Ep.80 - My Journey from the Far-Right to Islam with Joram van Klaveren
The rise of the right across Europe is a worrying trend. For over a decade, several suited yet malign individuals have sought to capitalise on the failures within liberal capitalist societies. Often, figures like Geert Wilders in the Netherlands and Douglas Murray in Britain have placed Islam as the ‘enemy within’ – pitting the west in an existential crusade against Muslims. Those who follow my writing on the issue know that these often slick politicians utilise thinly veiled dog-whistles to foment hatred in their populations, channeling the inevitable attacks and even atrocities against ordinary Muslims on the street or, as has been demonstrated in New Zealand, in killing sprees where lives are shattered.
This white nativism, a racialised identity that sees migration in general and Muslim migration specifically to be the source of Europe’s decline is growing in momentum and as global recession develops it is only likely to rise. Yet amid this trend Allah (swt) finds ways to change the hearts of men.
My guest today, Joram Van Klaveren understands the far right in Europe. This is because he was one of them. As a leading member of Wilder’s Dutch Freedom Party and MP in parliament, he argued for a Netherlands without Islam. This was until he decided to write a book to attack Islam, and his research ultimately led him to embrace the faith. Today he calls for Europe to reconsider its irrational hatred towards Muslims. I ask him to tell us his story and explain how the far-right functions.
Thanks to the team: Riaz Hassan, Musab Muhammad, Reem Walid, Adeel Alam, Ahaz Atif and Umar Abdul Salam.
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To come soon.