Abu Faris’s latest post is just one reminder of the dangers of Islamism, of the violence and bigotry perpetuated in the name of Islam. You’ll find plenty of reminders of those manifestations of Islam in the archives here – but you can also, of course, find examples of Muslims, whether they are the writers or the subjects of posts, who have nothing in common with such vile extremists, and are in many cases actively opposing them. And of course Muslims are particularly likely to be victims of Islamism – one example mentioned recently (by Andrew Coates in the comments) is Tunisia, where there have been protests against restrictions on freedom by secularists, protests which don’t seem to be attracting a great deal of interest or support in the West.
Of course people can be accused of Islamophobia for questioning aspects of multiculturalism, for speaking out against hate preachers, or for defending freedom of expression. So when I first saw headlines about Islamophobia in US army training I thought perhaps there was some exaggeration at work. But it really does seem to be – that bad.
Lt Col Matthew A. Dooley, who designed the controversial training, took his hatred of Islam (not Islamism) to eye-popping extremes which would surely horrify even Islam’s toughest (within normal parameters) critics:
He added that international laws protecting civilians in armed conflicts – such as the Geneva Conventions were “no longer relevant”.
That left open the option, the instructor continued, of applying “the historical precedents of Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nagasaki” to Islam’s holiest cities, and bringing about “Mecca and Medina destruction”.
One doesn’t have to be a fan of the Saudi regime to find the idea of its cities simply being wiped off the map disturbing.
Some guest speakers seem to have been even more outrageous:
So was a video lecture from Serge Trifkovic, a former professor who appeared as a defense witness in several trials of Bosnian Serb leaders convicted of war crimes, including the genocide of Muslims. A web link, titled “Watch Before This Is Pulled,” supposedly shows President Obama — the commander-in-chief of the senior officers attending the course — admitting that he’s a Muslim.
The course has now been suspended, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Martin Dempsey has strongly condemned it. As so often, apparently opposed extremists are strangely aligned. I’m sure Islamists everywhere would endorse the idea that the West is engaged in a war against all Muslims, and be delighted at the likely effect these revelations will have on Muslims in America and elsewhere.
