Reza Aslan - How Al Qaeda Spins America's Image Abroad

[mittROMNEY666]

i want to see ww3 usa, europe, russia, japan, canada, austailia vs. muslims, chinese, indians, and africans!!! wouldnt that be great ? we could blast them all to glass.

[JennaSmith987]

@mittROMNEY666 OR we can shoot u and a few of ur kind, save the world.

[xlunax86]

Sometimes, I find Reza to be extremely annoying, but on Al Qaeda we could agree more.

@schmusabear No I don't think he's hot. I find him too much of a weasel to be attractive.

[vapidwords]

is reza aslan gay? lol he's smart otherwise

[Xzibillionaire]

@vapidwords

nope he is not. 100% straight

[FoolMagazine]

Not exactly, you seem to be overwhelmed by the distraction of a 'movement'... you seem to forget key criticisms of a postmodern worldview in your postmodern interpretation. To think that an Afghani, a Iraqi, or similiar thinks in a 'unified' narrative is precisely what is the con. An Al Queda does not promote such a perception, as much as deconstructing it into more local subtext and then assign it various contexts. What you see is the 'American political machine' translated and used elsewhere.

[seabear145]

HE IS US GOVT PUPPET.

HIS VIEWS ARE NOT RIGHT.

REMEMBER HE IS AMERICAN AND WORKING FOR CBS.

[l3lip]

@seabear145

Is he a part of the fictitious Illuminati too?

[sodapoprags]

@seabear145 Yes, CBS... the American government's Christian-Zionist Broadcasting Service......

[MrGrandDragon]

Being a Hanbali or a Hanafi are not sects. They are accepted schools of thoughts in jurisprudence in Islam. The theology is exactly the same

[vapidwords]

@MrGrandDragon well if he said ashari vs athari or maturidi vs athari it would be theological.

[MsBaystater]

Reza himself is part of the reason the "fight against the movement" is going so poorly -- if indeed it is. His long-winded descriptions of what HE perceives as the mechanics of the Islamist movement -- actually seem to be applauding that movement and thereby legitimizing it. There IS nothing legitimate about Islamic extremism! Why spend so much time examining Islamist motives -- without an equal amount of time condemning their actions? As if to "understand" them will be to defeat them!

[sodapoprags]

@MsBaystater No, you're the reason we're losing the fight against Reza's losing the fight against "the movement"! Your long-winded and poorly thought out critique of Reza's critique of the Jihadist tactics is wasting valuable time you could be blindly fighting extremists without any plan! As if to talk about defeating them will defeat them...

[good2freelance]

Is Reza gay?

His body language hand language say so :)

[ast453000]

how many times does this clown say "identity"?

[BiblesOnLine]

95% of the peoples of the world want? to be told what to do, and how to behave.

U. S. created more dead, more orphans, more widows, more homeless, and more tortured under the? name of liberty and democracy than totalitarianism.

[bazu]

@BiblesOnLine your comment betrays you as the victim of a nonsensical revisionist history.

[kossmikham]

Notice Aslan never addresses Al Qaida's (and other Islamist extremists') motivation for what they do . He only addresses their methods, tactics and strategies. Why? Because that would be a slippery slope. Because Al Qaida and their ilk are in fact animated by Islam. By the true Islam, not by Islam a la carte.

[willhum]

Reza Aslan is only someone I have discovered recently... yet he seems to articulate brilliantly the sort of thinking I had on many of the issues within and without the Muslim world. He also gets me thinking about areas I had not considered. A voice of reason and clarity in a wilderness of media us-versus-them simplifications IMHO.

[kossmikham]

Why would you look to the media for an understanding of issues related to the Muslim world in the first place? That's like going to 7-11 and expecting to pick up tips on fine dining.

Aslan is articulate, but clearly has a grossly apologist slant on Islam. He routinely does these triple somersaults in defense of Islam, in the same style communists used to defend Lenin and Marx.

[willhum]

I disagree, 'grossly apologist' for you is 'insightful' for me. I am no supporter of Islamic terrorism, but its something important to understand, the causal factors, the world-view(s) in the Islamic world etc especially if peace is ever to emerge.

Nor do I think Aslans roll is is particularly about 'defending Islam' but rather explaining it to an (lets face it) quite insular , ignorant US public. .... But if you want to stay with the Fox news point of view then be my guest.

[kossmikham]

I was born and raised in the same northern suburb of Tehran as was Aslan. And I was a few years older when I left than he was when he left, which means I absorbed a lot more of the Islamic culture that he did.

Aslan may be able to give someone like you, and the mostly insular, ignorant US public (we do agree on that) insight into Islam, but has has little insight to offer someone like me. As a result, I can see through the outer layer of his narrative and into the apologistic subtext.

[willhum]

Its all positional, and I rather sense we don't share the same position! Andre Gide once said that tyranny is the absence of nuance or subtlety - I like Aslans take on religion as his view does contain plenty of nuance and subtlety - unlike someone such as Christopher Hitchens - who clearly does not and I am guessing you are a supporter of. Aslan is an apolgoist for Islam only if you yourself are anti-Islamic which I rather sense you are despite (or perhpas because of) your Iranian upbringing.

[kossmikham]

Once again, incorrect conclusions on your part, except that we don't share the same position, but that was obvious before. Aslan's take contains nuance and subtlety only to the extent a believer's views would. The core of his narrative is apologistic. There are aspects of Islam that cannot be made appealing no matter how you paint them. But that requires actually knowing Islam, not being given a slick sales pitch. And my guess is you don't know Islam.

(continued...)

[kossmikham]

(part 2)

I'm not a "supporter" of anyone in that I don't view religion the same way I view politics. I support reason and rationalism. I'm against blind faith of any kind.

My being a free thinker is neither because of nor despite being born in Tehran in a Muslim family. Somehow you believe, as most people do, that religion is hereditary. It is only hereditary if one is too lazy to exercise their most precious gift as a human: the ability to question, reason and arrive at rational conclusions.

[willhum]

The same could be said of Christianity or Buddhism frankly. Enough said, thanks for the debate.

[kossmikham]

Aha! Now you're beginning to think clearly ; ) (and by "clearly" I don't mean in the Scientology sense)

Cheers.

[willhum]

I sense one of our differences is that I studied Religious Studies at Masters level, so am probably much more sympathetic to world religions than you are... Am assuming you are an atheist who sees religion as a power for wrong/evil etc in the world.... cause of wars, terrorism and suffering etc. Your probably with Dworkins and Hitchens??

[kossmikham]

"With Dawkins or Hitchens"? Really? I thought we covered that ground. Again, not politics. Not "with" anyone. I accept reason. I reject faith.

I sense you like to draw quick conclusions based on little or no evidence. While I may not have wasted my academic career studying religion, I have not only studied religion on my own, but have lived it and experienced it, with different religions, or with people practicing and believing in those religions. I have a perspective that you likely do not.

[willhum]

You say you reject faith but accept reason....But are you reasonable or open-minded about faith?... I suspect not. For the record (assuming its important) I too have lived and exprienced religion and faith in different contexts, countries, cultures etc so really you do not have some special claim to truth based on your own experiences that is somehow not avaliable to the rest of us.

[kossmikham]

Open-minded about faith? Faith begins with and requires shutting down our singular defining characteristic as humans, that of reasoning. Open-mindedness and faith are by definition a complete oxymoron. If you're asking whether I've tried faith, yes, I certainly have. I was in fact a staunch Muslim through my early years in college.

How open-minded are you about thinking rationally and questioning everything you have taken on faith, some of which may be beliefs you happened to grow up with?

[willhum]

This is what I mean about being open minded about faith. The problem is that you don't understand what its really about, its to do with inner exploration of human subjectivity not beliefs in an exterior objective truth. I am not surprised you rejected staunch Islam, like all religious fundamentalism it misses the point completely simply by being staunch! Take a more relaxed view however and all sorts of truths emerge, just don't get staunch about them or confused them with scientific truth!

[willhum]

What I like about Aslan is not that he is an apologist for Islam, that really would not appeal... but rather he has a highly nuanced view of religion in general, one that tallies with my own view. i.e. Religion is a set of cultural signifiers pointing at the trancendent/mystical experience reported in all cultures. In that sense much of what is seen as damaging about religion is really about people and politics and we human being struggling on this earth... nothing to do with religion per se.

[kossmikham]

As humans, religion was important in our infancy as a species, when the world was completely unknown and dark. We needed explanations for things that scared us or pleased us. We've come a long way since then.

Today, given what we know, there is no excuse for believing in supernatural beings with magical powers. We have explanations for a great deal of things, at least those of us with an understanding of science do, but the information is available to all of us. Religion is now merely a crutch.

[willhum]

Their is a simmilarity between your point of view and religious fundamentalists. The only difference is that you don't belive and the fundamentalist does. Crucially, neither side can allow for the fact that religion is not at all about the exterior/objective world but about the interior subjective one. Basically, its about human consicousness. Thats why Buddhists meditate, Muslims fast, Jesus went into the desert, Sufi's whirl, Christians prey and Peruvian shamans drink ayahuasca.

[kossmikham]

Judging by your statements I'm hazarding a guess that you're neither professionally nor academically associated with science (exact and physical sciences, anyway). And I don't mean that in a facetious way. I often find that people who aren't scientifically trained view science as just another faith, only different from their own.

[willhum]

The distance from science to religion cuts both ways! For the record, I am fully a westerner born and brought up with science and very happy to be so. It's you that mistakes religion to be somehow scientific in nature - it is not! Completely different field of human exploration!! I DO NOT THEREFORE SEE SCIENCE AS ANOTHER FAITH!! OR RELIGION AS HAVING THE SAME KIND OF TRUTH CLAIMS!! As all my posts have made very clear.

[kossmikham]

Again, your statements reveal more biases. Somehow you equate being a westerner with being scientifically oriented, and I'm guessing conversely, being from the east equates to being alien to science? That's a rather cartoonish view. It's the words you use: "being brought up with science". What does that mean exactly? You absorbed science through osmosis by being a westerner? Either you studied science formally or you didn't. There are plenty of westerners who are clueless about science.

[willhum]

If I had been brought up in rural Afghanistan, I might have a rather different view on both religion and science - particularly if I thought that one was somehow a treat to the other. Being brought up with science means that I studied it at school at A-level and I don't have an issue with scientific truth claims per se. But your still missing the point, they are different fields of human enquiry.

[willhum]

Of course science quite rightly tells us that supernatural beings with magic powers don't exist, there is absolutely no scientific proof of this. However, drink enough ayahuaca, fast enough, prey enough and meditate enough and all sorts of things will come out the depths of ones consciousness and un-consciousness. Furthermore they will have a truth to them, not a scientific one maybe (science measures external objective world) but one which resonates at the deepest levels of human experience.

[kossmikham]

The euphoric experiences you speak of are not a byproduct of religion, certainly not exclusively. Have you ever derived a mathematical proof? Ever intimately understood a fundamental law of physics in a mental flash after grappling with it for weeks or months, so thoroughly that it shook the core of your very being? Ever created a brilliant, elegant solution to an engineering problem? I suspect not. I'll take those over mind altering drugs any day.

[kossmikham]

Sure, take enough hallucinogens and you'll see all kinds of bizarre things as a result of disrupting your nervous system. Does that make hallucinogens an educational tool? Perhaps only as a demonstration of wreaking havoc on your neocortex. Don't confuse the effect of your own brain's release of dopamine and serotonin with what you experience using hallucinogens. In any case, faith is not about any of these. You're mixing up human mental experiences with dogma, demons, monsters, heaven and hell.

[willhum]

During a symposium held for centenarian Albert Hofmann, "Hofmann revealed that he was told by Nobel-prize-winning chemist Kary Mullis that LSD had helped him develop the polymerase chain reaction that helps amplify specific DNA sequences." Replying to his own postulate during an interview for BBC's Psychedelic Science documentary, "What if I had not taken LSD ever; would I have still invented PCR?" He replied, "I don't know. I doubt it. I seriously doubt it." - Stay closed-minded if you wish!!

[kossmikham]

For every one of those scientists who achieved a discovery by taking LSD I'll show you 10,000 mental patients or vegetables for doing the same. You're ignoring the general rule in favor of an outlier. But again, all unrelated to religion, many of which, by the way, STRICTLY FORBID the use of drugs and alcohol.

I'm all for the exploration of the mind, believe me. It is my reason for being. That is not religion, and it is certainly not achieved through practice of religion. Quite the contrary.

[willhum]

Then read Prof. Stanslav Groff 'Realms of the Human Unconscious' if you are seriously interested the mind and what we have talked about. (Its a good book but don't bother with his other ones after he left science). All religions start with altered states of consciousness (mostly non-drug induced incidentally), what the rest of us do with that is another matter.

[willhum]

I would also add that you only need one outlier to prove that black swans exist.

[RoseProphecy]

I wrote 9 books in one year in 1994 when everything had died & noone cared about Iran or D alienated world!I wrote step by step Rose Way 2 Self & Societal Knowledge of Prevention Health & Excellence & Global Peace Program of Dialogue through film music 2 change world patterns to peace freedom of all race religion culture gender 4 a civilized unity of a Global Family! All other knowledge is copy of my original scientific spiritual knowlege of D Holy divine spirit in me & experience of healing!

[ludwigau]

If Aslan and Parsi are supporters of terrorism, why weren't they arrested or detained by the Bush-US government? Oh, wait! They Bush-US government must be working for the terrorists too!

[fraizer57]

There are many in USA who actually support PLO, Hezbullah, Hammas, Iran's Mojahedin but as long as long as they stay within the US law. All sorts of governments & organisations have lobbyists in USA and it is allowed by law but that does not stop these mother fuckers to be the clever mouthpiece of the killer Mullahs. Unlike Aslan, Traitor Parsi is well exposed. Check Mr. Hassan Dai's website for more info on these criminal thugs in suits.

[leonore35]

Agreed Us has killed a lot of innocent people but this is dwarfed by the actions of Muslims who have killed 1000s of innocents as a matter of policy They have no compunction about killing especially if those killed are the other branch of islam

I have not heard of US using children and women as suicide bombs, pouring petrol over a child and setting him on fire, machne gunning schoolgirls and just massacring bystandards We don't hear any protests from Muslims on that which are not mistakes

[Rosco6767]

Happy Birthday America!! Thank you Marines, Army, Navy, and Air Force!

[xingyimaster1987]

al qaeda does spin americas image. america never dropped an atomic bomb on hiroshima, they don't give israel 3 billion a year to massacre palestinians, they never killed half a million children in iraq, they never empowered the taliban or put dictators in charge in muslim countries, or give charity to poorer countries as a means of blackmail, its all one big lie. america are innocent, al qaeda doesn't even need to try and spin americas image, they are so righteous it is impossible.

[tooclassy4most]

i wish there were more angry muslims like you out there! the world would truly be a better place

[xingyimaster1987]

i make a distinction, i'm not angry with the american people, i'm angry with some of the US governments policies. americans are good people, i've been to florida. however unfortunately until obama, america has been controlled by zionist neocons who have treated the muslim world like crap. i think now obama is in power things may change and become better. people are starting to respect america once again in the muslim world.

[daniyalnawaz]

He thinks that the al-qaida wants a global caliphate and are not clear in their goals.

He's totally wrong. There is no such thing as global caliphate. Al-qaida has always been clear about their objectivesand are very consistent in what they do.

How is al-qaida spinning the America's image when America is intervening? Isn't america exploiting the muslim resourses? Isn't america supporting the tyrant regimes i.e Saudi Arabia and Egypt?

[lonovik]

That is just opposite to new American century aka American Empire.

[supermanpaki]

I agree. America and Alqaida are both terrible. America kills innocent muslims, destroys their homes. but it will fail. because islam will conquer america.

[Rosco6767]

Islam will conquer America? Please explain to me how that is going to happen.

Oh yeah 4th of July is tomorrow so say Happy Birthday America!

[supermanpaki]

If you read history of islam, any nation attacking us are destroyed. Death to america .. die of 4th of july

[Rosco6767]

Well good luck with that. So when are you joining up with Al Qaeda and going on a suicide mission?

Seriously, you are crazy. The west moves forward, the muslim world moves backwards.

Happy Birthday America!

[nyznicca]

As a Pakistani myself please stop with retarded bs....you are not helping anyone with your dumb statements!

[XboxFreakboy]

Good luck with that! lol

[schmusabear]

Anybody else think he's a total hottie?

[katus819]

Completely sexy...and funny...and brilliant!

[DRR180]

I'm a totally hetero male, but yes, he is a sexy beast.

[schmusabear]

Awesome!

[audgeyp]

He is. Despite his enormous intellect, it's sometimes hard for me to concentrate on what he's saying for that very reason!

[Alexander021]

@schmusabear That guy looks so gay!! Im not saying there is anything wrong with being gay. Just that he likes the cock!

[Rassgatibala]

@schmusabear Who knows, if I was one to smoke the cock I think I would consider him a candidate.

[magendaSky]

He's really funny :D look at 1:22

[jairotaveras]

he speaks in a very polished and mature matter that in it of itself mean his gay. but on the other hand their are those people out there the carry themselves in a crazy flamboyant way who you know you see them are VERY GAY!!!!!!! Kevinues

[JesuitFarmer]

Violence engenders violence.

[damerz0405]

Reza is a really smart guy.......

[thespeez]

I wish there were more Muslim spokespeople like him! The world needs it!

[peiman1368]

is he gay????

[EdugeBDroN]

He might be but it aint really relevant

[mcab07]

hes my professor lol

[xingyimaster1987]

is he gay lol

[nilo723]

look at his expressions, his hand movements..

REZA ASLAN IS GAY..!

[seh87]

Umm this guy is pretty good. I am actually going to go buy his book right now....He made some very valid points. Repeated a few of the idea within our scholarly reads in school but yes...

[sjohnson17921]

OMG! I have a huge crush on this guy. He's smart AND a hottie!

[shortnab]

OMG me too! A real rational level headed man who is disseminating the views of progressive Muslims.

[mamba9999]

He is brilliant.

[8data]

good connection to global warming, its interesting when world history is written it will be from the point of view of Islamists

and not united states and its allies

which is a shame, but after reading tim weiners a legacy of ashes, weve brought it on ourselves because of tactical failures of 80s and 90s

g

[8data]

looc at they have joined forces with the greatest islamists

in algeria,looc what happened to frances military

the western spirit is depleting and islamists gaining strength worldwide

for the time being, they are suceeding because of faulty strategies

[benjiemooncakes]

Sorry, I meant he wasn't talking about mainstream Christian and Jews.

[benjiemooncakes]

You see, back then there were people who said they were muslim but they were really not. they were jews and christians. they were like bandits and spies and they killed many innocnet muslims. so thats who God was really talking about in the Quran. Not mainstream muslims because, like i mentioned b4, he grants them heaven.

[judoka1]

Typical "expert on Islam & middle east" fraud this guy doesn't know anything about the middle east culture or Islam! He looks like an expert on gay issues or some.

[bigcherry99]

reza is a total fraud. he's just looking to spread islam in the US. nothing more than that.

he's just another islamic salesman.

[judoka1]

I agree that he is a total fraud he is just promoting him self though Islam is an alien concept to seculars like himself and to bigots and zionists such as your self.

[bigcherry99]

reza is doing both. he's promoting himself and his poisonous religion at the same time.

a double win for reza.

muslims always promote islam, thats what they do. they can't help themselves. they're brainwashed. zombies serving their islamic master.

islam even means 'submission'. muslims are just slaves.

[judoka1]

Your full of your self..Just a plain ole zionist blow hard and an idiot.

[bigcherry99]

i notice you don't rebut any of my arguments.

i'm not a zionist, but you sound like a jew hater.

i don't like judiasm and i hate islam.

you don't have to be a jew to hate islam, you just have to realize what a disgusting ideology it is.

are you a brainwashed muslim like Reza or do you just hate jews?

[judoka1]

What arguments?! you state zionist proganda from the turds the "zionist christians". What I responded is the only posiblle response to trolls such as your self.

[bigcherry99]

zionists attack islam and I attack islam, maybe our criticisms are correct?

don't tell me! you're an islamic apologist! ...and you're trying to neutralize my criticism by calling me a zionist?

wow! how cunning of you!

your strategy is very sophisticated! NOT!

i care nothing for zionism.

i care about islam though. i care about defeating it. i also care about exposing islamic traitors like reza.

reza is a BRAINWASHED inside agent unknowingly working for his arab masters

[judoka1]

And you are an agent for Hage and Robertson the israeli citizens. Reza is an americanized secularized "muslim" so if you have a problem with him then I can't imagine the issues you will have with islamist Muslims!? LOL

as far as neutralizing your propaganda you are barking up the wrong tree as far as im concerned the battle lines are drawn and I don't give a rat's ass what you think or believe I'm not out here to legitimize anything for your taste you can choke on your hate for Islam and die.

[bigcherry99]

i don't know who hage is, and i'm guessing you mean pat robertson. if i am an agent for israeli then that is far more acceptable to me than being an agent for islam.

being an agent for isreal isn't an immediate threat to my existence and my country. their is however an urgent threat that islam will subjugate me.

i'll defeat islam and then i'll defeat israel.

i won't be choking in islam, i'm going to defeat it.

[bigcherry99]

notice also, how he states that terrorist grievances are 'legitimate'.

reza advances the idea that a cause fought by suicide bombers can be legitmate. jihad alert!

muslims have always seen the world as 'us vs them'. the koran commands it!

notice how slips in with his little 'joke' about homeland security cutting him off?

implying that homeland security are repressive and totalitarian undermining their purpose, which is fighting against his muslim cause

this muslim is conning you.

[benjiemooncakes]

......big cherry, you're on crack. There's so many things that are wrong to what you just said that I dont even know where to start.

Typical typical typical racist retard nowadays.

[bigcherry99]

benjie - you've got your head in the sand.

i know its hard for you to face up to, but yr being conned by a muslim slave.

all muslims have submitted to 'allah' remember?

they are proud to admit this. of course they are going to do allah's work, that is the whole point of being a muslim!

surely we can agree on this simple point?

benjie - if you're genuine, you will try and explain this koranic quote.

3:151

We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve

[benjiemooncakes]

BIGCHERRY,There's absoloutley nothing wrong with that line. Why? Because the Bible and the Torah are filled with lines like these as well.

[bigcherry99]

3:151 We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve

There's nothing wrong with this line? are you insane? this line advocates terrorism!

So you're pro-terrorism? You support terrorism?

You must be a muslim, or an islamic groupie.

Sorry dude, terrorism is unacceptable and so are books that advocate it.

You are an enemy of the US because you support terrorist books like koran.

[benjiemooncakes]

Secondly, you have to understand what "disbelievers" mean in the Quran. Disbelievers dont mean Christians and Jews. In fact in the Quran it says that Christians and Jews are going to heaven. Instead, disbelievers talks about the people who brought terror to all the people in those days.They stole from the poor and killed people unjustfly.Those are the "disbelievers" that the Quran is talking about.You have to look at the historical context of each line.

[bigcherry99]

"Believers, take neither the Jews nor the Christians for your friends" The Table (5) #51

Sura 5:51: O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends

Benjie - you're a liar. you are telling lies to cover up the korans support for terrorism.

does it make you feel good to cover up for terrorism?

does it make you feel good to be doing your bit for the jihad?

[benjiemooncakes]

Ok, then read aya 62 of surah al buqara. it says jews and christians will are granted heaven.

now about your line, what that really meant was the HYPOCRITES in the past. See whenever you look at lines in any scripture(quran,bible,torah) you have to look at the historical context. Now like I mentioned, the Quran says God grants Jews and Christians heaven.But when it says lines like yours,what that really is towards are the HYPORCRITES.

[bigcherry99]

Sura 5:51: O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends

benjie - you're talking total BS. if the koran had really meant hypocrites, it would had said 'HYPOCRITES'.

your jihad propaganda and lies won't work on us, we're not idiots

the koran said 'jews and christians' because it meant jews and christians.

your claim is delusional and ridiculous.

just face it, the koran made hostile statements toward jews and christians.

stop trying to deny the obvious

[benjiemooncakes]

But then why would it say treat Jews and Christians well? Why would it say Jews and Christians are going to heaven? The religous scholars are the ones who said that, not me.

I'm speaking the truth. You're pulling out lines and you're not explaining it. If we did that with all religous scriptures, no one would believe in God lol You have to look at the historical context.

[sharshur]

Actually, the really answer to this is that it doesn't say "friends." It says "owliya," which means "guardians."

[bigcherry99]

muslim traitor, reza doing his bit for the jihad

he pretends to help us understand al qaeda, but what he's actually doing is tieing us up in ineffectual neverending dialog that doesnt actually home in on anything

his strategy is called 'muddying the waters'. reza is throwing in endless red herrings to try and obscure the truth.

the truth is that muslims want to take over the west and they all work to this goal together. some terrorize, some debate, but they are all working together

[bigcherry99]

Reza's argument that Jihadists have cultivated a collective muslim identity by exploiting grievancies is a bogus one

The concept of collective identity is established in the Koran. Muslims collectively have always been called 'the ummah'. Creating a collective identity required no work on the Jihadis part

Secondly, do we really need this peabrain to explain to us that jihadis exploit grievances to present themselves as underdogs?

yeah, no shit sherlock!

its called stating the obvious

[samdathi]

I'm reading No God but God at the moment and it is a great read. Reza really knows his subject. I highly recommend it. If you guys haven't seen his debate with Sam Harris on Youtube, definitely check it out. You see a slightly different side of Reza i.e. a much less humble person struggling to remain composed as he gets verbally destroyed by Sam's unmatched eloquence.

[seans10]

I just started reading "No god, but god" and to the sensitive reader it's almost painful. Oh, and he's seriously lying about latin america. Read his book. For example, he'll describe the wars of mohammed benignly as "expansion" but will characterize the reaction to this "expansion" on the part of christendon as "bloody wars." Watch his debate with Sam Harris. He's not to be taken seriously.

[benjiemooncakes]

uhhhhh no, he's married homie lol

[not4resale]

Is Reza by any chance gay? My gaydars needle is hovering at the "i have no idea" mark.

[lyden2006]

hahahahahahahahahahaha.... HA

[TheProudIslamist]

Hahaha. His shirt is over the top . . . actually, maybe the right phrase is "under the top."

[pandaboy1010]

Aslan is so full of shit. He is just a Muslim who is trying to pretend religious atrocities are so nuanced and blah blah. When people blow themselves up or stone homosexuals in the 21st century it is because of what the Koran says. People aren't bigotted, Holy Books are.

[Ngooo]

If it's Holy Books the problem, if Koran is the problem by itself, then why aren't muslims an jews killing each other in NY. Why aren't muslims in Turkey and Egypt killing the millions of christians in those countries? PEOPLE are the problem, and the social context is the main factor that determines the way they see and interpret religion.

[cinemanerd]

The Quran does NOt contain any statements about stoning people to death, Prohet Muhammad NEver stoned anyone to death, it is against Islam

the Quran is Not against homosexuality either. Thanks

[seans10]

He did like to personally behead people by the dozens. He also had sex with a nine-year old girl.

[flshbng76]

this is not true...he only gave her his promise of marriage when she was 9 years old...

[seans10]

No. He married ayesha when she was six, and consummated the marriage (i.e., fucked her) when she was nine. Now can I assume you DON'T object to the factual accuracy of the beheading-people-by-the-dozens part?

[stinkgy7788]

If you're joking, kudos on your sense of humor. If you're not, then if there were an award for the worst possible political analysis in a comment posted on youtube by someone who most seemed like he began learning to write 6 months and a day ago, then your comment would win.

[zanzalot]

Israel is the real threat bozo.

[Somoza4ever]

I cant belive he actually said that people in Nicaragua wear bin laden tshirts, thats absolutely ridiculous and ofensive, im nicaraguan and in my beautiful country youll find some of the most peaceful,proamerican freedom loving people in the world, we dont symphatize with any terrorists!!!again im really angry and ofended by his comment

[Ngooo]

First of all he didn't say that people in Nicaragua agrees with Bin Laden or justify terrorism. There are people wearing Bin Laden t-shirts all over Europe, so don't feel offended. Nicaragua Pro-America?? suuuureee let's ask Ortega what he thinks about that. I understand ur position though, I just believe u need to look at the context of what he's saying.

[Somoza4ever]

Maybe youre right...i just want to clarify that ortega won with only 38% of the votes 62% of the population voted against him, what i mean is that he is a minority president he represents only the minority of the people here and everyone here is against his anti american propaganda

[kawaiigardiner]

RE: Somoza4ever

Go to Indonesia, there are indonesians who are wearing Bin Laden t-shirts with the same level of ignorance that westerners wear t-shirts displaying the silhouette of Mao and Ho Chi Min.

[mistaspot1]

what is this guys a spokesman?

of course we should be anti-imperialists. i don't care what name you slap on it, what borders contain it, imperialism is imperialism, just like terrorism is terrorism. Osama bin Laden and Che Guevarra have nothing in common. Using violence to protect a people does not mean killing innocent civilians. It's more about protecting yourself. Defense not offense.

[ithanaias]

Reza wasn't equating Osama and Che Guevarra, he was saying that many Muslims equate them. Since the context here is, at least in part, understanding the support of organizations like Al Qaeda in the Muslim World we need to understand the perceptions and opinions of those that support Al Qaeda regardless of the validity or veracity of those perceptions and opinions.

Also, if you want to know who Reza Alsan is click on the little "more" link in the video description.

[mistaspot1]

I realize that. But I think it's probably an exaggeration (like much of what he said). I doubt many Muslims equate OBL and CG for the simple reason that they've probably never heard of CG. But the South Americans I can understand.

[mistaspot1]

We definitely do need to understand why Muslims support Al Qaeda. I think probably the root cause is us. We propped them up, gave them publicity, & made it seem like they're a formidable foe. We're also wrongfully touting their fortitude here in America, as exampled in this video.

[Rickdeckard2020]

Read 'War is a Racket', War profiteering is a very old racket and each time complicit media helps fool people in joining the bandwagon. Each time people are fooled and drink the cool aid. With the cold war over and no credible enemy left, a new enemy needed to be fabricated to justify abuse of power at home and pludering the nations budget, while open the door to Iraqs privatization.

[Rickdeckard2020]

So by framing the debate using 'the muslims' you fall for the red herring layed by those that want to tell the people what to think (CFR,Heritage,Cato,Fora) instead of seeing what motivated the initial oppression that caused the backlash that facilitated the war excuse and profiteering.

[Rickdeckard2020]

The anti-imperialist movements adresse grievances that are totally legitimate, if you want 'the fight' against that movement(which does not support terrorism) to go well, you just have to stop imperialist and oppressive foreign policy, coup detats and support for dictators. (its as if brigands, rob and beat up and then complain that their victims dont like them, give me a break)