Ben Affleck calls Bill Maher's views on Islam 'gross' 'racist' and 'disgusting'
Ben Affleck got into a heated discussion over Islam on TV show Real Time With Bill Maher.
The Argo and Gone Girl-star appeared on the show on Friday to discuss the role of Islam in contemporary society. Host Bill Maher and author Sam Harris' comments on radical Islamists increasingly agitated Affleck, accusing both of stereotyping all Muslims.
"We have been sold this meme of Islamophobia, where criticism of the religion gets conflated with bigotry towards muslims as people," Harris said. "It's intellectually ridiculous."
"Hold on, are you the person who officially understands the codified doctrine of Islam?" Affleck interjected.
He regarded their views as "gross and racist" and likened their opinion on Islamist doctrine to saying "Oh, you shifty Jew!'"
"How about the more than a billion people who are not fanatical, who don't punish women, who just want to go to school, have some sandwiches, pray five times a day and don't do any of the things that 'all Muslims do'?" Said Affleck, leaning across the table, clearly infuriated by Maher and Harris.
"You're stereotyping. You're taking a few bad things and you're painting the whole religion with that same brush," Affleck said.
Harris continued to argued that fundamentalism wasn't limited 'extreme' Muslims, rather that many of Islam's beliefs caused friction between homosexuals and other marginalized groups. This caused Affleck to shake his head as others on the panel attempted to intervene.
"Because it's the only religion that acts like the mafia that will f**king kill you if you say the wrong thing, draw the wrong picture or write the wrong book," Maher countered.
The actor, whose previous activism sparked rumors of a senate run in 2012, compared their argument Friday night to white racists' views on blacks or equating all gays' behavior to serial killer Ted Bundy's.
"God damn these gays they're all trying to eat each other," Affleck said to make his point.
In the end, Maher concluded that it was a topic they would agree to disagree on.
Morning news break - October 6
