Can it become a religion of peace? Yes, if a number of conditions are met.
John Donvan:
But what is it, for all of the people who practice it peacefully?
Ayaan Hirsi Ali:
But let me complete the condition —
John Donvan:
But what is that faith that they’re practicing, then?
Zeba Khan:
— and not only practice it peacefully, but we —
John Donvan:
That’s the part that I’m not finding in your explanation.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali:
Why are we having again, over and over again — first of all, in my view no monotheistic religion because there is that divider between “We” and “They” and because when that unified — when there are so many factors within every monotheistic religion that make itinherently aggressive, it’s not only Islam, but there are a number of factors that in the 21st Century combine — again, there is the history of militarism and the awareness of that,
there is the victim status, there is the youth bulge, let’s not forget that, there is the revival of that theology, the revival of the example of the prophet Mohammad, the investment in the hereafter. And you say a lot of people practice their religion in peace. What we know is that a lot of people are passive and actually not practicing their faith, are not practicing Islamic scripture —
Zeba Khan:
Who are you to say who’s practicing —
Ayaan Hirsi Ali:
Let me finish — let me finish —
Zeba Khan:
— their faith and who’s not?
Ayaan Hirsi Ali:
— let me finish, [unintelligible] —
Zeba Khan:
It’s not for you to decide. I’m the Muslim, you’re not.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali:
But let me finish. Let me finish. You are not practicing — you are not practicing, let me –
—
Zeba Khan:
Really? Are you [unintelligible] —
Ayaan Hirsi Ali:
No, but let me say, you are not practicing —
John Donvan:
Let’s hear what she says
[talking simultaneously]
Ayaan Hirsi Ali:
— [unintelligible] wait a minute, I want to finish.
John Donvan:
Please, let’s hear what her point is.Ayaan Hirsi Ali:
You are not practicing Chapter 2 of the Koran, verse 191 and 193, “And slay them wherever you find them, and drive them out of places whence they drove you out, for persecution of Muslims is worse than the slaughter of the nonbeliever.”
Zeba Khan:
Chapter 2, “Let there be no compulsion in religion.”
Ayaan Hirsi Ali:
You are not — you are not —
Zeba Khan:
Chapter 2, “Each community –”
Ayaan Hirsi Ali:
Yeah, okay, what is that — okay, great, I love that.
Zeba Khan:
“– which has given direction as it follows, all of you compete in the performance of good deeds.”
Ayaan Hirsi Ali:
Which proves my point [unintelligible] —
