How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion Free

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Though its title suggests something out of science fiction. Because he believes the battle must be fought with words and ideas instead of weapons, Aslan scrupulously defines terms. Aslan distinguishes between "Islamism," a brand of religious nationalism, and "Global Jihadism," which he considers an ideological social movement not confined by national boundaries. In the era of globalization, as nationality and other traditional markers of individuals' identities become less meaningful, people increasingly turn to religion for their How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion, Aslan says. He contends that opponents of jihadism made a catastrophic mistake by adopting similar inflammatory religious rhetoric. In cosmic war, soldiers fight for God's sake. Thinking of the war on terror as a struggle between the forces of good and evil not only results in similar sinister rhetoric on both sides. It also encourages ongoing religious warfare. Aslan argues that greater understanding of those who stake their identity on militant faith will foster peace. To that end, he supplies short primers on what attracts potential terrorists to jihadism. He devotes a How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion to the foundation of Israel and Palestinians' ensuing grievances. He explores Old Testament justifications for violence to explain the furor surrounding George W. Bush's use of the word "crusade" in connection with fighting terrorists. Aslan describes modern-day Jewish and Christian groups subscribing to bloody expression of faith to illustrate that Islam is not alone among major religions with fanatical fringes. But religions do not kill people, Aslan contends, people do. He insists that Muslim advocates of cosmic war, no matter what they say, are not really religious anyway. The author of "No god but God" sees religion as wholly blameless, even if terrorists invoke it to justify their deeds. As Aslan understands it, global jihadism actually constitutes a social movement akin to Christian evangelicalism through which members attempt both to change society and to forge collective identity. Aslan thinks the unwinnable cosmic war with militant Islam needs to be transformed into an effort to solve real political problems. He recognizes that specific grievances sometimes cited by terrorists have only symbolic value for them. Nevertheless, he believes some, such as the Palestinian situation, have legitimacy and must be addressed in order to diminish jihadists' appeal to disaffected Muslims. Despite the "how to" in his title, Aslan dispenses little concrete advice. He provides no solution for the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. Viewing Islamism as preferable to the more extreme transnational militancy of global jihadism, he favors the participation of Islamist parties in elections. He says this should occur within certain unspecified parameters. He declines to discuss the implications of such parties imposing fundamentally undemocratic religious strictures and denying the very freedoms he encourages. Aslan's sketchy proposals ultimately rely on faith. He simply trusts that murderous Islamist groups operating in electoral politics eventually will develop commitment to democratic ideals. The United States has taken a giant step toward rehabilitating its image by electing Barack Obama, according to Aslan. He believes America's basic values, including high regard for religion, can somehow counterbalance the pull of jihadism. Burnside St. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. All rights reserved About Us. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Ad Choices. Read exclusive stories only found here. Subscribe to OregonLive. How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion Share. Twitter Share. By Fred Vulin, The Oregonian. Though its title suggests something out of science fiction, "How to Win a Cosmic War" is Reza Aslan's attempt to solve the contemporary earthly problem of radical Islamic militancy. How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion: Aslan, Reza: : Books

An entire cottage industry has arisen to answer this question. But what no one has really figured out is, who exactly are they? Is it al-Qaeda? Islamic nationalists? The whole Muslim world? Aslan's answer is- Nothing. The Jihadists have no earthly agenda; they are fighting a metaphysical conflict, a theological war. By refusing to fight in one. And in this stunning new work, Aslan reveals surprising conclusions about how we can deal with this predicament. Read more Read less. Pre- order Books. Order now from our extensive selection of books coming soon with Pre-order Price Guarantee. If the Amazon. Shop now. Frequently bought together. Add all three to Cart. These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers. Show details. Ships from and sold by Amazon AU. Ships from and sold by RarewavesUSA. Customers who bought this item also bought. Page How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1. Previous page. God: A Human History. Reza Aslan. Only 1 left in stock. Only 2 left in stock. Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence. Karen Armstrong. Usually dispatched within 3 to 4 days. Next page. Don't have a Kindle? Review Compelling, penetrative and timely. If more of us in the West grasp Aslan's arguments, we will begin to win the war of ideas against Jihadists and extremists. Few writers are as well qualified to tackle the terrain How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion book represents nothing less than a call to arms, a clear-eyed and impassioned remidner that the most effective way to win a cosmic war is to triumph in the battle for hearts and minds at home. Acclaimed author Reza Aslan dissects two of the most devastating ideologies of our times - Jihadism and the 'War on Terror'. Read more. Customers who viewed this item also viewed. Martin Lings. Usually dispatched within 6 to 10 days. Customer reviews. How are ratings calculated? Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness. Review this product Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. Top reviews Most recent Top reviews. Top reviews from Australia. There are 0 reviews and 0 ratings from Australia. Top reviews from other countries. Verified Purchase. If you are beginning to learn about How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion violence and the role religion plays within it, then this book is the place to start. The reason why it fantastic for beginners is simply because it is easy to read. It places heavy focus on contemporary violence in all three religions and touches upon historical background. In Judaism, Aslan sketches the Zealots and the destruction of the first temple in 70AD all the way to the Zionism and the formation of Israel on the first of May Aslan looks at the crusades an contrasts modern day Cosmic Dualism the main thesis of his work, the clash of civilisations, good vs evil Global Jihadism and the Bush Administration. My favourite part of the book is when Aslan focuses upon islamism How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion democracy. Normally, people, particularly in the west, would look at disgust with Islamist organisation who hold ideas which seem the anti-thesis to Liberalism. People may say that Islamist ideas are what underpin the Global Jihadist movement, and to tackle the latter we need to tackle the former. However, Aslan presents a convincing case whereby allowing Islamist parties to partake in democratic elections may be a way to repel people from turning to Global Jihadism. Aslan also gives a balanced perspective. Some reviews here say that Aslan never criticised the Muslim community yet criticised a lot of American institutions. However, Aslan points out a fundamental and dangerous concept that is widespread in the Muslim world -- takfeerism. Takfir is a widespread doctrine practiced by a number of Muslims, simply put, it is the action of calling some one a Kafir disbeliever or a group of people Kuffar. Both the Ulema and Global Jihadists practice this concept. Aslan takes time sketching the history of takfeerism by recalling Ibn Taymiyah, he then takes time to How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion how dangerous such concept really is for Muslims to practice today. One negative about this book is that it only talks about everything up to which means that it misses everything from then on to today. Therefore, the rise of ISIL is not talked about. An evaluation of Obamas presidency is not talked about which if Aslan reviewed again would come to a different conclusion in his book and the Syrian civil war is not talked about. Therefore, this book is only good for a good background to the events today. Most of the ideas presented in the book still stand though. In conclusion, if you are going to buy a book that deals with issues of religion and violence, then do not hesitate to start here! Report abuse. This writer has a thorough understanding of his subject and is able to put very opposite and entrenched positions into a proper perspective. Excellent book and was delivered rather quickly. I recommend for anyone that is interested in religions and the current situations in the world. The author has a way of explaining things that will be easy even for those with little knowledge of the topic. Reza Aslan's work is highly readable and very persuasive. His arguments are balanced yet don't shirk from conclusions. Highly recommended! Nice book. Its small book as compared to the huge challenge to define today's issues world facing. See all reviews. Back to top. Get to Know Us. How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Islam - Reza Aslan - Google Livres

Reza Aslan, an internationally acclaimed writer and scholar of religions, is author most recently of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth. He is the founder of AslanMedia. Read Reza Aslan's biography on RezaAslan. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. A cosmic war is a religious war. It is a battle not between armies or nations, but between the forces of good and evil, a war in which God is believed to be directly engaged on behalf of one side against the other. The hijackers who attacked the United States on September 11,thought they were fighting a cosmic war. According to award-winning writer and scholar of re A cosmic war is a religious war. According to award-winning writer and scholar of religions Reza Aslan, by infusing the United States War on Terror with the same kind of religiously polarizing rhetoric and Manichean worldview, is also fighting a cosmic war-a war that can't be won. How to Win a Cosmic War""is both an in-depth study of the ideology fueling al-Qa'ida, the Taliban, and like-minded militants throughout the Muslim world, and an exploration of religious violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Surveying the global scene from Israel to Iraq and from New York to the Netherlands, Aslan argues that religion is a stronger force today than it has been in a century. At a time when religion and politics are increasingly sharing the same vocabulary and functioning in the same sphere, Aslan writes that we must strip the conflicts of our world-in particular, the War on Terror-of their religious connotations and address the earthly grievances that always lie behind the cosmic impulse. How do you win a cosmic war? By refusing to fight in one. Get A Copy. Hardcover How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion, pages. More Details Original Title. Other Editions Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about How to Win a Cosmic Warplease sign up. Be the first to ask a question about How to Win a Cosmic War. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion. More filters. Sort order. Oct 28, Ana rated it really liked it Shelves: historyreligion-or-spirituality21st-centurypoliticsnon-fictionnorth-american- literatureunited-states-literaturewestern-asian-literaturemiddle-eastern-literatureiranian-literature. This book may shock you if you think of extremists as irrational, evil beings and it may surprise you just how much social justice and extremism have in common. Jan 10, Jennavier rated it it was ok. I was really unimpressed by this book. I'm unsure of what the author was trying to say. It's not just that he didn't answer his questions as that he never really posed questions to start with. On top of that he would start to pose interesting and inflammatory questions and then step back, leaving them on their own. It was like throwing How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion around as if they were chicken feed, unwilling to actually place them somewhere that can be useful. He also made a lot of sweeping historical general I was really unimpressed by this book. He also made a lot of sweeping historical generalizations that I do not appreciate. A lot of this book is Aslan's opinion dressed up as fact. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. View all 4 comments. May 18, Jack rated it really liked it. Although principally billed as an analysis and commentary on the so-called 'War on Terror' ie - against Islamic Jihadiststhe book is actually a wider discussion on religion, identity and violence. Perhaps the concept that bests summarizes his thoughts is that of al-wala' wal-bara'which would roughly translate to "faith and infidelity"; a "us vs. A battle between those who share the same beliefs, and those who do not. This is not purely a Islam and Christianity treatise, bu Although principally billed as an analysis and commentary on the so-called 'War on Terror' ie - against Islamic Jihadiststhe book is actually a wider discussion on religion, identity and violence. This is not purely a Islam and Christianity treatise, but includes how this dichotomy can result in internal schisms - Zealots vs Jewish collaborators with Rome, or Jihadists against the "Near Enemy" - a fellow Muslim that have been deemed 'kafir' or an infidel. For the most part, How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion does not demonize any sides, combining the right dose of analysis, passion and personal anecdotes. But, there is the slight exception to the Christian Right and other ultra-nationalistic, right-wing groups around the world. He would probably argue that such groups feed on the 'us vs. Indeed, his main thesis is that the best way to win the cosmic war is not to fight it at all. He argues that the best way to deter Jihadists is not to engage on a religious level, but rather to make al-Qaeda irrelevant by listening to the concerns of local Muslims, and to encourage the growth of viable democracies in the Middle East. He does not say that the democracies need to mirror the American democratic system of government, but must, at least, reflect the will of the people and be seen as a legitimate government. Lastly, I do want to note that at times, Reza is a masterful story-teller. This is how he describes the re-taking of the Temple Mount during the Six-Day War: I have that photo, here before me. Rabbi Goren is wearing Coke-bottle glasses, but I can tell you, I can see the light dancing in his eyes. With the ram's horn pressed to his lips he is Joshua, calling forth the wrath of God who crumbles mountains. He is Aaron, staring out with virgin eyes upon the land of milk and honey. He is Moses: see how the soldiers run to him through the parting of dust and rubble! Two thousand years of wandering in the wilderness, and now, at long last, Eretz Yisrael is secured. Surely redemption is at hand. View 1 comment. Aug 08, Arash rated it really liked it. Aslan has a wonderful ability to take a complicated subject that is so commonly misunderstood and misrepresented in present day media, and break it down to its more coherent pieces, while maintaining its integrity and providing thoughtful analysis. Aslan frames the current "Cosmic War" between Islam and the West within the context of today's failed War on Terror and a modern day version of the Christian crusades. His writing is remarkably easy to follow and written with a contemporary understand Aslan has a wonderful ability to take a complicated subject that is so commonly misunderstood and misrepresented in present day media, and break it down to its more coherent pieces, while maintaining its integrity and providing thoughtful analysis. His writing is remarkably easy to follow and written with a contemporary understanding of the dominant issues in today's discourse on this matter. His history of jihadism is fascinating and well-documented. His exploration of the true reasons of Islamic fundamentalism and its terrorist actions How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion insightful and eye-opening. Aslan refuses to accept the flawed and Islamophobic language that is so common today. His writing, like his interviews and talks, reflect his dedication to thinking about these issues in new ways and understanding the complexity of an all too commonly simplified argument: that Islam inherently fuels terrorism. I only wish the book was a bit longer and explored these ideas in more depth. Jan 22, Emily rated it it was amazing. Good overview of global terrorism, an excellent introduction for someone who had very little prior knowledge on the subject like me. This book is almost ten years old now, but still very relevant, especially given the rise of nationalism in the US. Apr 29, Daniel Solera rated it it was amazing Shelves: current-eventsreligionpolitics. This was one fantastic read. I had a recent conversation with a close friend, where we talked about the modern-day dangers of religion, and how some of the harshest critics frame the issue unfairly. Granted, religion was involved, but it many other elements were at play. Aslan's book takes this approach in attempts to rationalize How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion intent of This was one fantastic read. Aslan's book takes this approach in attempts to rationalize the intent of a jihadist. In doing so, he not only glosses over the history of the religious fundamentalist movements of the three large monotheismsbut also explains how the struggles between them have been hurt further by the Bush Administration's foreign policy and rhetoric. Furthermore, he notes that the How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religion strife is only made worse by globalization. Specifically, globalization brings cultures together and unifies differences, while the "us vs. It is this alienation that confuses young Muslims in industrialized countries and drives them to identify themselves with radical, violent movements. There is so much discussed in this book, and all of it relevant. I can't recommend it enough to anyone looking to make a little more sense of the long-standing chaos that daily hits the airwaves.