What happens when a professor known for hyping the dangers of “Islamophobia” is accused of perpetuating such a “phobia” himself? Critics of UC Riverside creative writing professor Reza Aslan’s new CNN show, Believer, are charging him with “Hinduphobia” for depicting Hindus as cannibals in the opening episode.
An Iranian-American academic, author, HBO producer, and now television host, Reza Aslan has become a sought-after speaker on Muslim life in America. His celebrity profile packed the house at the University of Pennsylvania last month for the presentation “Fear Inc.: Confronting Islamophobia in America.”
The crowd of approximately 750 was a diverse mix of students, attentive adults, and prominent Penn faculty and alumni, most notably NBC’s Andrea Mitchell. The significance of the turnout was clear: fearmongering about rising “Islamophobia” is trending, and a young, hip Muslim-American with cable TV producing credentials has the answers.
Gregg Roman is an investigative journalist and Director of the Middle East Forum.