Maajid Nawaz, a former Islamist who is now a British activist, author, politician and founder of Quilliam—a think tank that seeks to challenge the narratives of Islamist extremists—addressed a packed room on the critical question of whether Islam can be reformed, at the EastWest Institute’s New York Center on December 16, at 4:00 p.m.

Nawaz is the co-author with Sam Harris of Islam and the Future of Tolerance: A Dialogue, which was published in 2015 by Harvard University Press. Nawaz speaks of his identity crisis brought on by British racism, as a major factor propelling him towards extremism. Charismatic recruiters from ISIS and other Islamist organizations continue to target vulnerable youth suffering similar experiences. The book takes a close-up view of his transformational journey.

In light of the most recent horrific ISIS attacks in Paris, Beirut and Russia, no conversation is more important than this one.

CEO and President Cameron Munter introduced Nawaz. A question-and-answer session followed.