Reza Aslan is the author of “No god But God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam.” (Random House 2005)
This interview was conducted in Iowa City on April 7, 2005. Reza Aslan is the author of “No god But God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam.” (Random House 2005)…
Article comments
26 - zakirhusen
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
27 - zakee husen
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
28 - Najah Umm Aishah
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....................!
29 - Aryan
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.
30 - Louis Bernard
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.
31 - Ren
"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.
32 - Angel of the Garden
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.
33 - abdulkarem
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.