Wait, what?

It happened. Allegedly.

I don’t know if this is CNN’s attempt to increase their ratings, but the network has introduced a new series called “Believer,” with host Reza Aslan.

And boy howdy, the first program out of the gate was a doozy.

Aslan spotlighted Hinduism on the Sunday premiere, but instead of going the safe route and summarizing the traditions of that faith (which, in my opinion, are truly fascinating), he spent a good chunk of time with the obscure “Aghouri” sect. The Aghouris are known for their, let’s say, rather outlandish customs (and that’s being generous).

He located a small group of nomadic Aghouri ascetics outside the Hindu holy city of Varanasi. There he got his face smeared with cremated human ashes and drank alcohol from a human skull.

(Hold on — religious ascetics consuming alcohol? Never mind, this is never explained.)

Then this happened:

https://youtu.be/Pn7HHEdmgjQ

At the end of the segment, Aslan and his camera crew were chased out of the camp by the crazy Aghouri flinging his own poo at them. What an ending.

The day after this segment was broadcast, Aslan really stepped in it (so to speak) when he posted at his Facebook page:

“Want to know what a dead guy’s brain tastes like? Charcoal. It was burnt to a crisp!”

Since then CNN and Reza Aslan — who is Muslim — have come under fire from prominent Hindus.