AFI Roundabout: Islam, Free Speech, LGBTQ Rights, Ebola, and Venezuela

Khadija Khan is a British-Pakistani journalist, broadcaster, editor, and commentator based in the United Kingdom. She edits A Further Inquiry and co-hosts its podcast, examining human rights, women’s rights, minority protections, extremism, Islamism, secularism, and freedom of expression. Through journalism, debate, and public commentary, Khan challenges religious and political orthodoxies, defends dissent, and argues that open criticism of ideas is essential to resisting extremism and safeguarding universal rights and civic equality in plural democratic societies.

In this AFI Roundabout discussion, Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Khadija Khan examine an Oxford Union debate on whether the West should be suspicious of Islam, a reported attack during Berlin’s Christopher Street Day, an Ebola outbreak in Congo, and a devastating Venezuelan earthquake. They discuss free speech, ideological criticism, anti-Muslim bigotry, LGBTQ rights, media framing, public-health infrastructure, international assistance, and the need to judge arguments on evidence rather than personal reputation or partisan loyalty alone.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the Lifestyle and Finance Writer and Editor for A Further Inquiry with more than 400 published articles in the outlet. He is the Founder and Publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978–1–0692343; 978–1–0673505) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369–6885). He writes for International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN, 0018–7399; Online: ISSN, 2163–3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), Humanist Perspectives (ISSN: 1719–6337), Vocal, Medium, The Good Men Project, The New Enlightenment Project, The Washington Outsider, rabble.ca, and other media. His bibliography index can be found via the Jacobsen Bank at In-Sight Publishing. He has served in national and international leadership roles within humanist and media organizations, held several academic fellowships, and currently serves on several boards. He is a member in good standing in numerous media organizations, including the Canadian Association of Journalists, PEN Canada (CRA: 88916 2541 RR0001), Reporters Without Borders (SIREN: 343 684 221/SIRET: 343 684 221 00041/EIN: 20–0708028), and others.

Photo by Scott Douglas Jacobsen

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