jerry Coyne. Jerry is currently a professor emeritus at the University of Chicago, and recently published Faith vs. Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible. We talked about what science is, how it works, ...…

“Let Bangladesh revoke the citizenship of these enemies of Islam! If not, we will hunt them down in whatever part of God’s world we find them and kill them right there!” These words appeared on a kill list of about twenty secular bloggers in Bangladesh, published by the Islamic terrorist group Ansarullah Bangla Team. One of the names on the lis ...…

The US embassy has moved to Jerusalem, and violence has erupted yet again in Gaza. Meanwhile, the Iran deal has been cancelled by the United States. People are again talking about whether they're "pro-Israel" or "pro-Palestine." There's an assumption out there that Muslims are pro-Palestine, so ex-Muslims must be pro-Israel. Is this true? Is it ...…