Published in Pajamas Media Translations of this item: Danish Will the recent killings of al-Qaeda leaders Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayub al-Masri have any tangible effects on the "war on terror"? Vice President Joe Biden — who referred to the slayings as "devastating blows to Al Qaeda in Iraq" — certainly seems to think so. The situation is reminiscent of when … [Read more...]
Was Marco Polo an ‘Islamophobe’?
If the same exact criticisms being made against Islam today were also made centuries ago, is it reasonable to dismiss them all as "Islamophobic"— that is, as "unfounded fear of and hostility towards Islam," as the Council on American Islamic Relations would have it? This is the question I often ask myself whenever I read pre-modern writings on Islam. Take that elementary … [Read more...]
Obama Tries to Eradicate Radical Islam
Published in Pajamas Media The Obama administration has just announced its intent to ban all words that allude to Islam from important national security documents. Put differently, the Obama administration has just announced its intent to ban all knowledge and context necessary to confront and defeat radical Islam (news much welcomed by Islamist organizations like CAIR). While … [Read more...]
How the Islamist Mindset Rationalizes – and Promotes – ‘Sex Sins’
Published in Pajamas Media Is it inconsistent for Muslim "holy warriors" to engage in voyeuristic acts of lasciviousness? Because would-be jihadists and martyrs have been known to frequent strip bars — such as the 9/11 hijackers and MajorNidal Hasan, whose "late-night jiggle-joint carousing stands at odds with the picture of a devout Muslim" — many Americans have concluded … [Read more...]
The Lure of Jihadism, or ‘Boys Will Be Boys’
Published in Pajamas Media According to a recent ABC report, "As many as three dozen criminals who converted to Islam in American prisons have moved to Yemen where they could pose a 'significant threat' to attack the U.S., according to a report on al-Qaeda from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. … Also of concern to U.S. officials, the Senate staff found, is a group of … [Read more...]