Bill Maher’s outspoken criticism of Islam and his recent declaration that he didn’t want to discuss it anymore seemed to be outweighed by his wish to cement his point on Friday’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.”
He said during the panel discussion that a woman in Pakistan who recently was sentenced to death for blasphemy.
“So, yeah, Sam Harris and I were way off on that,” Maher said, in a reference to his previous criticism of Islam.
British politician David Miliband, a guest on the show, countered by arguing that “it’s one thing to take on a religion, the other thing is to take on the people who are abusing the religion. Those are two very different things.”
“But if that’s popular with the people, they’re not that different,” Maher said.
When asked by Miliband if he’d ever been to Pakistan, Maher said: “Never, nor will I.”
“When they open up a lesbian art gallery, I’ll go there,” Maher said.
It was nice to watch Bill get slapped down a few notches by a Hollywood A list celebrity the other night. I guess it still hurts.
Fame makes all kinds of people all kinds of arrogant and stupid.
Yes, go on.
Your take is very interesting. I believe many thought just the opposite.
The whole conversation was fascinating, though, and brought up a lot of issues- especially about ineffective governments. The discussion wasn’t about Islam specifically, but rather about Ebola. One of the guests noted that in Islamic countries where there is a far more stable government, you hardly ever hear anyone being executed for blasphemy.
It’s the religious version of Bread and Circuses in action in places like Pakistan. You find a scapegoat, and use it to the hilt. In places like Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Bahrain, the governments are so terrified of being toppled, they play up the religious oppression to the hilt. They go on witch hunts for witches, gays, and heretics, then have show trials, then show executions.
It was interesting to watch it even if Maher didn’t want to discuss things about Islam in a more nuanced sort of way.