Great interview - well-framed and good answers. Thank you

Damn straight . Thanks. Means I don't have to. I was lined up to do so and may still e-mail some questions.

I have the book in hand for review and, er god help me if I don't remember to link back to this post when I get it up there.

super job Keith, very much appreciated!

Very informative. Thanks.

i heard him interviewed on morning sedition last week. interesting and thought provoking.

nice job.

i really thank you for every single word !!!!!!!!!

its a great job!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the comments. Aslan is a very interesting and engaging interview and has done yeoman's work condensing the history of Islam for the layman reader. He is getting some flack from more conservatve Muslims and from others who say he is pulling the wool over the eyes of Westerners (see Amazon's comments section). From my experience with him, he seems very sincere about his beliefs and I think for more politically conservative types its interesting that he gives the Bush administration a backhanded pass on Iraq - the ends, in his opinion, may justify to some degree, the means - but only if the end product is engineered by the Iraqi people.

As an aside if you wish to see him on television, he told me he's scheduled to be on with Dennis Miller soon and on radio with Charlie Rose. And his agent is working on getting him on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. So if you're interested, check the schedules.

So far Mr Aslan seems to be well anchored both in his American and Muslim identities and is doing a good job. I just hope the success doesnt go to his head. Anyways best of luck Mr Aslan.

It may well be that moderate Muslims in the U.S. and to a lesser extent in Europe, are finally realizing that they need to use the freedoms and protections to speak out against extremist Islam or risk losing their religion to the fringe. I sure hope that they can somehow bring about the necessary changes by providing this voice.

www.iranian.com/Opinion/2005/February/Cyrus/

so this is a candidate for the Iranian presidency - interesting - tell us more about the political situation in Iran, Cyrus - is this a real or a dummy role in the Iranian government? What are your thoughts on the global situation, and the Petro-dollar?

This book review has been selected for Advance.net. You'll be able to find this and other Blog Critics reviews at such places at Cleveland.com's Book Reviews column.

Though I appreciate Mr. Aslan's achievements, as an Iranian writer and activist, I must say that I fully disagree with him and so do a huge section of the members of the Iranian Student Movement inside Iran. What Mr. Aslan is, is another enthusiast of Islam who has the luxury of living OUTSIDE Iran and enjoys all that secular life has to offer him. I speak to people in Iran EVERY single day and my own father is a celebrated journalist AND political prisoner there...believe me not ONE person thinks that bombs are going to fall and everyone realizes that U.S. military is stretched too think. Mr. Aslan may have spoken with some people who do not bother reading and react to sensationalistic garbage eminating from Mullah TV; I can assure you that a huge protion of Iran, from the student movement, to union leaders, to intellecutuals, academics etc. believe such nonsense. Mr. Aslan unfortunately has been turned into windon-dressing for nervous westerners who want to grasp at anything that slightly derides them while looking like they're one of them! I suggest you do not take one Iranian's word as gospel...there's much much more than meets the eye...

That's a fair statement too Mr. Zand-Bonazzi.

The book is a call to reform, and a proposal to end the religious battle between East and West - its a great job .But i Think The Persian Like Puzzle-
رضا اصلان معتقد است که ايران برخلاف ديگر کشورهای مسلمان جامعه‌ی باز و آزادی دارد، می‌تواند با غرب روابط صلح‌آميزی برقرار کند و امريکا بايد دست از تهديدات خود عليه ايران بردارد

I heard Reza Islan at Emory U. a few weeks ago and thought his ideas about violence and the proponents of its use in international and social life were the most salient parts of his analysis of the world today. He seemed to sort of imply that the U.S. should stay in Iraq to keep the sectarian violence down by using U.S. armed forces. Being a thought-product of a wing (or feather) of the Protestant Reformation (the anabaptist nonviolent movements) I suddenly realized that what Iraq and the United States both need is for its citizens to embrace nonviolent social change because nothing else seems to work. Peace is the way.

Saw Aslan on Bill Maher's show this weekend and was very impressed by his knowledge and ideas.

I want to marry him. He is brilliant.

i loveeee youu rezaaa aslaaaaaaaan

I am an African-American Muslim (by conversion) serving in Iraq. My current job is to figure out ways to achieve "success" primarily through non-lethal means. My primary tool is education. Mr. Aslan's views and opinions are very similar to what I try to impart to others in the course of my duties to military leaders. It is very tough at times because of "perceptions", but I plan on using 'No God, but God' as a resource to help other American soldiers understand Islam from another Western perspective. I also appreciate the fact that ALL opinions on this site are respected. Mr. Zand-Bonazzi's comments were very eye-opening and informative. Thanks...

I was married to an Iranian-American who passed away in 2004. I was born and raised in NJ. My late husban opened my eyes, so to speak, to the rest of the world. From what I've seen and read, I am quite impressed with Reza. My father-in-law, who is Iranian, wrote a book, called the "Rise and Fall of the Reza Shah" several years ago, about the revolution and his experience(s). I hope that anyone who is interested, would read his book. The author of the book is Cyrus Ghani.

he is brilliant! i want to get my hands on his book. its infuriating to see the bad name being given to islam nowadays by all the crazy stuff that is happening in the world. we need more people like mr reza aslan, so more power to him!

Assalamualaikum, Reza

I am a gay latino Catholic with my own issues. I have been on a spirittual search to help me understand why we humans war with one another. I have read several of Karen Armstrong's books, and wanted to find someone to teach me about Islam, and thus discovered Reza Aslan. Wow! What an incredible read. I have told all my friends about it. It has helped me begin to understand the complicated world of Islam. Reza's voice should be heard by anyone interested in Islam.
Thank you for a great book. I look forward to your next endeavor.

my wife was converted to islam wallahi i dont know but after read your book name no god but god u say omar was hot tampered and so many thing after reading she just left our religion allah knows whaat kind of author u r?please dont write anythg if u dont know about islam.u r not muslim

within 6month my wife become a muslim.she was a christian.i met her last year in my work place she was drunk,so bad.every night she used to drink hard liquor,marijuana she smoke lot.i try to help her i spend lot of money to gv her happiness.i teach about islam.i never drink or smoke im a muslim thanks to god.she was muslim she was fasting in ramadan.she is 25yr old white american.after read your book she just say in islam i dont trust she say im no longer muslim just last week she changed.mr reza aslan if u r not muslim dont write anything wrong u r not god.any way i was married 6month ago now i m leaving her.i m going for divorse/if smbody doesnt want peaceful pure religion then i cant trust them.im in trouble i dd my best.she is searching god but she wiill never find god because she want yoga,ayurveda,music,money,gym,travel,house,car,kids,own business,she is a spiritual psychology student.i think thats too much she wants

I was bothered by the last comment that was made in the Article. Reflecting on the notion that the United States is somehow not responsible for the happenings in Palistine. I beg to differ...the United States supports Israel and Israel is our 'biggest welfare state' we give them money and bombs and they do the dirty work. Excuse me but there is a disproportionate power struggle between Israel and Palistine, how could you miss it? It does not take a rocket scientist. This man Aslan must be pro Israeli or something....................!

To Ms./Mrs. Zand-Bonazzi,

I agree with your to an extent that Mr. Aslan seems somewhat removed from Iranians living in Iran. Since he had done such thorough scholarly research on Islam, I was taken aback that his views on the opinions of Iranians in Iran came off as somewhat narrow. However, his book deserves much praise. He has done an excellent job in reaching his audience and I commend him for that.

On a more personal note, I would like to say to Ms./Mrs. Zand-bonazzi that as an Iranian-American, I have noticed that many Iranians like to point out that there is more than meets the eye to non-Iranians in anything that has to do with Iran. I can understans why Iranians have this tendency. Our country is so misrepresented abroad that it is almost offensive. However, saying there's more than meets the eye doesn't seem like enough. It has become almost a trite excuse for anything Iran.

In reply to Mr. ZakirHusen:

I would like to say that you should not blame Mr. Aslan for you and your wife's divorce. I don't think that you would have the opinion of Mr. Aslan that you have right now, if you had read his book. Also, if you say that his book caused your wife to renounce Islam, then why don't you read it to find out why? Maybe you can convince her otherwise.

I am in the process of reading Mr. Aslan's No god but God, and I would like to say that, not only do I appreciate what he is doing, like Ms./Mrs. Zand-Bonazzi, but I am proud of him. Young Iranians like him are the reason why I am in my third semester of a civil engineering undergrad program but am changing my major. He has given me hope.

To the African-American who converted to Islam, you should know that it was the Muslims who were selling black people into slavery for centuries and that they refused to abolish slavery. And to the latino gay you should know what happens to gay Iranians. They are hanged. Of course if there are real persons behind those conversions e-mails.
Maybe you should read Islam's Black Slaves from Ronald Segal after you have read all the propaganda books.

"Islamic Slavery" is misnomer. We don't speak of "Christian Slavery" when discussing the middle passage. One of the first Muslims, one of Muhammad's greatest companions, and the first muezzin of Islam was an African, a slave freed from the pagan Meccans before Islam.

Have you even read Segal's book? If you're a Christian conservative, I'm afraid you're going to be quite disappointed when you actually begin to go over it.

As DNA evidince shows that all humans on Earth were descended from the same tribe some 60,000 years ago, it is our unity on this planet that is important. Mr. Aslan introduces important topics, though perhaps it would be good to separate politics from religion and restore the unity of the planet.

To louis bernard u should know that it is blacks who raped and looted in algeria to cause mass riots in algeria. u should know that it is black gangs who transport hiv infected people and prostitutes to go to north africa and beg for money on the street when they have more ability than me and recieve aid and places to stay in N.A. even though it is the right of somebody else. It is blacks who controlled the slave trade in dahomey, angola, and ashanti to be massibvely transported to the western lands. Ask any african about atrocities of other blacks just because your not from his tribe or he just wants to exploit you. Maybe you should go to africa and see how black you really are.