Conversation so far:
what does Sam think about Islam?
Harris considers Islam to be "especially belligerent and inimical to the norms of civil discourse," relative to other world religions.
what else does he think about it?
"The idea that Islam is a 'peaceful religion hijacked by extremists' is a dangerous fantasy--and it is now a particularly dangerous fantasy for Muslims to indulge.
has he been criticized for his beliefs?
Islam is a criticism of beliefs and their consequences.
what do critics have to say to him?
we have already lost our First Amendment rights with respect to Islam--and because they brand any observation of this fact a symptom of Islamophobia.
did he have any controversies?
controversy over his criticism of Islam, which also aired on a debate hosted by The Huffington Post on whether critics of Islam are unfairly labeled as bigots.

Question: how did he handle the controversies?
Self-contained rewrite: how did Sam Harris handle the controversies?