Anti-radical Muslim activist Maajid Nawaz appeared on Friday's broadcast of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher to talk about the threat of jihadists and Islamist sympathizers in Europe, how "well-meaning liberals" hurt the cause for peaceful Muslims, and his lawsuit against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for labeling his cause a hate group. Nawaz dubbed their attacks on him as "poverty of expectations" (referencing 'bigotry of low expectations').



Nawaz said "well-meaning liberals," usually white males, don't allow for him to criticize his own religion. He questioned why doesn't he have the right to criticize his own religion. He said they are supposedly pro-gay rights but are hesitant to point out conservative Muslim hatred of gays and that they throw people off buildings in some Muslim-dominate Middle Eastern countries.



The activist also drew a clear line between 'Leftist' as opposed to a 'liberal.' He said there is a "Voldemort effect" of people unable to call out Muslim radicals likening it to those afraid to say the name of the villain Voldemort in the Harry Potter novels, instead choosing to refer to him as 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.'



Nawaz said the religion of Islam has to take a reform approach to Muslim scripture and that starts by acknowledging that a problem exists. He said that jihadists list and take out those that are heretics to the religion and he said it's time to list the jihadists as heretics.