Fact-Checking Reza Aslan 1: "Love Your Neighbor as Yourself"

In his book Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, creative writing professor Reza Aslan claims that the Jewish command to "Love your neighbor as yourself" only applied to one's fellow Jews, and that Jews were ordered to expel foreigners from the land of Israel. Aslan writes:

When it came to the heart and soul of the Jewish faith—the Law of Moses—Jesus was adamant that his mission was not to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). That law made a clear distinction between relations among Jews and relations between Jews and foreigners. The oft-repeated commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself" was not Jesus’s invention. It comes directly from the Torah and is meant to be applied strictly in the context of internal relations within Israel. The verse in question reads: "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). To the Israelites, as well as to Jesus's community in first-century Palestine, "neighbor" meant one’s fellow Jews, whether friend or foe. With regard to the treatment of foreigners and outsiders, oppressors and occupiers, however, the Torah could not be clearer: "You shall drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. They shall not live in your land" (Exodus 23:31-33).

But what happens when we go to the chapters Reza quotes and find them saying the exact opposite of what he claims?

Muslim Professor Reza Aslan Helps Christians Prove the Resurrection of Jesus

In his book Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, Muslim professor Reza Aslan tries to convince his readers that Jesus was a violent revolutionary, who wanted to slaughter the Roman occupiers of Israel.

While his attempts to portray Jesus as a jihadist fall dreadfully short, Aslan admits some interesting facts about Jesus and his followers—namely, that Jesus was crucified, that his disciples were convinced that he had risen from the dead, that his disciples went to their bloody deaths proclaiming Jesus' resurrection, and that belief in Jesus' resurrection can be traced back to the earliest stages of the church.

Since these are the facts that are usually in dispute between Christians and Muslims, we should thank Reza for helping us build our case for the resurrection of Jesus.

For more on Reza Aslan, see:

"Reza Aslan Admits That the Qur'an Is Wrong about Jesus"
"Reza Aslan Caught Lying about Age of Aisha"
"Reza Aslan: Twisting Scriptures for the Sake of Allah"
"Reza Aslan Caught Lying about Jesus, Judaism, and the Old Testament"
"Reza Aslan: Whitewashing Jihad"
"Reza Aslan and the Deity of Jesus"
"Reza Aslan's Jihad Jesus"
"Reza Aslan and the Resurrection of Jesus"
"Reza Aslan Spoofs Nativity Scene to Sell Copies of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth"
"Reza Aslan's Historical Method"
"William Lane Craig vs. Reza Aslan on the Historical Jesus"

Reza Aslan Admits That the Qur'an Is Wrong about Jesus

According to the Qur'an, Jesus was neither killed nor crucified (Qur'an 4:157-158). Instead, Allah raised Jesus to heaven while he was still alive.

Yet Muslim scholar Reza Aslan admits that the Qur'an is wrong, for Jesus "was most definitely crucified." Since Aslan has rejected the inspiration and authority of Islam's central text, we can only wonder why he calls himself a Muslim (and why Muslims aren't calling him out as an apostate).

Regardless, it's nice to know that when we discuss the crucifixion of Jesus with our Muslim friends, we can appeal to Reza Aslan as a scholarly Muslim authority on the historical fact of Jesus' death on the cross.

For more on Reza Aslan, see:

"Reza Aslan Caught Lying about Age of Aisha"
"Reza Aslan: Twisting Scriptures for the Sake of Allah"
"Reza Aslan Caught Lying about Jesus, Judaism, and the Old Testament"
"Reza Aslan: Whitewashing Jihad"
"Reza Aslan and the Deity of Jesus"
"Reza Aslan's Jihad Jesus"
"Reza Aslan and the Resurrection of Jesus"
"Reza Aslan Spoofs Nativity Scene to Sell Copies of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth"
"Reza Aslan's Historical Method"
"William Lane Craig vs. Reza Aslan on the Historical Jesus"

Reza Aslan Spoofs Nativity Scene to Sell Copies of "Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth"

Reza Aslan has a new video ad for his recent book, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth. The video depicts a "wise woman" showing up shortly after the birth of Jesus, offering Joseph and Mary "the greatest Christmas gift ever": a copy of Zealot. Here's the ad:

If this video had been made by someone who wasn't a complete hypocrite, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Reza Aslan, however, routinely condemns anyone who dares offend Muslims or criticize Islam. Indeed, he blames critics of jihad for violence, even when the violence was committed by Muslims. For instance, Shaima Alawadi was honor-killed by her own husband. Yet Reza blamed Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller for the murder (based on the husband's planted "Islamophobic" note telling Alawadi to "Go back to your country, you terrorist"):

Not exactly what we would expect from a self-proclaimed internationally acclaimed "scholar" of religions!

In reality, Aslan is an associate professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside. In Zealot, Aslan uses his creative writing skills to get creative with history (just as he often gets creative with his "scholarly" credentials), arguing that Jesus was a failed jihadist, who wanted to slaughter the Romans but just couldn't manage to get the job done.

What about all those Bible passages in which Jesus commands his followers to turn the other cheek, to love their enemies, to pray for their persecutors, etc.? According to Aslan, these passages were either fabricated or massively distorted by later Christians. The "real" Jesus wanted only bloodshed.

Years ago, Aslan condemned the Jyllands-Posten for reinforcing stereotypes and promoting hatred. He concluded:

And that is why as a Muslim American I am enraged by the publication of these cartoons. Not because they offend my prophet or my religion, but because they fly in the face of the tireless efforts of so many civic and religious leaders—both Muslim and non-Muslim—to promote unity and assimilation rather than hatred and discord; because they play into the hands of those who preach extremism; because they are fodder for the clash-of-civilizations mentality that pits East against West. For all of that I blame Jyllands-Posten. We in the West want Muslim leaders to condemn the racial and religious prejudices that are so widespread in the Muslim world. Let us lead by example. (Source)

And yet, despite his calls for tolerance and sensitivity, Aslan has no problem telling Christians that Jesus was a wannabe terrorist, that Christianity is based on myths and deception, and that Zealot is the "greatest Christmas gift ever." Moreover, Aslan finds it amusing to spoof the Nativity scene (during the Christmas season, no less) in order to sell a book that treats the Nativity story as a fiction.

Reza Aslan

Again, I wouldn't have a problem with the video if it were coming from someone who was a bit more consistent. But facts are facts. Aslan certainly didn't make a video about Muhammad's birth in an effort to sell copies of his book No God but God. Indeed, if Robert Spencer had made a video depicting the birth of Muhammad in order to sell copies of The Truth about Muhammad, Aslan would have called him a bigot, a hate-monger, and an Islamophobe (following the inevitable international bloody riots).

Why the double-standards? Because Aslan knows he can get away with it. He knows the media will fawn all over him, even as he desperately tries to make Jesus sound like Muhammad and Muhammad sound like Jesus. And he knows that, no matter how much he insults Christians or their beliefs about Jesus, no Christians are coming to kill him (which, according to Aslan, makes them poor followers of their violent Lord).