Audio: Hitchens v. Tariq Ramadan debate
posted at 5:49 pm on September 14, 2007 by see-dubya
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Regular readers of this site know who Christopher Hitchens is. Tariq Ramadan is a name you should know as well. He’s a high-profile, international-set Muslim scholar who, depending on whom you believe, is a moderate Muslim activist–or a wolf in moderate’s clothing who preaches moderation in English and jihad in Arabic.
Ramadan had previously (and probably wisely) refused to debate Hitchens. It’s a shame, because that would have been a sellout event on the order of the Hitchens-Galloway debate.
But Hitchens is a rather persistent cuss, and crashed Ramadan’s speaking engagement in Mantua to badger him with awkward questions about radical Islam. I’m listening now, but Amy Alkon (who has the audio download link) says Christopher Hitchens “wip[ed] the floor” with Ramadan.
The audio spends a lot of time translating the English debate into Italian, so if you’re in a hurry Hitchens’ take on the event is here at Slate.
UPDATE–VERDICT: Poor quality audio, thick accents, and slippery no-substance answers. I want a rematch.
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I’m an Atheist, and I can’t stand Christopher Hitchens. The guy annoys the hell out of me.
SoulGlo on September 14, 2007 at 6:01 PM
Hitchens makes a lot of good arguments though. He’s a little too full of himself, but on jihad he’s probably one of the best speakers out there.
lorien1973 on September 14, 2007 at 6:03 PM
Shame about the accustics in the recording. Every third or forth word sounds like d’oh to me.
laelaps on September 14, 2007 at 6:03 PM
I read that the other day and seemed like Hedges didn’t think he faired too well, because the other guy kept dodging and not answering questions.
lorien1973 on September 14, 2007 at 6:04 PM
Both sides seemed full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
I didn’t hear anything that sounded remotely like a floor-wip[ing].
I think too many people hear his Richard Burtonesque voice and his flowery vocabulary and assume he’s said something of value.
jdpaz on September 14, 2007 at 6:30 PM
jdpaz
I think he sounds like Ringo (that’s a good thing).
And yes, he gets, keeps, and holds your attention while speaking. Even if you disagree with him, and frequently I do, but I enjoy listening to him.
CrimsonFisted on September 14, 2007 at 6:44 PM
Audio is terrible. Can barely make out what either says.
MadisonConservative on September 14, 2007 at 6:47 PM
I’m amused by Hitchens’ discription of what happended to Mohammed when he received a revelation, which were sometimes suited to his own immediate needs:
Hitchens tries to get some atheistic mileage by comparing this to what happened to Paul, but what happened to Paul was one event followed by a lifetime of leading by example and letter writing. No head chopping needed.
pedestrian on September 14, 2007 at 6:48 PM
One mans seizure is another man’s revelation, or not.
Speakup on September 14, 2007 at 6:56 PM
I am an Atheist and I thank god for Christopher Hitchens.
JayHaw Phrenzie on September 14, 2007 at 6:57 PM
I asked Christopher Hitchens a smartass question once after a public speech.
My bottom is still sore.
see-dubya on September 14, 2007 at 7:09 PM
I’m an Atheist, and I can’t stand Christopher Hitchens. The guy annoys the hell out of me.
SoulGlo on September 14, 2007 at 6:01 PM
Hitchens makes a lot of good arguments though. He’s a little too full of himself, but on jihad he’s probably one of the best speakers out there.
lorien1973 on September 14, 2007 at 6:03 PM
I cannot agree with those who rank modesty among the virtues. To the logician all things should be seen exactly as they are, and to underestimate one’s self is as much a departure from truth as to exaggerate one’s own powers.
- Sherlock Holmes
MB4 on September 14, 2007 at 7:53 PM
The “Satanic Verses” error of Mohammad (who admitted to being fooled by Satan into inserting “a mistaken dogma as Allah’s own”) is the crucial piece of evidence which destroys any possibility for trusting anything else Mohammad said.
If he could be fooled once about who was “inspiring” him (Devil or God), why could he not be fooled always?
Maybe the “Satanic” verses were really the only ones coming from Allah, and all the rest were demonically mistaken.
Once he has shown himself to be a deceivable dupe of the devil, why give any credence to the fool?
This is central argument (which got Salman Rushdie a death notice) that Hitchens needs to latch onto like a bull terrier and never relent on:
-Ah, you admit that Mohammad, himself, said he was deceived by Satan at least once?
Doesn’t this undermine and destroy any reason for belief in this character’s word? And does this not make the quality of his “transmission” of Allah’s dogmas utterly suspect?
THE DEVIL DECEIVED HIM, by his own admission!
No other prophets have ever said that.
Makes him sounds somewhat insane.
And spiritually untrustworthy.
And morally suspect.
If Mohammad’s “perfect” armor is pierced, the rest of the house of Koranic cards falls.
As it must.
For our survival, as well as the liberation of all Muslims from this soul and mind prison.
profitsbeard on September 15, 2007 at 11:17 AM
What I don’t hear about Islam is that every single Muslim lives under a death threat. Every spokesman for that religion is akin to a hostage negotiating on behalf of his captures mindful that any wrong word will result in his death. Behind the ever present death threat of Islam are the absurd ramblings of a demon possessed, mass-murdering, sexually perverted, plagarizing, false prophet.
Bravo to HotAir for blogging the Koran this year. It’s been a real “revelation.”
Mojave Mark on September 15, 2007 at 11:54 AM