'The People Have Lost Their Fear.' Salman Rushdie on the Middle East
“This is not a religious revolution,” Salman Rushdie said last month during a speech at Emory University, where he is a Distinguished Writer-in-Residence. “It’s a secular revolution.” He was referring to the social change sweeping countries like Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, Libya, and Bahrain,... Continue Reading →
Are the Middle East Revolutions Strengthening Iran? Reza Aslan Weighs In
In a short video for the Council on Foreign Relations, Reza Aslan addresses European and American commentators who believe the wave of revolution sweeping the Middle East only serves to strengthen Iran. “If you think of the relationship between the United States and Iran as some sort of Cold... Continue Reading →
Reza Aslan Talks Libya, Iran, & the Middle East Youth Revolt with Christiane Amanpour
On ABC News This Week, Reza Aslan talked to Christiane Amanpour about the uprisings in Libya, and why the Middle East revolution is definitely a youth revolution. For one thing, the young revolutionaries benefit from — and obsessively use — new technologies that their parents’ generation simply... Continue Reading →
"People Seeing Something Better for Themselves." Humanitarian Richard Heinzl on Libya
Just caught up with Dr. Richard Heinzl, the founder of Doctors Without Borders Canada, who has provided care to many of the world’s most vulnerable populations. He’s doing some research for his keynote this Monday, and incorporating recent and relevant news stories into his main talk, as he’s... Continue Reading →
Reza Aslan to Speak on Revolution (and Literature) in the Middle East
Reza Aslan will discuss the role literature has played in the fight for revolution in the Middle East as part of an esteemed panel, at the 92nd Street Y, that also includes Azar Nafisi and Nathan Englander. The event takes place next Monday, February 28th, 2011. It’s a topic for our times, and... Continue Reading →
Think Groupon, Not Facebook: Daron Acemoglu on the Role of Social Networks in The Middle East Uprisings
While many people are quick to dub the protests sweeping the Middle East as “The Facebook Revolutions,” Daron Acemoglu thinks that Groupon might serve as a better analogy. In a recent New York Times article, Acemoglu argues that the real power of social networking tools is their ability to... Continue Reading →
Reza Aslan in The Atlantic: With Mubarak Gone, How Does Egypt's Revolution Affect Iran?
After the dramatic news today that Hosni Mubarak has stepped down following more than two weeks of mass protests, the eyes of the world now shift to their neighbors. Will the revolution in Egypt, which has now proven to be successful, create a domino effect in the region? In no place is the... Continue Reading →