"Islam: To Reform or Abandon? - When it comes to addressing problems with Islam, there are two popular movements: the ex-Muslim movement, which are former Muslims have abandoned Islam entirely, and the reform movement, which are Muslims who try to modify the way Islam is practised and understood. For some reason, the reform movement is gaining more attention than the ex-Muslim movement. Even among many ex-Muslims, reform seems to be the main hope that is offered for change within Islamic communities. But why? Is reforming Islam really the right or best choice?"

Please join the UBC Freethinkers in welcoming Armin Navabi who will be discussing this topic in a FREE lecture on March 17th in Room 2514 of the AMS Nest. The event will be an hour long, and will include a short Q&A period at the end of the lecture.

Armin Navabi is a former Muslim from Iran and the founder of Atheist Republic, a non-profit organization with over one million fans and followers worldwide that is dedicated to offering a safe community for atheists around the world to share their ideas and meet like-minded individuals. Armin was born and raised in the Islamic Republic of Iran and was indoctrinated thoroughly in the Muslim tradition. After almost losing his life in the pursuit of God’s grace, the devastation of that event motivated him to seek a better understanding of the nature and concept of God and religious belief. Armin’s journey led him to leaving Islam and becoming an atheist. Wanting to reach out to others like himself, Armin continues to examine religion as well as the notion of God and interact with others to engage in thought-provoking and educational discussion