Obama's Speech Gets It Dangerously Wrong On Both Islam And ISIL
Full prepared text of his speech is here.
First, he gets it wrong on Islam. From his speech:
Now let's make two things clear: ISIL is not "Islamic." No religion condones the killing of innocents...
Islam doesn't just condone it; it commands it:
So ingrained is violence in the religion that Islam has never really stopped being at war, either with other religions or with itself. Muhammad was a military leader, laying siege to towns, massacring the men, raping their women, enslaving their children, and taking the property of others as his own. On several occasions he rejected offers of surrender from the besieged inhabitants and even butchered captives. He actually inspired his followers to battle when they did not feel it was right to fight, promising them slaves and booty if they did and threatening them with Hell if they did not. Muhammad allowed his men to rape traumatized women captured in battle, usually on the very day their husbands and family members were slaughtered....Although modern apologists often claim that Muslims are only supposed to attack in self-defense, this is an oxymoron that is flatly contradicted by the accounts of Islamic historians and others that go back to the time of Muhammad.
Consider the example of the Qurayza Jews, who were completely obliterated only five years after Muhammad arrived in Medina. Their leader opted to stay neutral when their town was besieged by a Meccan army that was sent to take revenge for Muhammad's deadly caravan raids. The tribe killed no one from either side and even surrendered peacefully to Muhammad after the Meccans had been turned back. Yet the prophet of Islam had every male member of the Qurayza beheaded, and every woman and child enslaved, even raping one of the captives himself (what Muslim apologists might refer to as "same day marriage")....Although scholars like Ibn Khaldun, one of Islam's most respected philosophers, understood that "the holy war is a religious duty, because of the universalism of the Muslim mission and (the obligation to) convert everybody to Islam either by persuasion or by force", many other Muslims are either unaware or willfully ignorant of the Quran's near absence of verses that preach universal non-violence. Their understanding of Islam comes from what they are taught by others. In the West, it is typical for believers to think that their religion must be like Christianity - preaching the New Testament virtues of peace, love, and tolerance - because Muslims are taught that Islam is supposed to be superior in every way. They are somewhat surprised and embarrassed to learn that the evidence of the Quran and the bloody history of Islam are very much in contradiction to this.
Islam may be referred to as a "religion," but I have been reading about Islam since 9/11, and at first, was surprised to find that it is actually a totalitarian political movement dressed up as a religion. I am aware that many Muslims are peaceful and do practice it as a religion, and that many have no idea about the violent overthrow of the "infidel" world that the Quran commands. Unfortunately, there are also many Muslims who practice Islam as the Quran and other major texts command. (This is not "radical" Islam, simply Islam.)
In case you were wondering about its founder...what sort of man was Mohammed? The late George Mason explains:
Muhammad himself was a thoroughly evil man. Quoting Prophet of Doom (p. 3), "He became a pirate, dictator, and terrorist leader. He used Quranic scripture to justify horrific behavior: pedophilia, incest, rape, torture, assassinations, thievery, mass murder, and terror all in an unbridled orgy of sex, power, and money." This picture of Muhammad comes from the founding documents of Islam. Nobody has to make up anything. The founding documents themselves tell all.Once he had gathered enough followers, Muhammad changed from evangelist to conquistador. He was a barbaric savage, claiming Islam as the authority for his behavior. He was the first "Islamic terrorist," and he set the standard which Islamists follow to this day.
Muhammad competed with his contemporaries, Maslamah and Zayd, who preached the pagan Hanif doctrine in the local culture. Hanif was almost identical to Islam; Muhammad incorporated these beliefs whole-cloth into Islam, even stealing Zayd's poetry. Muhammad became the dominant prophet after winning a huge battle in which he destroyed his competition.
He lived among Jews, and spent a lot of time interacting with them, prior to killing them. He "lifted" liberally from their traditions. Islam plagiarized big-time from Judaism and the Bible, and capitalized on their terms, such as God, Prophet, Angel Gabriel, Satan, Heaven, and Hell. Islam has never been more than "Judeo-Christianity-Lite" at best.
Every time he wanted something, Muhammad said that Allah gave him the "revelation" that authorized his actions. Muhammad made up each and every one of these alleged revelations. One authorization allegedly given Muhammad by his "Allah" was for wife stealing, later topped off by his marriage to a six-year-old girl. This wonderful fellow, however, waited until she was nine to consummate the marriage. Does this Muhammad remind you of Jesus and his Apostles or of the great leaders of Judaism?
Getting back to the President's speech, Frederick W. Kagan and Kimberly Kagan explain where Obama went wrong on ISIL -- and why that means his strategy has no chance of success -- on WeeklyStandard.com:
Noting that ISIL is not a state (partly because the international community thankfully does not recognize it), he declared, "ISIL is a terrorist organization, pure and simple. And it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who stand in its way." Neither of those sentences, unfortunately, is true.ISIL is an insurgent group that controls enormous territory in Iraq and Syria that it governs.
...ISIL has described a very clear vision of seizing control of all of the territory of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories. It intends to abolish all of the borders and redraw them according to a new structure of governance suitable to its hateful version of an old Islamic heresy. That vision also makes it more than a simple terrorist organization. It's awfully hard to develop a sound strategy when you start by mis-diagnosing the problem so profoundly. That's why the "strategy" the president just announced has no chance of success.
Islam commands the re-establishment of the Caliphate -- and this is what they are trying to do. A bit more on that:
It becomes obligatory on every single individual to do his best to re-establish the Islamic Caliphate. Every one has to do as much as he can wherever his place is to return our Glory, supremacy and dominance...
In addition to air strikes, Obama says we'll have American service members acting (in my description) as sort of military soccer coaches to the Iraqis. He wants Congress to okay more of this in Syria. Note that he didn't ask Congress, but merely "consulted" with a few Congresscritters.
Ugh. Right. This is sustainable. And kind of like trying to close a bursting dam with a tube of Krazy Glue.
Then there's this from Obama:
Third, we will continue to draw on our substantial counterterrorism capabilities to prevent ISIL attacks. Working with our partners, we will redouble our efforts to cut off its funding; improve our intelligence; strengthen our defenses; counter its warped ideology; and stem the flow of foreign fighters into - and out of - the Middle East.
And he will accomplish this by clicking his ruby slippers three times...
More Obama:
Fourth, we will continue providing humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians who have been displaced by this terrorist organization. This includes Sunni and Shia Muslims who are at grave risk, as well as tens of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities. We cannot allow these communities to be driven from their ancient homelands.
Right. We'll just have elementary crossing guards standing outside those towns wagging their fingers at the ISIL members and saying, "That's not nice!"
From The Onion: Obama Vows To Split ISIS Into Dozens Of Extremist Splinter Groups.
Who here thinks we can keep anything tamped down in the Middle East without either flattening much of it or having a presence there that goes on endlessly?
By the way, anyone who thinks there can be anything resembling democracy and civil liberties for individuals in Islamic majority countries is ignorant about Islam. Islamic cultures are collectivist cultures.
The lowest Hofstede Dimension for the Arab World is the Individualism (IDV) ranking at 38, compared to a world average ranking of 64. This translates into a Collectivist society as compared to Individualist culture and is manifested in a close long-term commitment to the member 'group', that being a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and overrides most other societal rules.
So, who's feeling good about our taking out Saddam and about all the other meddling we've done in these countries? Seems to me we took the lid off Pandora's box, let all the demons out, and then inadvertently tossed the lid out with the recycling.
They are very clear about what they want https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmGRshS0PAw&feature=youtu..be
Viewer from afar at September 11, 2014 3:16 AM
Could the US just shock us all and stay home? ISIS has the entire region scared - frankly, this is a good thing. Let Saudia Arabia, Egypt, and all the other Arabic countries work together and fight for civilization. It'll do them good.
A local solution would also have a lot better chance of sticking, because it would be impossible for ISIS to lay blame on a foreign, non-Islamic "Great Satan." This is great for recruiting.
But they'll be happy to let the US do their work for them, and let the US take the blame when it once again withdraws prematurely, with the mission half-accomplished. Heck, with a bit of luck, they can get the US to give the foreign aid and lots of weapons for free, all at the same time, just as cream on top.
Stay home. Otherwise, you'll go in and make a bad situation worse, again.
bradley13 at September 11, 2014 3:59 AM
I don't think this will go away if we ignore it.
MarkD at September 11, 2014 5:11 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2014/09/11/obamas_misdiagn.html#comment-5062606">comment from Viewer from afarThanks for posting that video, Viewer from afar. People need to watch that.
Amy Alkon at September 11, 2014 6:06 AM
This is great for recruiting.
Good.
The more jihadi's and wanna be jihadi's we kill in the middle east means there are fewer of them that we have to kill here, or in Europe.
My plan: send them all to Allah. Let him deal with it.
I R A Darth Aggie at September 11, 2014 6:52 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2014/09/11/obamas_misdiagn.html#comment-5062827">comment from Amy AlkonBritish Muslim doctor proudly holding a severed head.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/398717/Jihadi-doctor-Syria-Islamic-State-executing
Amy Alkon at September 11, 2014 7:03 AM
Brits are freaking out trying to stop terrorism at home and abroad, and yet - they continue to allow anti-Western immigration for fear of being labeled racist.
There's a lesson here but I'm not sure our government wants to learn it.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at September 11, 2014 8:32 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2014/09/11/obamas_misdiagn.html#comment-5063177">comment from Gog_Magog_Carpet_ReclaimersSleepwalking Toward Armageddon -- Excellent piece by Sam Harris on denial about realities of Islam: http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/sleepwalking-toward-armageddon#.VBHAMvjsWcM.twitter
Amy Alkon at September 11, 2014 8:32 AM
"Could the US just shock us all and stay home? ISIS has the entire region scared - frankly, this is a good thing. Let Saudia Arabia, Egypt, and all the other Arabic countries work together and fight for civilization. It'll do them good."
Those moderate middle eastern governments you talk about have been at the heart of both financing and encouraging groups like ISIS.
They know that as long as the terrorists are directing their ire at the great Satan, and working to setup the Caliphate in Syria, and Iraq, that they wont be directing their terrorist attacks at the Saudi Royal family, or the rulers of Qatar, Kuwait, et al.
This is the same reason they fund the Palestinians to attack Israel.
All these governments will continue paying off terrorists under the table until either the oil runs out, or they themselves become the target(s) of the terrorists.
As naive and stupid as Obama's foreign policy has been, *hands off* would be even worse, in both the short run, and the long haul.
Obama's only goal was to get reelected in 2012. He was willing to let the situation in the Middle East disintegrate in order to do that, and to let the press cover for him, until that goal was accomplished.
Isab at September 11, 2014 11:00 AM
Meanwhile, in the Hall of Petulant Adult Children:
Foot stamping and I-told-you-so.
We are led by idiots.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at September 11, 2014 2:23 PM
Do you seriously think it would be a good idea for Obama to say, "Islam is a horrible religion of rapists and murderers"?
NicoleK at September 12, 2014 1:33 AM
That said, might not be a bad idea to try and start rebuilding the pan-arab socialist movement.
Or it might. Maybe, as mentioned above, staying out might be better. US involvement does not seem to improve the middle east.
NicoleK at September 12, 2014 1:35 AM
Or it might. Maybe, as mentioned above, staying out might be better. US involvement does not seem to improve the middle east.
Posted by: NicoleK at September 12, 2014 1:35 AM
Most the time, improvement is only a pipe dream, by the liberal do gooders.
The true objective is keeping things from getting a whole lot worse.
I think a dirty bomb or a biological warfare attack, dropped on a major American city is probably the end game here, if we do nothing,
Isab at September 12, 2014 6:56 AM
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