UCR, the Magazine of UC Riverside, recently produced one of its periodic puff pieces on creative writing professor, self-declared Islam expert, and soon-to-be television host, Reza Aslan. The author, Vanessa Hua, is a former student and teaching assistant of Aslan’s who exhibits no objectivity whatsoever in lauding him as “a social media darling and a pop culture spokesman for Islam.” Later, she gushes, “People are always amazed that he works in many different realms, fiction and nonfiction, television, movies and academia.”
The adulation continues with a fawning quote from UCR creative writing lecturer Carly Kimmel:
I’m not sure all of his students even realize how famous he is. That’s sort of the beauty of Riverside. We are a bit protected from Hollywood here. Perhaps Reza likes that, too. He can just be “a great professor” when he’s here and he doesn’t have to be a celebrity.
Unfortunately, Aslan’s shoddy scholarship, apologias for Iran’s theocratic regime, willful blindness towards jihadism, advancement of the divisive “Islamophobia” myth, dishonesty about his academic credentials, and vulgarity are less impressive than his pop culture persona. Just don’t tell his press agents at UCR.
Cross-posted from Campus Watch.

Budvarakbar says
Now you see how Obama became a shoe-in >> these dingie fools would vote for this SOB in a heartbeat
Sp says
Aslan is a biased moron. It’s just too bad that all the uneducated people in Islam take him seriously, and he has a large following like that other idiot Chompsky.
Jay Boo says
Reza Aslan is intelligent.
Why he ignores the inherent spitefulness and evil of Islam is a character flaw.
Dear President Obama:
Please help bring our daddy home children plead:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvAH3-wXyE0
Christian pastor Saeed Abedini is still an Iranian hostage despite Obama’s “concern”
Over a year ago Published September 27, 2013
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/09/27/obama-expresses-concern-over-imprisoned-us-pastor-to-iranian-pres-during-phone
Sam says
“FBI top dog Comey: Feds have 900 active investigations of Islamic State operatives in U.S”
I would like to get the “expert opinion” of Mr. Aslan on these investigations to shed light on these Muslims who do not understand their religion.
Charli Main says
Its all lies, lies, lies, I tell you !!!!!! The peace loving Muslims of America are been framed by nasty, white extremist Islamophobes. (sarc, off course)
Angemon says
Oh God… Will there be enough material for “RezaWatch.org”?
Westman says
“Indiana” Aslan bullwhips his way through another exhausting day of admiring coeds and media attention.
Never tiring of some history indicating the teleological origins of peaceful Islam, it has been rumored that he will lead an expedition to locate the true resting place of Muhammad.
It has also been rumored that he is experiencing disturbing seizures in which he sees an apparition who says Democracy is the true religion and quotes the US Constitution. Scribes attempted to write down these visions but stopped after discovering them in the Lincoln Memorial.
Simon Platt says
That reminds me of something I once read about the appalling Andrew Marr. I think it was some sycophant at the BBC who described him as a “polymath” on the grounds that his shallow commentary could be heard on the wireless, read in the press, *and* seen on the telly.
Standards are so low at the Beeb these days that they are unable to distinuish “poly” from “Polly”
Jeremiah says
Reza’s knowledge consists of irrelevant responses. In the eyes of Islam this is a creative approach to Taqiyya and much admired. Any argument with him will quickly become bogged down with loose ends and outrageous statements. There is really no point in giving him that opportunity. UC Riversdale has obviously lowered its academic testing of professors down to the gutter.
mortimer says
“lowered its academic testing of professors”
This is what happens when ‘diversity’ is perceived of greater value than academic excellence. Promotions based on ethnic origin are detrimental to any organization. The obvious conclusion is that those from ‘x’ group are not very bright and require ‘handicapping’ to reach the same level as the truly gifted.
Aslan presents himself as ‘moderate’, but he is merely posing as moderate, since he is in reality working for one of the most fascist theocracies on earth.
Kepha says
This is what happens when a society no longer believes that there’s such a thing as truth.
Kirk says
I can’t believe this guy was on “The Muppet Show”.
Don McKellar says
What? That is absolute madness! Have I stepped into an alternative universe??? Who’s next on The Muppet Show? Kim Jong-un???
Don McKellar says
A very important new blog to be aware of, this CAMPUS WATCH. It is crucial to be made aware of the organized deception at work on campuses across America and the world, for that matter, so that something can be done about it. The champions of free speech and liberty have been far too often lacking in easy digestible reports of what is happening in this area — a major breeding ground for deception and advancement of the Islamic supremacist agenda among naive and often willfully ignorant students — and bought and paid for professors and university funding officials.
Don McKellar says
What are the chances of Robert Spencer being a guest on The Reza Aslan Show? Will Robert go on it invited?
Jeremiah says
What are the chances of us doing anything significant besides armchair quarterbacking? How about going to Syria and rescuing Christians? Or . . . I would say destroying the institutions of hatred but that would be politically incorrect Islamophobia. So I wont suggest that.
Don McKellar says
You are obviously a hopeless retard who has no idea of what I, or many contributers to the boards on Jihad Watch do to combat Islamic supremacists. I have put myself in personal danger many times to tell the truth and face up to these bastards in real life to make them back down — and they back down when their hate crimes and lies are confronted. Now move on, weakling.
gary fouse says
I was at the April speaking event, and during the q and a, asked him if he would blame Christians in Syria or Iraq or Baha’i in Iran for being Islamophobic in light of the persecution they are suffering at the hands of Muslims. He dismissed my question by comparing it to some guy mugged by a black and becoming racist. He added, just because somebody was treated badly by a Muslim doesn’t excuse it.
Too bad the campus reporters didn’t pick up on that.
Stephanie says
The difference being; islam is encoded in law, Islamic supremacism allowed in all sectors of society, and just a natural ‘way of life’ to treat non-Muslims badly wherever Muslims have the power to do so. This isn’t getting mugged by a random black person. This is approved from the leaders down to the man on the street. It is quite the epitome of assholishness to compare this to being mugged by a black person and then developing racism from that. In fact, the way blacks were treated unjustly in America through law would be comparable to how Muslims encode in their laws and throughout their society that is is right and good to treat non-Muslims. Muslims have some nerve, dont they? And are quite proud of their deceit.
mortimer says
“Sycophant” certainly describes the creative writers Vanessa Hua and Carly Kimmel. They show no critical ability. I assume Aslan’s pupils see his deceptions and theocratic fascism clearly.
j_not_a says
Hey, maybe Reza and Baby Justine can have their own dance-off competition, both of these these nancies have great hair, massive egos and think they are allah’s gift to the world; check out Justine’s moves:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/10/22/justin-trudeau-dancing-bhangra-video_n_8358208.html
DeMolay says
He’d better avoid the top of tall buildings wearing a camp rainbow sweater like that.
Stephanie says
He loves him some intifada terrorism against Jews in Israel, and he will assuredly love him some intifada terrorism on American non-Muslims too. That’s all I need to know about him.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
Unfortunately, Aslan’s shoddy scholarship, apologias for Iran’s theocratic regime, willful blindness towards jihadism, advancement of the divisive “Islamophobia” myth, dishonesty about his academic credentials, and vulgarity are less impressive than his pop culture persona.
The fight against Moslem takeover is being lost on the television set. It’s not just about a guy’s charm, looks or being a slick talker. These things are important to any entertainment personality, it’s the underlying information on which the personality operates that’s most important. This is the fictive reality bubble, in this case the Islam Fictive Reality bubble, that is an assemblage of fake facts that are so widely accepted as true that they may as well be. The central fake fact of the Islam FR Bubble is the idea that Jihad is a perversion of Islam, when in fact it is its central predicate. So the success of Reza Aslan is inevitable, and if not him then it’d be somebody else. His role is inevitable, because Islam is inevitable. As the keeper of this website well understands, the only way to fight that is with the facts. Trouble is, getting the facts out there for general consumption is seemingly impossible because they don’t get put on TV. The image of a happy happy joy joy Aslan is a positive and easy to get on the air, the image of the dark non-secrets in the Holy Ko-Ran, the Sunnah and the Sharia are negatives, disturbing offensive items that few find entertaining. Plus a programmer who would put them on the air would likely see his career ruined, be stabbed to death in the parking lot, or blown to bits by an IED when he turns the key to start is car. That’s a powerful fact.
(Dr.) Sandy Kramer says
I am tempted to deny the existence of my doctorate. (Political Science – international relations, summa cum laude, University of California, Riverside, 1974)