Most colleges and universities in America today are already radioactive wastelands of Leftist indoctrination and Antifa recruitment, but like other Left-fascists, Reza Aslan wants them to go even farther and rule out a priori and officially all views that depart from the Leftist line. This is already more or less the case, but fascists are never satisfied with half measures.
The cannibal Aslan has somewhat faded from the public eye since he was fired by CNN and exhorted readers in his last book to take the advice of the oldest and most celebrated self-improvement coach, Satan: “take a lesson from Adam and Eve and eat the forbidden fruit. Do not fear God. You are God.”
Last January, however, in the midst of the media savaging of a group of Kentucky high school students were accosted by a Native American activist, Aslan called for violence against the student most prominently featured in circulating videos of the incident. When Dinesh D’Souza called him out on it, Aslan doubled down by saying he wanted to assault D’Souza:
Aslan, of course, doesn’t have to worry about getting banned from Twitter any more than does his fellow fascist C.J. Werleman. But Aslan’s tweets show the increasing mainstreaming of violence on the Left, in addition to its utter contempt for the freedom of speech. They’re neo-Brownshirts, ready to silence those whom they hate by means of violence, and they’re increasingly open about it. If D’Souza wrote this to Aslan, he would be banned from Twitter and excoriated by Leftists and conservatives alike. But Aslan will continue to be heralded on the increasingly thuggish Left.
This shouldn’t come as any surprise to those who are familiar with Aslan’s rancid public career. That this sinister jihad enabler was ever given a mainstream platform is a dispiriting sign of the times. His show on CNN was devoted to showing other religions as violent and hateful, and Islam as benign and peaceful. Also, Aslan is a Board member of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC). NIAC has been established in court as a lobbying group for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Said Michael Rubin: “Jamal Abdi, NIAC’s policy director, now appears to push aside any pretense that NIAC is something other than Iran’s lobby. Speaking at the forthcoming ‘Expose AIPAC’ conference, Abdi is featured on the ‘Training: Constituent Lobbying for Iran’ panel. Oops.” Iranian freedom activist Hassan Daioleslam “documented over a two-year period that NIAC is a front group lobbying on behalf of the Iranian regime.” NIAC had to pay him nearly $200,000 in legal fees after they sued him for defamation over his accusation that they were a front group for the mullahs, and lost. Yet Aslan remains on their Board.
Meanwhile, despite his increasingly obvious Islamic heterodoxy, Aslan remains popular with Muslim Brotherhood-linked groups in the U.S.: he has also spoken at events sponsored by the Muslim Students Association, a Brotherhood group, as well as at an event co-sponsored by the Los Angeles chapter of the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Doubtless they recognize that he shares their overall agenda.
Not surprisingly, after a trip to Israel he lied about being threatened by Shin Bet.
Aslan is as stupid as he is evil. It’s also worth noting that despite being hailed as a great intellect, Aslan isn’t actually very bright. He has made the ridiculous claim that the idea of resurrection “simply doesn’t exist in Judaism,” despite numerous passages to the contrary in the Hebrew Scriptures. He has also referred to “the reincarnation, which Christianity talks about” — although he later claimed that one was a “typo.” In yet another howler he later insisted was a “typo,” he claimed that the Biblical story of Noah was barely four verses long — which he then corrected to forty, but that was wrong again, as it is 89 verses long. Aslan claimed that the “founding philosophy of the Jesuits” was “the preferential option for the poor,” when in reality, that phrase wasn’t even coined until 1968. He called Turkey the second most populous Muslim country, when it is actually the eighth most populous Muslim country. He thinks Pope Pius XI, who issued the anti-fascist encyclical Mit Brennender Sorge, was a fascist. He thinks Marx and Freud “gave birth to the Enlightenment,” when it ended in the late 18th century, before either of them were born. He claims that “the very first thing that Muhammad did was outlaw slavery,” when in fact Muhammad bought slaves, took female captives as sex slaves, and owned slaves until his death. He thinks Ethiopia and Eritrea are in Central Africa.
A “renowned religious scholar” such as Reza Aslan should not make such elementary mistakes. But this is, of course, the man who writes “than” for “then”; apparently thinks the Latin word “et” is an abbreviation; and writes “clown’s” for “clowns.”
“‘They were saying we wanted to kill them with hate speech’: Prof exposes Mass. school’s anti-free speech culture,” by Ethan Cai, Campus Reform, July 8, 2019:
After students at a Massachusetts school applauded a speaker for his anti-free speech views, a professor spoke out on her institution’s anti-free speech campus culture.
Biology professor at Williams College, Luana Maroja, spoke with So to Speak podcast host Nico Perrino about the issue of free speech at the college, according to free speech nonprofit the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE).
The episode, titled “Words, Violence, and Censorship at Williams College,” detailed a student body that strives for self-censorship and even delivered a standing ovation to campus speaker Reza Aslan when he, according to Maroja, “said that colleges should write rules on stone on who can and cannot speak [o]n campus.”
“He ended up saying that only factual talks can happen [o]n campus. So, opinions cannot be expressed – only factual talks,” Maroja said of Aslan’s talk. “And again, a standing ovation from students.”…
mortimer says
Free speech for ME, but not for THEE.
American youth is uninformed and headed straight towards fascism.
Angemon says
Do it. Can’t wait to see his face when the censorship he advocates catches up to him…
b.a. freeman says
… when the censorship he advocates catches up to him…
—
well, that would indeed be nice, but we all know *THAT* won’t happen!
mortimer says
All universities should adopt the five Chicago Principles of academic freedom: 1) ongoing intellectual challenge, 2) rigorous questioning, 3) discourse, 4) argument, and 5) lack of deference.
From UChicago “Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression”
– “The University’s fundamental commitment is to the principle that debate or deliberation may not be suppressed because the ideas put forth are thought by some or even by most members of the University community to be offensive, unwise, immoral, or wrong-headed. It is for the individual members of the University community, not for the University as an institution, to make those judgments for themselves, and to act on those judgments not by seeking to suppress speech, but by openly and vigorously contesting the ideas that they oppose. Indeed, fostering the ability of members of the University community to engage in such debate and deliberation in an effective and responsible manner is an essential part of the University’s educational mission.”
– In adopting the principles, PurdueU president, Mitch Daniels said “we didn’t see how we could improve on the language.”
mortimer says
It appears that Reza Aslan refuses to let facts get in the way with his Islam-promoting opinions. His main method is slanging everyone else so that Islam doesn’t look so bad and then declaring victory.
But those darned FACTS always get in his way. He’s a one-man clown show.
screw u says
The unfortunate thing here is that, universities, which are supposed to be centers for free thought and free speech are being turned into leftist training camps.
I despair for humans as a species if this is what we are creating as our future!
gravenimage says
Grimly true.
CRUSADER says
Reza is insane.
He believes in the spiritual magic of a charlatan from Hawaii’s big island,
whose cult might as well be that of Simon the Magus from Samaria,
but he think Jesus Christ was just a zealous man and a sort of political sicarius.
Far from having a razor of a mind….
Reza is as idiotic as Jim Acosta of the Corrupt Newz Netwerk
https://conservativefiringline.com/gop-lawmaker-cnns-jim-acosta-fired-banned-white-house-press-conferences/
gravenimage says
CRUSADER wrote:
Reza is insane.
He believes in the spiritual magic of a charlatan from Hawaii’s big island,
whose cult might as well be that of Simon the Magus from Samaria,
but he think Jesus Christ was just a zealous man and a sort of political sicarius.
…………………..
CRUSADER, Reza Aslan in his book “Zealot” was essentially claiming that Jesus was a “Palestinian” terrorist.
mortimer says
Reza Aslan’s book was dissected by professional historians and his credentials as a non-professional historian were brought in evidence against his incompetence. The theory that Jesus was misunderstood terrorist has never had a following. Jesus made a division between the church and the state. Islam makes the two inseparable. The revolution of Jesus was self-evidently not a political revolution. Even Pontius Pilate saw that. Jesus was hanged for blasphemy and no other reason. That’s why ‘Zealot’ got a cold shoulder and is now quietly fading into oblivion.
gravenimage says
True, Mortimer.
Wellington says
It’s difficult to virtually always get things wrong, but Reza Aslan has can come close in this regard. Rather like Karl Marx, to wit, read what Aslan or Marx have to say, conclude EXACTLY the opposite, and your chances of being on the side of truth functions somewhere in the 99%+ category.
What asses–both Aslan and Marx. And certainly profound enemies of freedom too. Thomas Jefferson, I have zero doubt, would have been utterly disgusted with each.
CRUSADER says
Wellington! Neither these two, Reza nor Karl, were slave owners
as Thomas had been!
(Just kidding there, Arthur…)
Wellington says
I understand your jest, CRUSADER, but perhaps there is strict merit in what you averred in the sense that Reza and Karl serve as classic examples of enslavers of the mind.
gravenimage says
Wellington, I am not–as you well know–any fan of Karl Marx.
One can say in his defense, though, that he never saw his ugly creed in action, and may not have understood how malignant it would be.
Reza Aslan, of course, has *no* such excuse.
Wellington says
Interesting defense of Marx, gravenmage. My rebuttal to it would be that Marx knew OR should have known how awful his stupid ideas would turn out. A la Orwell, some ideas are so dumb and terrible only intellectuals could come up with them.
And just ponder for a moment what people who died before Marx ever developed his pernicious ideas would have thought of Marxism—people like Thomas Jefferson, Adam Smith and Alexander Hamilton. I don’t think you have to try evil before you know evil (and I think Marxism IN THEORY is as evil as Islam and Nazism are IN THEORY). We have an extremely rare disagreement here I think, my friend. I refuse to let Marx “off the hook” even in the least.
gravenimage says
I am not really defending Marx, Wellington–I’m just saying those like Aslan have *even less* excuse, with 1400 years of the horrors of Islam. he knows *exactly* what it is.
Wellington says
Oh, I realize you’re not really defending Marx, gravenimage. As for someone like Aslan having “even less” excuse than Marx, I’m still a bit wary of putting it this way because in some way it makes Marx looks less awful than Aslan and I don’t want to put Marx among intellectuals less awful than anyone. In fact, it is quite possible to argue that Marx is even more culpable than Aslan because he was at least really smart whereas Aslan is a dim bulb.
Interesting point you make though and worthy of discussion. Will have to think on this some more and please take note of what Reziac and mortimer wrote about this. I would here mention that Marx’s class struggle theory and his theory of alienation, particularly the former, are prescriptions for genocide, while some of his other theories like dialectical materialism and determinism are essentially harmless in and of themselves and what I like to call voodoo for intellectuals, especially determinism. Thus, not all of Marxism is evil though enough of it is (just as is the case with Islam and Nazism). Some of it is “merely” wacky (just as is the case with Islam and Nazism). Take care.
gravenimage says
I take your point, Wellington.
Reziac says
Marx would have known all about the French Revolution, which was functionally identical to his philosophy; in his younger days there would have been people still alive who remembered the Terror, and doubtless had plenty to say about it. So I’d say he had no excuse; he knew exactly where “égalité” would lead..
Wiki summarizes the French Revolution thus: “The Revolution overthrew the monarchy, established a republic, catalyzed violent periods of political turmoil, and finally culminated in a dictatorship” … yup, sounds just like every Marxist revolution.
mortimer says
Good points. Marx almost certainly knew his ideas could lead to a reign of terror and, no doubt, that did not trouble him.
Reza Aslan is not troubled either by the 270 million deaths caused by jihad … that is, one person killed every three minutes by jihad since Mohammed began his reign of terror in 630AD.
gravenimage says
True, Reziac.
Gork says
If he were to be restricted to just factual things, he would have nothing to say
mortimer says
Very drole. But Reza thinks his opinions are facts, and that other people’s opinions are merely opinions. DOUBLE STANDARD.
Lydia Church says
What a fool! NO, you are NOT God! No one is God except for… God!
Yes we need to fear God. And the lesson of the garden shows that this is how we got into this mess, by doubting God’s Word. “Did God really say?” I hear that echoed in so many arenas over and over again these days. And he is echoing the devil only less subtly.
And yes, the brownshirts want full control and then they and only they of course will decide what is ‘fact’ and what is mere opinion, what is ‘true’ and what is ‘false,’ much like the wars between real and fake news today and the pot calling the kettle black. Sadly they almost have all the territory anyway or all of this would not be the case.
CRUSADER says
Reza might just be demon-possessed/influenced, Lydia.
He certainly seems to be an agent of misdirection and doubt-creating.
In the book by Chip Ingram
“INVISIBLE WAR”
spiritual warfare and identifying many angles of attack are discussed.
How the invisible war is more important than the already important war
we visibly and tangibly encounter…. The invisible is the power and thrust
behind what we sense as visible.
If you haven’t read that, do so. Quite illuminating!
+++
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX0DtUFFQEw
Jack Holan says
This is why I refer to these types as pseudo-intellectuals. When they meet up with a true Scholar they are sliced and diced. This is exactly why the lLeft wants to silence the most intelligent and adept FIRST.
Ren says
It is written on stone that Reza Aslan cannot speak.
Barb says
To Reza Aslan – Law and Statutes (LAW) were written on stone tablets by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and given to Moses on Mt Sinai and witnessed by at least a million Israelites!!!
Those Laws are in the Jewish Torah and the Bible!
eduardo odraude says
How Reza Aslan whitewashes Muhammad’s caravan raids
First, notice how Aslan, on pages 82 and 83 of his book No god but God, makes Muhammad’s caravan raids look bloodless:
Why does Reza Aslan make no mention of what core Islamic texts say about those raids, for example, what is said on page 287 (425 in the Arabic) of the earliest Muslim biography of Muhammad:
https://archive.org/stream/TheLifeOfMohammedGuillaume/The_Life_Of_Mohammed_Guillaume#page/n167/mode/1up
mortimer says
Eduardo raises good points. Mohammed’s raiders were not religious zealots but highwaymen. Mohammed’s gangsters were called ‘SAALIK’ by the Arabs. ‘Saaluk’ (sg.) means ‘common and poor’ or ‘outcast’. They were usually bandits and the blacksheep that respectable Arab families disavowed and ejected from their homes. Mohammed collected them to be the muscle of his nascent movement. He paid them for their gangsterism in plunder.
eduardo odraude says
How Reza Aslan misleads about Muhammad’s marriage to 9-year-old Aisha
Notice how Aslan, on pages 64 and 65 of his book No god but God claims that Muhammad did not consummate his marriage to Aisha when she was 9:
Why doesn’t Aslan mention what the core Islamic texts tell us?
From Sahih al-Bukhari, the most canonical hadith collection:
Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 62, Number 64:
https://muflihun.com/bukhari/62/64
Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 62, Number 65:
https://muflihun.com/bukhari/62/65
Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 62, Number 88:
https://muflihun.com/bukhari/62/88
Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 58, Number 236:
https://muflihun.com/bukhari/58/236
————————————-
Many other core Islamic texts could be quoted in a similar vein.
It should be noted that Aisha was nine lunar years old. Since a lunar year is about 355 days, Aisha may actually have been eight as we count age today.
ntesdorf says
Adolf Hitler had identical views on free speech and opinions unlike his own as Reza Aslan does.
Eric Jones says
Reza Aslan is just as demented as prophet Mohammad. Aslan seems to be struggling to keep himself relevant.
Eric
eduardo odraude says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-bfNnZ72lA
gravenimage says
Thanks for the link. David Wood is great.
tropictimes1 says
And don’t leave out Aslan’s ridiculous claim that Jesus was illiterate like Muhammad, despite the biblical passages where Jesus reads from the scripture in the synagogue, writes in the sand, is called rabbi, and generally wows the elders with his knowledge of scripture. Even his profession, tekton (often translated to carpenter) is a nod to his role as learned teacher, builder and engineer of humanity.
gravenimage says
Very true.
Larry says
There are morons, and then there are exceptional morons. And then comes this moron, who takes the whole enchilada.
Don Ameche says
Reza Aslan.
Is he a member of the Bush family designated ‘religion of peace’ …. or the racially preferred group of “migrants” invading our country from the south. Anyone know ?
As violence seems to be a hallmark of both “cultures”.
Terry says
This guy was obvious from the git-go.
All the. reformers are.