Ever since Bill Maher‘s recent criticisms of radical Islam and liberals who fail to denounce its tactics (notably in a debate with actor Ben Affleck), everyone from religion scholar Reza Aslan to Muslim groups and University of California-Berkeley students have spoken out against Maher. Tonight, he addressed one of those controversies head-on.

Many Berkeley students are unhappy with the university’s decision to invite Maher to speak at their December commencement. Maher praised Berkeley for being a bastion of Democratic Party ideas, and said he was invited to speak there because it coincides with the 50th anniversary of Berkeley’s free speech movement.

“I guess they don’t teach irony in college anymore,” Maher said, acknowledging the fact that Berkeley students have called his views on Islam “bigoted” and “racist” — “right, because Islam is a race,” he said.

Maher then said even Reza Aslan, who disagrees with him about Islam, doesn’t actually believe he’s a bigot, and is still willing to come on Maher’s show to debate the issue.

“If even my most respectable critic, who’s a Muslim, says this, what leg does this protest have to stand on?” Maher asked. “He and I disagree on some stuff, but he’s always welcome to come on the show. That’s how it’s done, kids!”

He implored liberals nationwide to weigh in on the debate and defend free speech, and said it’s their reputation that’s on the line, not his.

The segment then turned into a heated debate about free speech and Islam between Maher and author Rula Jebreal.

Jebreal said it isn’t a free speech issue because the students can simply turn the channel if they don’t want to watch his show, but can’t have any type of platform or debate if he is speaking to them.

Sen. Angus King agreed with Maher and said it’s okay if speech is offensive.

“If free speech is only speech you like, it’s not free speech,” he said.

Jebreal then accused Maher of never bringing on opposing voices to his show regarding the Islam issue — a rather curious allegation — but Maher countered by simply saying, “you’re here!”

“For you, we [Muslims] are all jihadists,” Jebreal said to Maher. She also said that if he said similar things about African-Americans and Jews, he would have been fired. But Maher said it was a false equivalency.

Jebreal continued her criticism of Maher and said he views Islam like jihadists view it.

Maher is still set to speak at Berkeley in December despite the protests.

Watch the entire debate below, via HBO:

[Image via screengrab]

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[Note: Mediaite intern Andrew Desiderio is a student at The George Washington University.]

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