The Iranian- American Reza Aslan was born on 3 May 1972, and is an accomplished author, producer, television host and religious studies scholar. A member of the American Academy of Religion, Reza garnered worldwide attention when a video clip of him being interviewed by Chief Religion Correspondent, Lauren Green, on the Fox News webcast, ¨Spirited Debate, ¨ in 2013 went viral around the world.
So, just how rich is Reza Aslan, as of early 2017? Authoritative sources estimate Reza´s net worth to be over $3 million, most of his fortune coming through the sale of his three books, ¨No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam,¨ ¨Beyond Fundamentalism: Confronting Religious Extremism in the Age of Globalization,¨ and ¨Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth.
Reza Aslan Net Worth $3 million
Reza is the son of immigrants who fled to the States to escape the Iranian revolution in the late ‘70s, and spent most of his childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area. The accomplished figure is the holder of numerous degrees including a BA in religious studies from Santa Clara University, an MTS degree from Harvard Divinity School, an MFA degree from the University of Iowa´s Writers´ Workshop, and a PhD in sociology of religions from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Back in the ‘90s, Reza earned his livelihood teaching various courses to students at De La Salle High School in Concord, California.
Although he has published five books in his career thus far, only two of his books, ¨No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, ¨ and ¨Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth¨ have managed to become international best-sellers. The sales of the latter book were truly buoyed by the release of a video clip of him being interviewed by the Chief Religion Correspondent, Lauren Green, on the Fox News webcast, ¨Spirited Debate, ¨ in 2013. Lauren was seemingly discontent with Reza´s credentials, repeatedly asking him what gave him, a Muslim, the right to write about Jesus, to which he retorted, ¨Because it´s my job as an academic. I am a professor religion including the New Testament. That´s what I do for a living, actually.¨ Although the interview lasted around 10 minutes, Lauren focused little on Reza´s book, instead shedding light on Reza´s background, which in turn brought her flak from all over. The uncalled for interrogation actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Reza, as his book topped the U.S. best-seller list on Amazon by late July 2013, after initially failing to make an impression.
He is frequently in demand for many news-related TV programs, particularly regarding items on Islamic religious and Muslim state issues of course.
In October 2014, Reza found himself grabbing the headlines again after the release of his New York Times article, ¨Bill Maher Isn´t the Only One Who Misunderstand Religion,¨ focusing on the unfair characterization of female genital mutilation as an ¨Islamic problem.¨ He also writes for prestigious publications including Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, The Nation and The Washington Post, Slate, The Guardian, and The Christian Science Monitor.
In his personal life, before tying the knot with the entrepreneur, Jessica Jackley, Reza Aslan was engaged to the journalist, Amanda Fortini. Regrettably, the engagement ran its course in 2008 and the duo decided to end their coupling. Reza has three sons with Jessica Jackley and they are brought up in an interfaith family. Does Reza have anyone as famous as him in his family? Well, he does; his aunt, Leila Forouhar, is a famous pop-singer.
