The first week or day that Obama was in office, he made it clear that peace in the Middle East would be a high priority for him. And his choice of a special envoy, George Mitchell, compared to the previous special envoys chosen, is remarkable.
Reza AslanThe way you confront an organization like that is twofold. No. 1, you kill their militants. There is no room for discussion or negotiation when it comes to an ISIS or an Al Qaeda militant. They donโt want anything concrete. And if you want nothing thatโs measurable or concrete, there is nothing to talk about. You must be destroyed.
Reza AslanEven the Quran, which Sufis respect as the direct speech of God, lacks the capacity to shed light upon Godโs essence. As one Sufi master has argued, why spend time reading a love letter (by which he means the Quran) in the presence of the Beloved who wrote it?
Reza AslanThe only question that matters with regard to a religion and its mythology is โWhat do these stories mean?
Reza AslanIslamophobia has become so mainstream in this country that Americans have been trained to expect violence against Muslims - not excuse it, but expect it. And that's happened because you have an Islamophobia industry in this country devoted to making Americans think there's an enemy within.
Reza Aslan