Maajid Nawaz Biography
Maajid Nawaz is co-founder and chairman of Quilliam, a globally active think tank focusing on matters of integration, citizenship and identity, religious freedom, extremism, and immigration. He is also the founder of Khudi, a Pakistan-based social movement campaigning to entrench democratic culture among the nation's youth.
Human rights and a respect for individual liberty are matters close to Nawaz's heart. His work is informed by years spent as a leadership member of a global Islamist group and his gradual transformation towards liberal democratic values. Having served four years as an Amnesty International adopted "prisoner of conscience" in Egypt, Nawaz is now a leading critic of his former Islamist ideological dogma, while remaining a Muslim. He encourages inclusive citizenship-based participation of Muslims in the West, while seeking to synergize a respect for human rights with the civic liberal imperative to defend those in danger of being stigmatized by extremists due to their personal choices.
Nawaz has become a prominent counter-extremism consultant and a regular writer, debater, and public commentator. He has been called upon by heads of state, statesmen, and international bodies for his professional opinion. Nawaz has spoken at platforms internationally ranging from universities across Pakistan to the US Senate in Washington, DC. He has been profiled on 60 Minutes, Larry King Live, and BBC Newsnight; has spoken at a TED conference; and is regularly interviewed by prominent journalists across the world. His work has been published by The London Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, India Times, Dawn Pakistan, The Independent, The Telegraph, The Guardian, and The New Statesman among many others.
As a British-Pakistani born in Essex, Maajid Nawaz speaks English, Arabic, and Urdu, and holds a BA (Hons) from SOAS in Arabic and law, and an MSc in political theory from the London School of Economics (LSE). He is personally interested in Arabic grammar and morphology; Muslim medieval jurisprudence, scholastics, and poetry; and emerging modern political trends.
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Maajid Nawaz Speaking Topics
This talk is a summary of Maajid Nawaz's experiences as an Amnesty International adopted Prisoner of Conscience in an Egyptian jail. It consists of his reflections about thought crime, why he believes it is disingenuous to criminalize thought, even thought we may disagree with, and proposes an alternative called "civic challenge" as a means to reform ideas we disagree with. Nawaz also relates the effects of human rights campaigning can have on a prisoner and shares personal anecdotes from prison and stories from those he served time with including former Islamist Presidential assassins, leading Islamist ideologues, and leading Liberal reform voices in Egypt.
This talk aims to explain the intricacies of nuclear armed Pakistan by addressing the key fault lines that divide the country: identity and ideology. It assesses the reason why Pakistan was created and the relevance of this reason today, the reasons for the further divide of East Pakistan into Bangladesh, the impact of this on the founding vision of the country, the ongoing identity crises the country suffers from, the view of the country's religious clerical forces that there is "unfinished business" to complete in the nations character, and the army's use of this view to create domestic stability and to aid its geo-political struggle with India.
In this talk Maajid Nawaz explains his views on what makes societies strong, stable, and prosperous. The "fabric" that binds societies is not a political one, but sits above politics, a "civilizational" fabric. If no such "fabric" is agreed upon, and there are a few to choose from, societies will tear themselves apart. For years, Islamists have been working in Muslim-majority societies on the grassroots in order to lay the foundations of their own civilizational fabric, and have been succeeding. Conversely, Nawaz believes that democratic forces have not been working on the grassroots, with the people, in order to create genuine grassroots buy-in for the civilizational choice of a democratic political culture. As a result, rulers (even secular ones) of Muslim-majority societies have been pandering to a level of "Islamist intimidation" in society, gradually succumbing to demands to Islamist society. However, imagine if there was "democratic intimidation" in Muslim-majority societies? What would that look like? And how could that reshape the civilizational direction of 1.2 billion of the world's population?
This talk aims to articulate the effects of globalization on extremist rhetoric, and why in many cases globalization has in fact increased rather than diminished the appeal of extremist brands across the political spectrum. Maajid Nawaz explains the way in which the basis for societies evolved from being religious to being nationalist to being citizenship-based, and how societies are now evolving to bond around ideas and narratives. Nawaz then outlines what is needed in order for democrats to regain lost ground in this new reality, and elaborates on the ingredients and strategy needed to re-popularize democratic culture across the world.
Maajid Nawaz shares his life story—from being born and raised in Essex, UK, to the violent racism and discrimination that contributed to his joining an extreme Islamist group at the age of 16. Nawaz narrates his journey through the ranks of this group—being on its leadership in the UK, and helping to found it in Pakistan Denmark, and Egypt—and his eventual arrest, torture, and imprisonment in Egypt. He elaborates on how, during his time in prison, he underwent a radical yet gradual change in beliefs that fundamentally affected the course of his life, and others after him. After his release from Egypt, Nawaz went on to become one of the most visible and vocal critics of the Islamist ideology globally, while remaining a Muslim and campaigning for democratic change.
Maajid Nawaz Videos
How do I book Maajid Nawaz to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Maajid Nawaz for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Maajid Nawaz, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Maajid Nawaz or any other speaker of your choice.
How much does it cost to book Maajid Nawaz for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Maajid Nawaz, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire Maajid Nawaz, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
What topics does Maajid Nawaz speak about?
Maajid Nawaz is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Social Activism, Middle Eastern Heritage, Faith & Religion, Security & Defense, Government, Diversity & Inclusion, World Affairs, Spirituality, Authors, Engineering, Environment, Neuroscience, Space, Robotics, Genetics, Economy, Acting, Technology, TED, Law, Business, Political, Biology and Culture.
Where does Maajid Nawaz travel from?
Maajid Nawaz generally travels from London, UK and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
Who is the agent for Maajid Nawaz?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Maajid Nawaz for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Maajid Nawaz for your next private or corporate function.
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Maajid Nawaz or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Maajid Nawaz is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Social Activism, Middle Eastern Heritage and Faith & Religion. Please contact us for live or virtual event fee details. Maajid Nawaz generally travels from London, UK and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Mikko Hypponen, Yang Lan and Bunker Roy. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Maajid Nawaz for an upcoming event.
SPEAKING TOPICS
Maajid Nawaz Speaking Topics
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Personal Reflections from Egypt's Prisons: Anecdotes from My Time as an Amnesty International Adopted Prisoner of Conscience in Egypt 2002-2006
This talk is a summary of Maajid Nawaz's experiences as an Amnesty International adopted Prisoner of Conscience in an Egyptian jail. It consists of his reflections about thought crime, why he believes it is disingenuous to criminalize thought, even thought we may disagree with, and proposes an alternative called "civic challenge" as a means to reform ideas we disagree with. Nawaz also relates the effects of human rights campaigning can have on a prisoner and shares personal anecdotes from prison and stories from those he served time with including former Islamist Presidential assassins, leading Islamist ideologues, and leading Liberal reform voices in Egypt.
-
Pakistan: Identity, Ideology & Beyond
This talk aims to explain the intricacies of nuclear armed Pakistan by addressing the key fault lines that divide the country: identity and ideology. It assesses the reason why Pakistan was created and the relevance of this reason today, the reasons for the further divide of East Pakistan into Bangladesh, the impact of this on the founding vision of the country, the ongoing identity crises the country suffers from, the view of the country's religious clerical forces that there is "unfinished business" to complete in the nations character, and the army's use of this view to create domestic stability and to aid its geo-political struggle with India.
-
The Need for a "Democratic Intimidation" & the Arab Uprisings
In this talk Maajid Nawaz explains his views on what makes societies strong, stable, and prosperous. The "fabric" that binds societies is not a political one, but sits above politics, a "civilizational" fabric. If no such "fabric" is agreed upon, and there are a few to choose from, societies will tear themselves apart. For years, Islamists have been working in Muslim-majority societies on the grassroots in order to lay the foundations of their own civilizational fabric, and have been succeeding. Conversely, Nawaz believes that democratic forces have not been working on the grassroots, with the people, in order to create genuine grassroots buy-in for the civilizational choice of a democratic political culture. As a result, rulers (even secular ones) of Muslim-majority societies have been pandering to a level of "Islamist intimidation" in society, gradually succumbing to demands to Islamist society. However, imagine if there was "democratic intimidation" in Muslim-majority societies? What would that look like? And how could that reshape the civilizational direction of 1.2 billion of the world's population?
-
A Global Youth Culture to Fight Extremism
This talk aims to articulate the effects of globalization on extremist rhetoric, and why in many cases globalization has in fact increased rather than diminished the appeal of extremist brands across the political spectrum. Maajid Nawaz explains the way in which the basis for societies evolved from being religious to being nationalist to being citizenship-based, and how societies are now evolving to bond around ideas and narratives. Nawaz then outlines what is needed in order for democrats to regain lost ground in this new reality, and elaborates on the ingredients and strategy needed to re-popularize democratic culture across the world.
-
Radical: My Journey from Islamist Extremism to a Democratic Awakening
Maajid Nawaz shares his life story—from being born and raised in Essex, UK, to the violent racism and discrimination that contributed to his joining an extreme Islamist group at the age of 16. Nawaz narrates his journey through the ranks of this group—being on its leadership in the UK, and helping to found it in Pakistan Denmark, and Egypt—and his eventual arrest, torture, and imprisonment in Egypt. He elaborates on how, during his time in prison, he underwent a radical yet gradual change in beliefs that fundamentally affected the course of his life, and others after him. After his release from Egypt, Nawaz went on to become one of the most visible and vocal critics of the Islamist ideology globally, while remaining a Muslim and campaigning for democratic change.
VIDEO
Maajid Nawaz Videos
FAQS
-
How do I book Maajid Nawaz to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Maajid Nawaz for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Maajid Nawaz, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Maajid Nawaz or any other speaker of your choice. -
How much does it cost to book Maajid Nawaz for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Maajid Nawaz, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire Maajid Nawaz, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Maajid Nawaz speak about?
Maajid Nawaz is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Social Activism, Middle Eastern Heritage, Faith & Religion, Security & Defense, Government, Diversity & Inclusion, World Affairs, Spirituality, Authors, Engineering, Environment, Neuroscience, Space, Robotics, Genetics, Economy, Acting, Technology, TED, Law, Business, Political, Biology and Culture. -
Where does Maajid Nawaz travel from?
Maajid Nawaz generally travels from London, UK and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. -
Who is the agent for Maajid Nawaz?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Maajid Nawaz for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Maajid Nawaz for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Maajid Nawaz or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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