Violence, Religion and Islam The two brothers who are the main suspects in the deadly shooting of 12 people at the offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were killed by police this morning. Also today, reports emerged that the Islamic militant group Boko Haram killed hundreds, perhaps thousands, this week in the town of Baga in northeast Nigeria. These and other recent incidents have people within and outside the Muslim community questioning why so much violence is being committed in the name of Islam. Why don’t we see this connection with other religions? Or do we?

Reza Aslan Looks to Enliven LA’s Staid Literary Scene No doubt about it, writing is a lonely sport. Words come from within, and go to a computer screen or thumb drive. Or, if you’re old school – and a lot of people are old school – a piece of paper. Even from a typewriter. But the lonely writer needs dialogue, too. Other people with whom to talk, laugh, and commiserate. Drink. The religious scholar Reza Aslan teaches creative writing at UC Riverside. He’s best known for his writings on Christianity and Islam, with his bestselling books Zealot, a biography of Jesus Christ, and No God but God, about the origins, evolution, and future of Islam. But he’s also the host of a new literary series called The Writer's Room at the West Hollywood nightclub DBA. The next show is tonight with playwright, screenwriter and producer Liz Meriwether, from the TV show New Girl.

Reza Aslan on 'Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth' Reza Aslan, author of the best-seller No god but God , returned to his Muslim faith after five years as an evangelical Christian. Now, he says, he's more interested than ever in Jesus, not as he's described in the Gospels, but in his life as a man. Recently, in the Washington Post , he wrote, "there are only two hard historical facts about Jesus of Nazareth upon which we can confidently rely." Aslan's latest book is Zealot : The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth.

September 11 and Young People In the days after 9/11, Americans felt a sense of national unity unseen since World War II. Within six months, it was gone, except among the Middle Class young. Members of what's called the "9/11 Generation" are still more politically aware, socially conscious and plugged in than their parents. That's also true in countries now experiencing the so-called "Arab Spring," for very different reasons. We look at causes and consequences today.

The Cost of Ignorance: Teaching Religion in Public Schools Public nativity scenes and debates about language dominate the culture wars this time of year but, amid the skirmishes over proper greetings and public displays of religious belief, one of the most overlooked casualties is the fact that Americans are surprisingly ignorant about the world's major religions. While America's separation of Church and State prohibits teachers in public schools from lead students in prayer, what about teaching about prayer and the world's major religions? Is there a need for comparative religious studies and critical analysis in an era when religious values play an increasing role in global conflicts? How should schools be educating children about religion?

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in New York Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is in New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly, saying this weekend's release of Sarah Shourd should be met by what he called a comparable "humanitarian gesture" by the US.  Shourd is one of three Americans arrested last year and charged with spying near the Iraq-Iran border.  The US is holding several Iranians on various charges. Reza Aslan is a columnist for the Daily Beast and author of No god But God : The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam.

Revolution Day in Iran Splits Populace Thirty-one years ago today, Islamic clerics in Iran shook the world, leading a revolution fueled by hatred of the West. The Islamic republic itself now faces unrest -- from within, as a protest movement continues to build. Today, thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Tehran, in shows of both support and protest. What legacy has more than four decades of Islamic rule left on the country and the region? What options does it have for coping with pressure from within and from Iranians outside who are pushing for change? What options does the West have in dealing with Iran's nuclear ambitions?

Iranian President Ahmadinejad Begins Second Term Mahmoud Ahmadinejad starts his second four-year term as President of Iran. In today's inaugural address, Ahmadinejad called for "a national will" and "national resolve." He told his audience, "We need to join forces."  As if to dramatize the moment, major reformers, including a faction of parliament, boycotted the ceremony. Outside on the streets of Tehran, opposition protesters were vastly outnumbered by riot police.