Ben Affleck in angry debate over Islam on Real Time with Bill Maher

HOLLYWOOD stars have to do plenty of interesting things when promoting a movie, but a fired up, 10-minute rant defending Islam usually isn’t one them.

GONE Girl star Ben Affleck finally managed to get people talking about something other than his full frontal nude scene, launching a ferocious defence of Islam on a US talk show.

The Oscar winning actor and director was on Real Time With Bill Maher to promote the new film, but didn’t get away without a heated debate as the panel discussion turned to a discussion on Islam.

Maher introduced the topic arguing the case that “liberals (using the US definition of ‘liberal’, meaning left-leaning), need to stand up for liberal principles”, with fellow panellist, prominent atheist Sam Harris, agreeing that Islamic beliefs didn’t sit with what true liberals believe.

“When you want to talk about the treatment of women and homosexuals and free thinkers and public intellectuals in the Muslim world, I would argue liberals have failed us,” Harris said.

Going on to argue that a large number of Muslims support the beliefs of jihadists, the pair copped a spray from Affleck who interrupted the discussion to defend the religion.

“You are saying that Islamophobia is not a real thing?” he said in disbelief.

“It’s gross, it’s racist. It’s like saying ‘that shifty Jew’.”

Suddenly I have feelings of love for @BenAffleck. I love his exasperation with these assholes. http://t.co/ipLlyQWYIU pic.twitter.com/iCfCEhC1lj

— ^a spooky kadaver^ (@onekade) October 4, 2014

The panel went on to argue that liberal Americans should not support “bad ideas”, with author Sam Harris saying Islam was “the mother lode of bad ideas”.

“That’s an ugly thing to say,” Affleck responded.

“How about the more than a billion people who aren’t fanatical, who don’t punish women, who just want to go to school, have some sandwiches, and don’t do any of the things you say all Muslims do?

“You’re taking a few bad things and you’re painting a whole religion with the same brush.”

Affleck went on to compare his fellow panellist’s opinions to saying “you know, black people, they shoot each other”, with Maher arguing “it’s the only religion that acts like the mafia”.

“What is you answer? Is it just to condemn Islam? We’ve killed more Muslims than they have killed us by an awful lot,” Affleck said.

After more than 10 minutes of debate the panel finally moved on with Maher declaring they would “never agree”.