If you were on the Internet at all this past weekend, you probably caught a glimpse of Reza Aslan’s now viral interview with Fox News host Laura Green. The segment plays more like an interrogation, as Green begins the interview asking Aslan why he, as a Muslim, would be interested in the life of Jesus, the founder of Christianity. Aslan, who has studied theology for more than 20 years and holds multiple degrees—including a Ph.D in religion—repeatedly references his academic background to Green, but to no avail. The Fox News host continues to badger him with questions about his faith and his motives for writing the book. In the clip, Green appears unable to understand how Aslan could be capable of writing objectively on the subject of Jesus—or be trusted to deliver an account of his life, degrees or no degree.


The interview has inspired outrage and derision across the web. But while the clip has largely rallied public opinion in Aslan’s favor, it gives insight into the ways in which the Right—and to an unfortunately large extent, American popular culture—perceives Muslims. Green can’t comprehend—or refuses to comprehend—how a Muslim person could overcome their Muslim-ness and participate, as an academic, in conversations that are not about Muslims. For Green, for Fox News, and for people like Peter King and Ray Kelly, Muslims seem to be one-dimensional stock characters incapable of autonomy or the capacity to reason. Is Green incapable of accepting Reza Aslan as an academic because she is incapable of accepting his humanity?
Green is, after all, only a product of her culture. Let’s face it: popular culture has told us, time and time again, that Muslims are only capable of occupying a handful of roles: The Terrorist, The Subjugated Muslim Woman, and The FBI Informant. Tune into the terrorist drama of the week (CSI and Law & Order frequently contribute episodes to the genre) and you’ll become familiar with these generic on-screen Muslims. It doesn’t matter whether they’re Pakistani, or Afghani, or Egyptian, or Palestinian—they all speak the same gibberish language, wear the same Muslim-ish garb, and have the same terrorist-brown skin. They feature in any number of films on the same subject, whether playing background roles to Sacha Baron Cohen’s racist Dictator caricature or making cameos as oppressed, voiceless Muslim women in movies like Sex and the City 2.
These uneven media portrayals are more than misrepresentations. They strip Muslims of their agency and their humanity. If Muslims are not slaves to their violent faith, then they are slaves to their sexuality or inherently lascivious nature. Is it these portrayals that make it so easy for drone operators to shoot down anonymous Muslims in Pakistan, Yemen and Afghanistan, like video game targets? Is it these depictions that make it so easy to go to war with Muslim-majority countries, with little thought to the devastating aftermath?
Maybe it’s a chicken-or-the-egg question. But consider popular culture’s treatment of Muslims in its fictional narratives and then see how people like Green can completely disregard all other facets of a Muslim man’s identity—all the facets that make him a living, breathing human—and reduce him to a stereotype. In Green’s world, Aslan’s Muslim-ness overwhelms his distinctions as a scholar of religion and as a prominent voice on interfaith relations in this country. Unlike his non-Muslim colleagues, who have written extensively on Islam (pick up any book on the subject at Barnes & Noble and it’s likely the author is non-Muslim), Reza Aslan is not seen as an academic. Instead, he’s seen as someone to be suspected and interrogated, dissected, and exposed. Green—and others—will not let him get away with walking around in the clothes of a mortal human being.
  • Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away
    Dogs have impressive observational powers.Photo credit: Canva

    Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.

    “A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”

    His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.

    pregnancy signs, dogs and pregnancy, pitbull behavior, pet intuition, dog overprotection, Reddit stories, viral Reddit, dog instincts, canine emotions, dog owner tips
    Otis knew before they did. Canva

    Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.

    So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”

    The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.

    Any chance your wife is pregnant?

    ZZBC | Reddit

    The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!

    “The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”

    Redditors responded with similar experiences.

    Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.

    realityisworse | Reddit

    So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?

    Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”

    The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.

    This article originally appeared last year.

  • Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.

  • ,

    Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories

    Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.

    While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.

    When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.

    Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.


Explore More Articles Stories

Articles

Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away

Articles

14 images of badass women who destroyed stereotypes and inspired future generations

Articles

Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories

Articles

11 hilarious posts describe the everyday struggles of being a woman