A nawful extremist

Kaveh Mousavi sent the SPLC a letter telling them to add him to their list of “anti-Muslim extremists.”

To Whom It May Concern,
Southern Poverty Law Center

I recently came across your report on “anti-Muslim extremists” which includes the names of Maajid Nawaz and Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I write to you in order to cordially ask you to include my name in the list as an example of an awful extremist. Following you will see my justification for this humble request.

I am an atheist living in Iran. The name you see here is not my real name, that is due to my extremism. As a bigot, I believe that there is no God, and that there should be dissenting voices within the Muslim culture championing freedom and equality, and that some of those voices must challenge religious institutes. Because of these extremist beliefs I face the danger of consequences at the hands of the victims of my bigotry, ranging from execution to losing my livelihood to being ostracized by the society. Therefore I am sure that you forgive me for not lifting my hood. (Here I compared myself with the KKK for your pleasure).

I believe I am far worthier than Mr. Nawaz for the title of “anti-Muslim extremist”. I write for a blog called “On the Margin of Error” on the atheist channel of Patheos network, in which I have three aims: one is to criticize Islamic ideologies, traditions, and institutions. That is, by definition, extremist and bigoted. My second goal is to convince Westerners to support Iranian reformists within the regime and to encourage diplomacy with Iran. (I said I’m a bigot, not a competent one).

But the third reason is the most important: I try to narrate the story of an ex-Muslim. In the report it was said that Mr. Nawaz sharing a cartoon that Muslims consider blasphemous was one reason for being on the list, well, you know what is the ultimate blasphemy according to the Muslims? Apostasy! In fact, apostates are considered unclean by Muslims. That makes me much more extremist than Mr. Nawaz. In fact, Mr. Nawaz can easily rectify his extremist stance by drawing a moral equivalence between the cartoonist and those who want to behead him, but I, this living blasphemy in flesh and blood, can only rectify it by committing suicide.

Read the whole thing.

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