Link to the Show / Show NotesComplete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/05/12/Reza_Aslan_How_to_Win_a_Cosmic_War
Author Reza Aslan argues that "George Bush was right," in describing democracy as an effective challenge to Islamic extremism, but notes that "we have to actually have the nerve to support these Islamist groups, if they are willing to take part in the political process."
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In his new book, the acclaimed writer of No god but God and Middle East analyst for CBS News Reza Aslan lays out, for the first time, a revolutionary assessment of the social movement behind al-Qaeda and like-minded militants throughout the Muslim world.
He argues the the goals and aspirations of Jihadists are so impossible to achieve in this life that they have been forced to transform their earthly struggle for power and influence into a metaphysical conflict between Good and Evil -- what he calls a Cosmic War.
Surveying the global scene, Aslan explores why religion is once again becoming the supreme marker of identity in nearly all parts of the globe.
In doing so, he launches a revolution in the way we understand -- and confront -- radical Islam. How do you win a cosmic war? Refuse to fight one. - First Congregational Church of Berkeley
Reza Aslan is a writer and scholar of religions. Born in Iran, Aslan is currently a research associate at the University of Southern California's Center on Public Diplomacy. He was a visiting assistant professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Iowa and the Truman Capote Fellow in Fiction at the Iowa Writer's Workshop. A frequent commentator on television, radio, and in print, Aslan is a graduate of Santa Clara University, Harvard University, and the University of Iowa. He is the author of No god but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam and How to Win a Cosmic War: Why We're Losing the War on Terror.
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