My fundamental concern about the role of faith groups in providing social provision is democratic: how do we hold them to account? To whom are they responsible? How do we, the public, the recipients of welfare, punish them if they make mistakes or become corrupt? Mehdi Hasan Read Quote
How is it that labels like ‘centrist’ and ‘moderate,’ which common sense tells us should reflect the views of a majority of Americans, have come to be applied to those who represent minority interests and opinions? Mehdi Hasan Read Quote
Have you ever been called an Islamist? How about a jihadist or a terrorist? Extremist, maybe? Welcome to my world. It’s pretty depressing. Mehdi Hasan Read Quote
Religion is simply one of a multitude of factors – economic political, cultural, social, tribal, racial – which shape and drive human action and reaction and often is the least important of those factors. Mehdi Hasan Read Quote
Perhaps the biggest boost to the LePenization of French politics came from Nicolas Sarkozy. As president of France between 2007 and 2012, he actively courted FN voters and helped dismantle the ‘Republican pact,’ under which the two main parties had pledged to work together to defeat the FN at a national and local level. Mehdi Hasan Read Quote
I’m a fan of robust debate, and I’m not averse to engaging in the odd ad hominem attack myself. Mehdi Hasan Read Quote
To pretend that there is no such thing as the Muslim world is specious, self-deluding, and – frankly – plain silly. Mehdi Hasan Read Quote
There is very little chance of the modern Republican Party putting the national interest above their own partisan interests. Mehdi Hasan Read Quote
Orthodox Islam, like orthodox interpretations of the other Abrahamic faiths, views homosexuality as sinful and usually defines marriage as only ever a heterosexual union. This isn’t to say that there is no debate on the subject. Mehdi Hasan Read Quote