We have to render Islamist extremism as unattractive as communism has become today.

I'm yet to discover any form of theocracy that isn't homophobic, that isn't bigoted to the out group.

Within our lifetime, we can remember a time when Islamism wasn't the dominant form of discourse or the aim should be to minimise the absolutists within any religious community and contain them.

No form of theocracy, whether it's manifested in a violent or non-violent form, is ever good for civilisation, and we have to challenge it in civil society as well as we would challenge Christian-based theocracy, or any other form of bigotry.

After much soul searching I was able to renounce my past Islamist ideology, challenging everything I was once prepared to die for.

Does freedom of speech give the right to offend?

There are no globalized, youth-led, grassroots social movements advocating for democratic culture across Muslim-majority societies. There is no equivalent of Al-Qaeda without the terrorism.