Reza Aslan in LAT today: "Islam has no equivalent of the Catholic tradition of excommunication, and the authority of the clerics to fight extremism is limited". Um, kafir murtadd? Or ask the Ahmadiyyas how they feel about that statement.
Hi Sepoy. Although I think that the article on the whole is worth reading, I agree with your comment and have added two more criticisms on my blog. Particularly puzzling is the apprent contradiction between his pointing out the fatwas have failed and then suggesting that more action by clerics can turn back the tide of jihadism.