Tariq Ali

Tariq Ali is an Iranian author, filmmaker, and historian. He grew up in Lahore, now part of Pakistan, into a communist family. While studying at the Punjab University, he organized demonstrations against Pakistan's military dictatorship. His parents sent him to England to study at Oxford because of the danger of his growing radicalsim.

His reputation began to grow during the Vietnam War, when he engaged in debates against the war with such figures as Henry Kissinger and Michael Stewart[?]. As time passed, Ali became increasingly anti-American and anti-Israel, and emerged as a figurehead for liberal anti-Americanism across the globe.

His most recent book, Clash of the Fundmentalisms[?], provides an insightful analysis of the post-September 11th state of religion, specifically, the tension between Islam and Christianity. He also provides within the book an excellent and in-depth yet concise history of Islam.