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Ben Affleck in Passionate Defence of Islam on Bill Maher Show

Ben Affleck appeared on HBO's television show Real Time
with Bill Maher to promote his latest film, Gone Girl

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Ben Affleck became embroiled in a furious debate about Islam on an American television show, accusing the host of being racist and the guests of being ignorant

Ben Affleck, the Oscar-winning actor and director, has launched a ferocious defence of Islam, after becoming involved in a heated argument when he appeared on an American chat show.

Affleck, the star of Good Will Hunting and director of Argo, appeared on HBO’s television show Real Time with Bill Maher to promote his latest film, Gone Girl.

But instead of talking about the film, the 42-year-old found himself in a furious discussion with both Maher and Sam Harris, the author of a series of books on religion.

Maher, an outspoken atheist and critic of Islam, said last week in his show that “vast numbers of Muslims around the world believe that humans deserve to die for merely holding a different idea, or drawing a cartoon, or writing a book, or eloping with the wrong person.”

He said: “Not only does the Muslim world have something in common with ISIS, it has too much in common with ISIS.” » | Harriet Alexander | Sunday, October 05, 2014