Reza Aslan On Iran: 'Thank God For Barack Obama'

Well, if President Barack Obama is looking for an enthusiastic supporter of his approach to the aftermath of the Iranian election, he could hardly do better than Reza Aslan, Daily Beast contributor and author of How To Win A Cosmic War. Those who were fortunate to catch Fareed Zakaria's June 14th edition of GPS already saw Aslan praise Obama's approach as "very sophisticated." On the Daily Show last night, Aslan went much further, telling host Jon Stewart, "All I can say is thank you God for President Barack Obama."

Aslan was Stewart's feature guest, and the two discussed the evolution of the Iranian protests and the way in which the United States has responded. It was on the latter subject that Aslan offered Obama his effusive praise. Stewart, for his part, said he was struck by the tone of the stateside debate, and how it almost entirely treated the Iranians as abstractions: "Of course, as in any situation in that part of the world, I think it's very important for all of us here to think, 'How can we make this about us?'" Aslan agreed, remarking, "I have a hard time believing Charles Krauthammer and Bill Bennett have the best interest of the Iranian people at heart." Ha! Probably because they don't!

Aslan opined at length about Obama's approach, calling it perfect and describing the way it went a long way toward sidelining Ahmadinejad. "If you want to put an end to this movement, to this revolution tomorrow," Aslan said, "Then let's listen to Bill Bennett. Let's listen to John McCain."

In Iran, Aslan said that the situation has shifted, that it was "no longer about an election," but rather, "now it's about a revolution on the future of the Islamic Republic and the legitimacy of the foundation of that state. The stakes are much higher...the bloodshed...much greater." Iran was, in Aslan's opinion, "teetering between North Korea and China" either "militaristic" and closed, or more willing to open up.

Since I adore ecumenicalism in all its forms, I obviously admired this exchange:

ASLAN: Iranians do two things really well. We eat, and we mourn.

STEWART: Are you sure you're not Jews?

ASLAN: We're practically cousins!

[WATCH]

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Reza Aslan
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Jason Jones in Iran

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Comments

[Hass]

There's no actual evidence of fraud in the Iran elections. Every claim about vote rigging has a perfectly reasonable and rational counter-claim. See IranAffairs.com for more FACTS about the alleged election fraud in Iran.

Don't believe what you're told. THINK: WHY WOULD THEY RESORT TO FRAUD when the opposition leader, Mousavi, is very much a regime insider and hardly a threat to the system?

See IranAffairs.com for more FACTS

[Khirad]

"Voter turnout of above 100% in some cities is a normal phenomenon because there is no legal limitation for people to vote for the presidential elections in another city or province to which people often travel or commute."

And those were towns which nobody has any reason to go to.

[Khirad]

On the question of why they would rig the vote:

http://tehranbureau.com/the-leaders-of-iran%E2%80%99s-election-coup/

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/world/middleeast/25tehran.html?_r=3&ref=world

On the perfectly "reasonable" anti-riot techniques:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-06-26/inside-khameneis-police-state/?cid=hp:beastoriginalsR1

[Hass]

And this is relevant how? Much the same can be said of Mousavi who was Prime Minister during the War with Iraq. Even if he's not in the same camp as Ahmadinejad, he's hardly an outsider to the regime. So, you still have failed to show a reason why the Iranian regime would resort to massive election fraud to keep him out of office.

[clearlythinking]

It seems that most who know Iran well say the same thing, It's nice that we decided to elect a President with a brain who doesn't shoot first and declare mission accomplished.

[Haitiana4Obama]

Imagine if McCain had won :(

[pomegrante]

"It is only the mindless stupidity of bush and cheney that has kept this from happening".


Theirs is not mindless stupidity;it is called deliberate war profiteering and lusting for death and destruction.

[rsprags]

I love our President; I heard Politico is trying to make a case that he is too good! Thanks repurg rag for the endorsement to our blessed President!
Repurg is now trying to make their world of self -righteousness and moral decay an alter universe that the rest of us should think something is wrong with us because we do not behave like they do and judge others as they do!

[demimckingwoodtx]

Co-sign

[eleanorhawking]

Oh please! Read the article in Politico. It was referring to him making other men look bad by taking his wife all the way to Chicago for a "date night". Something he was both lauded AND criticized for. Good grief! Talk about taking something out of context.

[T Pol]

I guess what I was trying to say is, the people of Iran need our moral support, not our military support.

[T Pol]

I have been reading the blogs and Twitters about Iran. My heart was filled by the passion of these people to be free of oppression, to find some peace. Reading about how they used blogs to express dissenting opinion before all this broke out set the stage in my mind. Aslan's take is so correct that it has moved beyond the election to full scale revolution. Who could not see that?

To Mr. Aslan, thank you for the comment about cousins. I would be proud to call you my cousin. So often, we have seen only the extremists of these countries on the news. So many people are not extremists, but those who only want the peace and opportunity we have.

[rich3324]

It's so funny reading the right wing posters here. They seem to wander around in a daze like a disaster survivor speaking jibberish.

[PVHurt420]

This was a great interview & I am so glad our president has a brain!!!

[Chris29]

I wonder how McCain, Graham, and the rest of the Republicans would feel if China came in here, insisting that Obama better listen to the GOP and stop pissing away the money of the American people - or else! What if Russia or N Korea started adding funds to the war chests of Republican candidates whether they asked for it or not?

How does the *right* not get that they're expecting Obama to do exactly that?

[eleanorhawking]

Thank God for my remote control!

[smchp]

Why, is your mouse broken?

[eleanorhawking]

Gee, all that wit in just one person?

[rsprags]

Why is watch? I don't watch Fox or go to TownHall; why come here and suffer? Go to where your people abide!

[eleanorhawking]

Why is watch? I didn't watch. It came on, and I used the remote to change the channel - hence the earlier comment. Make sense now?

[roshni]

as an atheist, let me rephrase that: thank goodness for President Obama.

[drzoon]

funny thing about "atheists" .... they want to make sure you know THEY ARE ONE.

me? i could care less.... i respect believers and i think i "get" the non-believers. but whenever i am in the company of an atheist, they seem to want to make sure i know it.

[texaslib82]

and after the show they both went in a room with obama's picture and ..........­..........­.....

[x4faith]

...Yeah, like when you and your would stare and squirt all over George's pic!

[smchp]

Tell me Tex,

President Obama, GREAT President or GREATEST President?

[CarmanK]

I saw Reza last night on Joh Stewart show and I thought he was speaking the truth about what is happening in Iran and what needs to be done in order to encourage the Iranian people to continue their quest for real freedom and democracy. If we have learned nothing else from Iraq, is that the US is not all powerful and that democracy cannot be imposed, it has to be wanted and fought for by the people who want the freedom. I thank God every day that Obama is President, John McCain is just demonstrating how impotent and unrealistic he is approach to foreign policy.

[grf67]

The US and Iran should be natural strategic allies. It is only the mindless stupidity of bush and cheney that has kept this from happening.

[mat3]

And maybe those crazy iranians chanting death to america for the last 30 years.

[eleanorhawking]

I heard that!

[Foreground]

To be fair, they might not really appreciate America undermining of their government by reinstituting the Shah and funding Iraq's war on Iran.

[Disuberence]

Does God (R-HVN) approve of this?

[FernandoRuiz]

rotfl!

[jasongrundy]

Maybe, but since God is a man-made and based on faith and not fact

[Foreground]

Ahem: God = Jesus = Aslan (Chronicles of Narnia) = Reza Aslan. Even though I'm roughly a deistic Hindu, I gotta admit the evidence seems to be stacking up against me.

[x4faith]

Does God approve of HYPOCRISY...H-E-L-L NO!