The weekly report on the SPI Fellows
by Julie Esris

Taslima Nasreen

Taslima Nasreen

Writer, feminist, religious critic, and SPI Fellow Taslima Nasreen fled Bangladesh more than twenty years ago to escape the extremists who threatened to kill her for criticizing Islam. Today she lives in New Delhi. In a recent interview, she laments about the dangers that freethinkers face in Bangladesh and what can be done about it.

The debate rages on: Is┬áISIS Islamic? Yes, insists┬áAymenn┬áJawad Al-Tamimi, SPI Fellow and expert on the Islamic State. In a recent interview, Al-Tamimi discusses why this issue shouldn’t be up for debate.

Recently, world famous evolutionary biologist and SPI Fellow Richard Dawkins┬áwas interviewed by the Society of Biology. Watching the video, you’ll learn how he became interested in biology and what it means that biology is “digital”.

What does science have to do with politics? Quite a bit, says historian of science and SPI Fellow Michael Shermer. In a recent interview, Shermer gives a convincing argument as to why politicians should be scientifically literate.

Is the Afghan Taliban still relevant today? Michael Semple, expert on the Taliban and an SPI Fellow thinks so. Come listen to his recent podcast on why the Taliban still matters and how we can make sense of it.

Michael Semple

Michael Semple