FORA.tv

The Smart Network

FORA.tv SERIES: Iran: After the Election

Reza Aslan: How to Win a Cosmic War

Whole Earth Films
Rate It
27,540 Views
  • Info
  • Bio
  • Full Program
  • Highlights
  • Transcript
  • Download
  • More
Hartson Avatar
Hartson
Posts: 2
Posted: 05.28.09, 12:34 AM
Your points are well taken. There is a NEED for the people of the world to see themselves as ONE race, the human race and the earth as one country with all it's peoples as it's citizens. The Baha'i Faith, with it's world centre in Haifa, Isreal , has this as one of it's basic beleifs.
Permalink
moeriscus Avatar
moeriscus
Posts: 1
Posted: 05.28.09, 11:38 PM
Wow, Reza Aslan doesn't have a clue in this interview. He is totally false in asserting that "there can't be a successful religious state," and that "religion does not successfully bind people in a geographic space." Although I wish that were true (as I'm an atheist), religion has probably been the most important part of a society's collective identity since the beginning of history. The civic gods of ancient Greece and Rome, Zoroastrianism in pre-Islamic Persia, Christianity in the later Roman Empire (Constantine's conversion, of course, is seen as one of the most profound events in all of Western history), Islam in the Caliphate and Sultanates of the Middle East, Hinduism in the subcontinent, etc. In fact, one of the most vexing questions of the modern era is how to maintain social and cultural cohesion WITHOUT religious uniformity.

I like Reza Aslan, but he doesn't know what he's talking about here.
Permalink
brayfield Avatar
brayfield
Posts: 11
Posted: 05.29.09, 03:49 PM
When did he say that? I only heard him say that we have a harder time establishing bonds based on common ethnicity. (30:14)
Permalink
brayfield Avatar
brayfield
Posts: 11
Posted: 05.29.09, 03:52 PM
My audio cut out from 32:24 - 32:40. Does anyone know what was being said?
Permalink
toosinbeymen Avatar
toosinbeymen
Posts: 12
Posted: 06.18.09, 09:43 AM
Good point but I think what he meant was further explained later in the video. That is, societies and governments can't control fundamentalism and as in the Saudi case, it will come back to bite you.
Permalink
kaiwai Avatar
kaiwai
Posts: 1
Posted: 06.23.09, 07:38 AM
The fails to address the fact that with Islam, there is no concept of seperation between religion and politics; Muslims are instructed to emulate Muhammad and the 2 generations that follow him - which cover the four rightly guided caliphs. You can't then turn around and there fore dismiss the issue of religion and politics when the corner stone Islam is that there can't be seperation between the two.

There is a reason why Muslim donomiated countries have the worst human rights record - and it has everything to do with religion fusing with politics. I might actually believe him about Islam being about 'peace' and 'find ones position in the world' when I see every Muslim majority country sign up to the treaty outlawing the persecution of GLBT people. The day I see that will be a day when I can see the Muslim world move from the dark ages into 2009.
Permalink
Please log in or register to post a comment.
Advertisement

Related Programs

Reza Aslan: God, Globalization & Ending the War on Terror Reza Aslan: God, Globalization & Ending the War on Terror
00:54:01 min | 20,705 Views
Ismail Agayev: Iran and Hezbollah Ismail Agayev: Iran and Hezbollah
00:58:58 min | 2,338 Views
Dr. Abdul Mawgoud Dardery: Muslim Perspective Dr. Abdul Mawgoud Dardery: Muslim Perspective
00:55:04 min | 13,038 Views
Military Power: Does it Work? Military Power: Does it Work?
01:19:49 min | 10,116 Views
Palestinian Struggles for Nationality Palestinian Struggles for Nationality
01:05:37 min | 2,834 Views

Browse Programs by Tag

Arts Books Climate Change Computing Conflict Credit Crunch Defense Democratization Economic Policy Education Election 2008 Emerging Markets Energy Entertainment Entrepreneurship Environment Film Food Globalization Health & Wellness Healthcare History Internet Investing Law Medicine Music Muslim World Natural Sciences New Media Personal Technology Philanthropy Religion Social Issues Social Sciences Sustainability Terrorism The Bailout U.S. Foreign Policy White House 2009

Advertisement