Which of the following three headlines is most difficult for the media—including the usual array of liberal pundits, apologists, academics, and politicians—to whitewash or rationalize away? Which most exposes Islam’s inherent intolerance?
A) “Allahu Akbar” screaming Muslims fire rockets into Israel
B) “Allahu Akbar” screaming Muslims riot and commit acts of violence in Europe
C) “Allahu Akbar” screaming Muslims torch a Christian church in a Muslim country
The answer is C—Christian persecution.
Why?
Because in both scenarios A and B, Muslims will always be portrayed and seen as the “underdogs”—and hence always exonerated for their behavior. No matter how violent or ugly, no matter how many Islamic slogans are shrieked—thus placing their behavior in a purely Islamic context—Muslim violence against the West and Israel will always be dismissed as a product of the weak and outnumbered status of Muslims—their status as underdogs, which the West tends to romanticize. And so they will always get a free pass, without further ado.
They may be screaming and rioting, firing rockets and destroying property—all while calling for the death and destruction of the “infidel” West and/or Israel to cries of “Allahu Akbar!” Still, no problem. According to the aforementioned array of pundits, apologists, academics, and politicians, such bloodlust is a natural byproduct of the frustration Muslims feel as an oppressed minority, “rightfully” angry with the “colonial” West and its Israeli proxy. Indeed, that is precisely how even the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. by al-Qaeda were rationalized away by many “experts”—even as al-Qaeda’s own words exposed their animus as a direct product of Muslim doctrine not temporal grievances.
Most recently, the New York Times, in the context of the rocket attacks on Tel Aviv, asserted that Israel “needs a different approach to Hamas and the Palestinians based more on acknowledging historic grievances,” thus taking all blame off the “aggrieved” and “underdog” Muslims and Palestinians.
But if Muslims get a free pass when their violence is directed against those currently stronger than them, how does one rationalize away their violence when it is directed against those weaker than them, those who have no political influence whatsoever? Consider the most obvious of these scenarios, the growing epidemic of Muslim persecution of Christians. From one end of the Islamic world to the other—whether in Arab lands, African lands, Asian lands, or Sinic lands, wherever Muslims are a majority—the largest non-Muslim religious group, Christians, suffer untold atrocities.
The rationalizations used to minimize Muslim violence against the West and Israel simply cannot work here—for now Muslims are the majority, and they are the ones violent and oppressive to their minorities, often in ways that would make the worst Israeli treatment of Muslims look kind and benevolent.
In short, Christian persecution is one of, if not the clearest reflections of Islamic supremacism. Vastly outnumbered and politically marginalized Christians simply wish to worship in peace, and yet still are they hounded and attacked, their churches burned and destroyed, their women and children enslaved and raped (see monthly “Muslim Persecution of Christians” reports for an example).
These Christians are often identical to their Muslim co-citizens, in race, ethnicity, national identity, culture, and language; there is no political dispute, no land dispute. The only problem is that they are Christian—they are the other—and so must be subjugated, according to Sharia’s position for all “others,” for all infidels—including Israel and the West.
Such is the true nature of Muslim rage throughout the world: it is a byproduct of doctrinal intolerance if not downright hatred for the other, who must always be kept in a state of subjugation and humiliation, according to the letter of the Quran.
Accordingly, while Christian persecution is the clearest example of this hate, it also explains why others are so despised, for example, Israel.
Consider: Christians and Jews are both constantly castigated in the Quran: Muslims are admonished not to befriend either of them (5:51) and to fight and subjugate them “until they pay tribute with willing submission and feel themselves brought low” (9:29). Christians under Islam are suffering accordingly—as despised dhimmis, abused and “brought low,” routinely plundered of their lives, dignity, and possessions.
On the other hand, Israel—the dhimmi that got away—actually has authority and power over Muslims. Now, if dhimmis are supposed to be kept in total submission to Muslims, how then when one of them actually lords over Muslims?
Hence Islam’s immense and existential rage against the Jewish state.
I feel this article talks about Israel more then Christian persecution.
Why on earth Christians care about Israel?
Mr Ibrahim is showing how everything is connected, how Islamist hate for Christians explains Islamist hate for Israel. And he does so very well. Why would this bother you?
Also, we Christians care about Israel because it has significance in our scripture(The birth place of our Savior, His life travels/ministry was there, His crucifixion and resurrection) and is and will be the barometer, if you will, of things foretold that will come to pass. God’s word also states that those who curse Israel will be cursed and those who bless Israel will be blessed. We the Christian’s and the Jews worship and serve the same God as well. Myself I will always pray for the salvation of all mankind, even mine enemies.
Not to mention the fact that Jesus himself, as human, was a Jew.
Not with you 100%, I’ve found in the UK that Christians are far more sensitive when they hear of Buddhists being the victims. You are right about A & B, but sadly C is under reported. You hear of cultural clashes in Nigeria, further down that 10 churches were burned, but no images, not even in the Daily Mail. I would mention that the abhorrent islamic abuse of women that we hear so much about that you’d think would be an good cause for the abundant feminist groups and would “make a good story” in the liberal/left press is also not given much space.
There are no ‘cultural’ clashes in Nigeria…The Boko Haram won’t permit them…
I do not understand why the world media is only sensitive to ‘sufferings’ of muslims wherever they may be. US, UK, France, Sweden Norway, India, Burma, Germany you name it. Whereas the crimes done by muslims are swept under the carpet with the lame excuse of ‘reaction’ to the policies and actions of the west and the other countries mentioned above. Mr.Ibrahim, it would be useful if the cause is exposed rather than the effect which is there for all to see.
Jews and Christians are ‘special’ to Muslims…Jews rejected Mohammads ‘religion’ outright, which angered Allah so he turned some of them into apes and pigs, and wrote damning stuff about them in his book, the Quran…See, Q 5:82 for starts…Christians are special because at first Allah liked them, see Q 5:82 for that also…But they forgot part of the message and fell into polytheism, or ‘shirk’, (because of Jesus and the Trinity) so Allah put a curse on them till judgement day…Q 5:14…A whole lot of the Quran is dedicated to Allah telling off Jews and Christians and promising them a terrible doom…Muslims have been putting Allah’s anger into practice for 1400 years or so…It continues to this day…
You Must be kidding Artem Terra. Muslims are always painted in the media as terrorist, criminals etc you name it. The reason you hate muslims is probably because of the media indoctrination. If you look at islam you will see that the muslims are the nearest to christians in this world. From the dogmatic POV, we believe in Jesus peace be upon him and the Quran says the Chrisitans are nearest to us in terms of respect and affection. From an economic POV islam endorses market liberalism within certain ethical boundries. If the West would just stop aiding Israel and stop interfering in muslim countries I think we could benefit alot from each other or at least have a lasting Peace.
Take your taqiyya and your kitman ELSEWHERE!!!!
We know your LIES – you won’t fool us!! Furthermore, it’s precisely your Islam and its absolute HATRED for dogs (Mankind’s Best Friend!!), pigs (also a good friend to Man), women (half of the human race), music, art, science and everything and everybody “un-Islamic” that disgusts us NO END!!!
LONG LIVE ISRAEL, who are God’s Chosen People – and who, though He Has Punished them most severely, He’ll never let them be eradicated from the earth!!! Also, who has been winning one Nobel Prize after another (especially in science and medicine)?? Jews – whereas Moslems have nothing other than “peace” awards that aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on!!!
I have long believed, and Mr. Ibrahim confirms my suspicions are true, that Muslims hate Christians and Jews in the West because the latter two faiths are in charge and Muslims are relatively powerless. For the adherents of a supremacist religion like Islam the indignity and humiliation of living under the ‘Dhimmi’ faiths is palpable.
In Muslim majority countries where the ‘supremacist’ Muslims are in charge they hate and persecute Christians and Jews because their, uh, holy book, tells them they should. For the Muslim masses, subjugated as they are by their own faith of submission and blind obedience, their intellectualism does not allow them to progress much past the level of pigs with rings in their noses. Thus they want Christians and Jews to suffer the same indignities which at an existential level is the default position of living as a Muslim in a religion of subjugation and submission to something called Allah.