Reza Aslan- "Quite a prominent Muslim thinker in the United States"
Erik Wempel is a columnist for the Washington Post. In this op-ed, he says that Fox News commentator Lauren Green and Fox News owe an apology to author Reza Aslan for the interview that is linked below. Watch and judge for yourself.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2013/07/29/fox-news-must-apologize-to-reza-aslan/?hpid=z2
So what is to apologize for? Is it because Ms Green didn't do a fawning interview like the liberal outlets have done? She asked some hard questions, but isn't that supposed to be what it's all about? Aslan is a big boy, and he is used to mixing it up with his adversaries.
As to his book, I have no firm opinion not having read it. What comes shining through in this interview is an affirmation of my impression of him when I saw him at UCLA a couple of years back with Faisal Abdul Rauf. This young man has a very high opinion of himself. How many times did he describe himself as a scholar with 4 degrees, an expert, or "quite a prominent Muslim thinker in the United States"?
But I should also thank Aslan for his perhaps, inadvertent comment that Christianity was the "greatest religion in the world" (after the 6:40 mark). Hopefully, that won't get him in any trouble for blasphemy.
In general, I don't think much of anyone speculating about who owes who an apology. My own position is simple: I don't do apologies on command. If I'm sorry, I'll say so. If I don't, I'm probably not.
ReplyDeleteI must note however that Green made quite an ass of herself. She persisted in asking questions over and over that Aslan had already answered, clearly betraying that her agenda was to score points about what she believed, and toss out accusations of dubious foundation, rather than to do an interview. Her questions weren't hard, just obnoxious.
ReplyDeleteHey Gary,
ReplyDeleteI finished the book. It was good, but it wasn't too different from what I've read from other authors on the historical Jesus - including John Dominic Crossan, a Christian. The only people it would offend would be people who take either the Bible or the Koran literally.
If it has some sort of a Muslim agenda to it, it's so well-hidden to the point where it might as well not even be there.