In this revealing video clip, interview Cameron Kash presses noted "moderate" Muslim Reza Aslan on why there is no visible and organized movement of moderate Muslims working against the jihadist understanding of Islam. Aslan, arrogant as ever, first trots out the tired line that those who think that peaceful Muslims aren't speaking out against jihadists and Islamic supremacists just aren't paying attention, dismissing those who think otherwise as "stupid." Kash, however, to his credit, won't be placated by nonsense, and presses him further.
Late in the clip Aslan clearly starts folding under a line of questioning that was far harder than the usual fawning he gets from interviewers, even though Kash is unflaggingly respectful and supportive. He says that because there is no central authority in Islam, no one can say that Osama bin Laden's version of the religion is invalid, or that he is not a Muslim. This is actually true as far as it goes: there is no central authority in Islam. But in reality, the practice of takfir, or declaring that some individual or group has so deviated from the faith that it can no longer be called Muslim, is a time-honored principle of Islamic theology; that Aslan will not employ it against those Muslims who believe the way bin Laden did is revealing.
Also, Aslan makes no mention of the fact that jihadists make recruits among peaceful Muslims and justify their actions by reference to Islamic texts and teachings, and consistently portray themselves as the exponents of authentic Islam. It is perfectly reasonable for Cameron Kash to ask Aslan and his fellow "moderates" to fight that claim. Instead, Aslan makes fey gestures, bloviates and obfuscates.
Another interesting feature of this interview is the point where Aslan names some of those he contends are leading moderate Muslim spokesmen: Eboo Patel, Amina Wadud, Faisal Abdul Rauf and Daisy Khan.
Eboo Patel dissembles about Muhammad's behavior and Islamic teaching; Amina Wadud, the only possibly genuine reformer in this group, aroused Muslim anger by having the temerity to lead prayers as a woman; Rauf has refused to denounce Hamas; lied about his commitment to religious dialogue; lied about whether the Islamic center planned for the Ground Zero site will contain a mosque or not; lied about whether or not the project is getting foreign funding; and was involved with a group that helped fund the jihad flotilla against Israel. Daisy Khan has likewise engaged in lies about and defamation of freedom fighters.
That Aslan would try to pass off such an unsavory gang as "moderates" is not suprising, since he himself has recently been unmasked as a Board member of a front group for Iran's bloody Islamic regime. Aslan is also a Left-fascist who has called for obstruction of our freedom of speech by means of vandalism of our pro-freedom ads. He has tried to pass off Iran's genocidally-minded President Ahmadinejad as a liberal reformer. He has called on the U.S. Government to negotiate with Ahmadinejad himself, as well as with Hamas -- that is, with two of the most barbaric and murderous adherents of Sharia. Aslan has even praised the jihad terror group Hizballah as "the most dynamic political and social organization in Lebanon," as well as the Jew-hating, women-hating, kuffar-hating Muslim Brotherhood, which is dedicated in its own words to "eliminating and destroying Western civilization from within." Aslan wrote: "The Muslim Brotherhood will have a significant role to play in post-Mubarak Egypt. And that is good thing." We see now just how "good" things are becoming for non-Muslims and women in Egypt under Brotherhood rule.
But what do you expect from an "expert" who claims, in the video below, that Turkey is the second most populous Muslim country, and that Pakistan is third? He is only about 100 million people off. Though lionized by a corrupt and compromised mainstream media, Reza Aslan is -- to use one of his own most favorite words -- quite simply and obviously stupid.
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I don't think there is any doubt that Reza is educated beyond his intelligence...