Versus vs. Verses

This is part one of a debate between Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Tariq Ramadan. Ali is a self-described former Muslim-turned-atheist, author of the book of ‘Infidel’, while Ramadan is a Muslim intellectual and author of a number of books, such as ‘Western Muslims and the Future of Islam.’ Ali asserts in her writings and speeches that Islam is barbaric by its own nature, and that it is not by certain Muslims misinterpreting their faith that they do these things . They are merely practicing it as it should be. Ramadan emphasizes in his writings that Muslims in the West have to create their own Western Muslim identity, instead of seeing themselves as Muslims in the West. Thus, he argues for an indigenous Western Muslim community to take root in society.