The value of actor Ben Affleck’s recent outbursts in defense of Islam on HBO’s Real Time is that here, in one 10-minute segment, we have all the leftist/liberal bromides used whenever Islam is criticized.
In what follows, Affleck’s main arguments are presented and then discredited.
Relativism and the Islamic Heterogeneity Myth
At the start, when author Sam Harris began making some critical remarks concerning Islam, a visibly agitated Affleck interrupted him by somewhat sarcastically asking, “Are you the person who understands the officially codified doctrine of Islam? You’re the interpreter of that?”
Affleck was essentially arguing that really no one is qualified to say what is or is not Islamic, since all Muslims are free to interpret Islam anyway they want. This notion has less to do with how Islam is practiced and more to do with Western relativism, specifically the postmodern belief that there are no “truths,” that everything is open to individual expression. Thus even if an Islamic sheikh from Al Azhar University were to tell Affleck that the criticism leveled against Islam were true, the actor would no doubt reply, “Fine, that’s your opinion, but I know that most other Muslims disagree.”
The fundamental mistake in this position is that it places Muslims on a higher pedestal of authority than Islam itself (even though muslims are by definition “one’s who submit” to islam, which is “submission” to Allah’s laws). Islam is based on the law, or Sharia—“the way” prescribed by Allah and his prophet. And Sharia most certainly does call for any number of things—subjugation of women and religious minorities, war on “infidels” and the enslavement of their women and children, bans on free speech and apostasy—that even Affleck would normally condemn.
In short, Sunni Islam, which approximately 90% of all Muslims follow, is far from heterogeneous. It has only four recognized schools of jurisprudence, and these agree over the basics, with only minor differences over detail. Even in the other 10% of Islamic sects, most of which are Shia or Shia offshoots, one finds that when it comes to intolerant aspects, they too are in agreement. For example, while all Islamic schools of law prescribe the death penalty for leaving Islam, some argue that female apostates should “only” be imprisoned and beat until they embrace Islam again.
The ‘Racism’ Card
When Bill Maher, the host of Real Time, asked “But why can’t we talk about this [Islamic issues]?” Affleck shot back with, “Because It’s gross, it’s racist.”
This meme is as common as it is absurd and does not deserve much rebuttal. Suffice to say that Muslims are not a race. There are Muslims of all nations, races, ethnicities—from sub-Saharan Africans to blonde haired, blue-eyed Europeans. Yet many apologists for Islam, including congressmen and congresswomen, habitually rely on this lie—I won’t even deign to call it an “apologetic”—simply because accusing someone of being “racist,” in this case, critics of Islam, is one of the surest way of shutting them up.
Conflating Muslim Teachings with Muslim People
At one point, after the other speakers made certain statistical points, Affleck made the following outburst, to much applause: “How about the more than a billion people [Muslims], who aren’t fanatical, who don’t punish women, who wanna go to school, have some sandwiches, pray five times a day, and don’t do any of the things you’re saying of all Muslims. It’s stereotyping.”
Again, Affleck conflates the actions of people—Muslims—with the teachings of a religion—Islam. Going back to the apostasy example, Islamic law clearly teaches that those who abandon Islam—including as the world recently saw, one pregnant Christian woman, Meriam Ibrahim—are to be executed. One can therefore say that Sharia calls for the death of apostates.
But can one say with similar certainty that every single Muslim alive today believes that the apostasy penalty should be upheld? Obviously not. Yet this is not a reflection of Islam; it is a reflection of individual human freedom—a freedom that ironically goes against Islamic teaching.
Nonetheless, this conflation of Islam with Muslims is an all too common approach used to shield the former from criticism. (See this 2007 video where I respond more fully to this question from a concerned reporter.)
Historical Revisionism
Next Affleck argued: “We’ve killed more Muslims than they’ve killed us by an awful lot. We’ve invaded more countries than they’ve invaded us by an awful out.”
Aside from essentially suggesting that “two wrongs make a right,” his assertions reflect an appalling acquaintance with true history—thanks of course to the ingrained lies emanating from academia, followed by Hollywood and the media.
Reality records a much different story. From its inception, Islam has been a religion hostile to all others. Jihad was its primary tool of expansion.
Consider: A mere decade after the birth of Islam in the seventh century, the jihad burst out of Arabia. Leaving aside all the thousands of miles of ancient lands and civilizations that were permanently conquered, today casually called the “Islamic world”—including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and parts of India and China—much of Europe was also, at one time or another, conquered by the sword of Islam.
Among other nations and territories that were attacked and/or came under Muslim domination are (to give them their modern names in no particular order): Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Sicily, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Russia, Poland, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Lithuania, Romania, Albania, Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Crete, Cyprus, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Belarus, Malta, Sardinia, Moldova, Slovakia, and Montenegro.
In 846 Rome was sacked and the Vatican defiled by Muslim Arab raiders; some 600 years later, in 1453, Christendom’s other great basilica, Holy Wisdom (or Hagia Sophia) was conquered by Muslim Turks.
The few European regions that escaped direct Islamic occupation due to their northwest remoteness include Great Britain, Scandinavia, and Germany. That, of course, does not mean that they were not attacked by Islam. Indeed, in the furthest northwest of Europe, in Iceland, Christians used to pray that God save them from the “terror of the Turk.” These fears were not unfounded since as late as 1627 Muslim corsairs raided the Christian island seizing four hundred captives, selling them in the slave markets of Algiers.
Nor did America escape. A few years after the formation of the United States, in 1800, American trading ships in the Mediterranean were plundered and their sailors enslaved by Muslim corsairs. The ambassador of Tripoli explained to Thomas Jefferson that it was a Muslim’s right and duty to make war upon non-Muslims wherever they could be found, and to enslave as many as they could take as prisoners.
In short, for roughly one millennium—punctuated by a Crusader-rebuttal that people like Affleck are obsessed with demonizing—Islam daily posed an existential threat to Christian Europe and by extension Western civilization.
Yet today, whether as taught in high school or graduate school, whether as portrayed by Hollywood or the news media, the predominant historic narrative is that Muslims are the historic “victims” of “intolerant” Western Christians. That’s exactly what a TV personality once told me live on Fox News.
Final Recourse: Justifying the Apologetics
Towards the end, a frustrated Affleck, unable to respond, exclaimed, “What is your solution? To condemn Islam? To do what?”
These are interesting questions in that they reveal the true position of the apologist. I have encountered this phenomenon often, most memorably in a public debate with Columbia professor Hamid Dabashi. Towards the end of the debate, he declared “You can sit here and talk about jihad from here to doomsday, what will it do? Suppose you prove beyond any shadow of doubt that Islam is constitutionally violent, where do you go from there?”
What this line of reasoning suggests is that the apologist believes there is no other recourse than to be an apologist; that the best policy is to ignore Islam’s violence and intolerance, since the alternative—open acknowledgement—will lead to something worse, a clash of civilizations. War. And that must be avoided at all costs—so let us pretend.
Note for instance how Affleck kept stressing the population of Muslims, often interjecting statements like “but there are over a billion Muslims”—as if that should have influence on whether truth is spoken or not.
What such apologists fail to recognize is that the clash of civilizations is already upon us; and it is not a product of Western “bigotry” but Islamic teaching. Whether we acknowledge it or not, here it is.
The reason apologists can get away (for now) with their reasoning is because the U.S. is ostensibly immune from Islam—so they can spin and pass off feel good fables about Islam all they want.
Yet all the while, time progresses, Islam keeps marching and gaining ground, until the clash begins anew in earnest, as it did for centuries until Islam was beaten on the battlefield by the West in the modern era. And when the Islamic world is finally in a position to unleash an earnest global jihad, when the “Islamic State” phenomenon appears all around the world—already people are being beheaded by Muslims in America and Europe—posterity will look back with great bitterness at the inaction and naivety of their Western predecessors who might have nipped the problem in the bud if they had only spoken truth—and implemented policies based on truth.
—–
And there it is. Whether projecting Western intellectual maladies such as relativism onto Muslim teachings and persons; whether mindlessly crying “racist!” whenever Islamic teachings are criticized; whether confusing the matter by conflating the actions or beliefs of some Muslims with the actual black-and-white teachings of Islam; whether turning history upside its head by turning persecutors into victims and victims into persecutors; or whether, after being backed into a corner, exclaiming that one has no choice but to apologize as true speak will make things worse—in a nutshell, Ben Affleck’s few minutes on Islam nicely summed up the Islamic apologetics game.
In the end, of course, Affleck may be excused. He’s just a simple actor and not expected to know much outside of the realm of pretense. The true guilty ones are all those Americans in political positions whose job requires them to be honest with the American people but who continue to act—to lie—about Islam.
Perhaps Ben Affleck should not focus on all the Muslims that have not yet obeyed their religion and killed us yet as an example of how nice Muslims are. I would suggest comparing societies to see which has borne the must fruit. Which produces more and increases the well-being of Mankind and which produces mostly refugees. I think this comparison is obvious to the readers of this blog but not to people like Ben Affleck. It needs to be pointed out to him. If our “racism” results in record numbers of people immigrating to our country, then how bad can it be? If Islamic “peace” results in massive dislocation of whole populations, then surely, it’s far worse.
I didn’t get a chance all of your article, but I will. I like every single bit of it, because it is truth. Truth can be uncomfortable, but truth is what we need. Very good article.
Afleck should read that Koran and the Hadith. Quran (2:191-193) – “And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution [of Muslims] is worse than slaughter [of non-believers]… but if they desist, then lo! Allah is forgiving and merciful. And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah.”
Quran (3:151) – “Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority”.
Quran (8:12) – “I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them”
Bukhari (52:177) – Allah’s Apostle said, “The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. “O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him.”
Bukhari (52:220) – Allah’s Apostle said… ‘I have been made victorious with terror’
Tabari 7:97 The morning after the murder of Ashraf, the Prophet declared, “Kill any Jew who falls under your power. ”
Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 327: – “Allah said, ‘A prophet must slaughter before collecting captives. A slaughtered enemy is driven from the land. Muhammad, you craved the desires of this world, its goods and the ransom captives would bring. But Allah desires killing them to manifest the religion.’”
Tabari 9:69 “Killing Unbelievers is a small matter to us” The words of Muhammad, prophet of Islam. There’s plenty more where that came from..
Another brilliant article that you got SO right, Raymond. All of this needed to be said. It’s so important important to expose folks like Affleck for being the clueless apologists that they are. The under informed, the misinformed, and the uninformed could very easily listen to nonsense like this and get sucked in the the ever famous “pc” or “racist” trap, which have PLAGUED us for so long. You are correct, the people who’ve gotten us in to so much trouble are the people who should have known better. But, let’s face it, Saudi money is very enticing to people who’d be willing to sell their souls ( and their countries, and their legal systems, and their media) for a buck ( think of all of the Catholic institutions, like Georgetown, who are controlled by Saudi money). Relativism and Western wolrdview should never be applied to the fundamental teachings of Islam, which include the Quran and the Hadith. When “relativism” is used in decision making, well,…..what you get is what has been happening in the Middle East, with the US sponsored Arab Spring, and the HORRIFIC situation that is currently spreading, with the ISIL regime. It is imperative to remember who and what are behind today’s massive jihad. Had the Gulf countries not been able to buy influence, the US would not have had such a big dog in this race. Greed and stupidity are very dangerous maladies. I wonder how Charles “The Hammer” Martel would react to what’s happening in today’s politically correct and “relative” world. Yes, the truth often hurts, but I’d rather inflict the “hurt” of the truth than the profound pain and misery of lies and “apology”.
BTW, watching and waiting to see if the new Mrs. Clooney has a spin on all of this. Her family, from what I’ve gathered, are Druze. Raymond, I am certainly not an expert on the Druze, but I’ve heard the same stories that you most likely have heard, reagarding the family. Again, we’ll see how this plays out, but, better to be prepared,…..
Affleck is completely clueless. I doubt he has any real idea of what’s happening outside of his little protected bubble of existence. You have to understand, when this guy isn’t on a movie set, he’s still constantly hearing “yes” from people wanting to kiss his ass wherever he goes. But being famous is not a free pass for being a dick on national TV.
For starters, how is speaking out against the vile and oppressive ideology of Islam being racist? Islam is not a race of people. It’s a religious ideology. And secondly – didn’t Ben star in a Kevin Smith movie where he out rightly mocked the Catholic faith and everything it stands for? Ben is not only ignorant and clueless. He’s also blatantly hypocritical.
Dude I would love to argue with you but you hit the nail on the head on all points!
Affleck went way down in my estimation. Which is a shame because I thought he was an ok actor and a great director. But this has really put me off him. Doubt I’ll be watching Batman.
All the Oil Sheiks need to do to shut up Hollywood for good is to become major investors in risky film ventures. Then, we will never see another movie trying to tell a true story about Islam.
ITS A GARBAGE PAIL WITH A MOUTH AND A GARBAGE PAIL WIFE AS WELL
Well stated, Mr. Ibrahim.
muslims just burned 200 churches in africa , aaahh where is ben affleck condemning this islam act? one way to SHUT BEN AFFLECK IS IF EVERYONE BOYCOTT HIS WORK
I agree he is ignorant and an idiot. but I like his movies. I think we need to educate him on what Islam has done to Christian and non -muslim people over the past 1300 years.
He is typical liberal like Rosie O Donnell and Joy Bayhart. The majority of the idiots running both parties believe there are differences in Islam and muslims. They are all the same, former muslims say there is no such thing as a moderate muslim. They are all jihadist and plot behind your back to take over your land. When people say they have nice muslims or friends, they are being used as tools as these muslims pretend and deceive these idiots into believing they are peaceful while they plot to back stab them and rule over them when they come in power. Muslims have always used deceit to takeover lands. They are instructed in the Taqiyah of the Quran. Only a fool believes anything coming from a muslim and they are suicidal to even make friends to them. Muslims are a threat to the planet. It is a cult not a religion. It is based on war and oppression.
amen to that. Europe, North America need to close the borders to muslim people NOW! they are taking over from within i.e. high birth rates and deceiving liberals and converts to support them. what are you doing to do when muslims ar 30 to 40% of the population and control city council and parliament. muslim kids skip school on Fridays to go to the mosque in Toronto.
You can lead a horse to watcr – but you cannot make him drink, you probably heard that before. Same applies to the idiot Affleck – You cannot educate those who do not wish to go to the fountain of wisdom.
The problem is there are many more like him and as long as Hussein is in the White House he will be seen as the good guy where it counts. You can have all the rights in the world but if you have a crooked DOJ they won’t do you much good.
clown ben affleck is the biggest dummy , clown , more like a moron , no cure for his stupidity.. muslims killing so many people and Christians and his silent
we should parachute Affleck to Syria or Iraq and let ISIS / Sunnis welcome the infidel. I wonder if they like his movies?
what an idiot Affleck is…how many Christian or non -muslim countries did Islamic armies attack over the last 1000 years and how many people did they kill??. does he only count what George Bush did?
It’s in the hundreds of milliions that is why muslims suppress any history that condemns their action. Only fools make friends with them. Muslims need to be fought and destroyed. They are a worldwide disease or pandemic. Always have been since the mass murderring Muhammed.
Don’t forget all the Muslims and the western apologists for Islam do only count deaths from when the west invaded Afghanistan and Iraq they also count all Muslims killed by other Muslims since the invasions as being killed by western troops.
They never count anything before then unless it involves Israel and then it is only to count how many Muslims are killed by Israel, never how many Israeli’s are killed by Muslims
Affleck ruined Daredevil, now proves himself a wanna-be politically-correct asshat, and now he’s about to fubar Batman. Just great.
Hey , Benny – Are you suggesting that that billion of mostly ‘peaceful’ muslims are in the right ? answer – Nope ! Those people are not following the laws of their religion , they are apostates , fully deserving of the headsman’s basket of stones .
Validate your 2nd Amendment Rights . Carry
I agree completely with you. As you say if we do nothing it will only get worse. My suggetion is that we make Islam illegal in our free countries and give Muslims a choice; either renounce Islam and stay or continue to be a Muslim and move to a Muslim country. Then boycott Muslim countries, then it does not perhaps have to end in war, (of course the war has already started).
The most fool-proof “cure” would be if these people were personally “touched” by the true not-so-gentle Islam. The first time one of the elite get beheaded you will definitely have the attention they are now unwilling to give. My brother’s the same way. Some people don’t believe how hot FIRE is and why you should stay away – they will continue to frolic by the fire until their sorry @ $ $ is the one to get burned.
There are grounds to make Islam illegal. It practices discrimination, it incites to murder (adulterers, apostates, etc.) and it encourages treasonous activity (the establishment of the Islamic State wherever it comes). Although the majority of Muslims do not actively support violent Jihad, by calling themselves Muslims they lend it their support (and actually it is the duty of every Muslim to take part in Jihad). I believe that most Muslims would have no objection to, say, Great Britain becoming an Islamic State.
Kudos Raymond! Excellent discussion piece, and just what more people need to consider quietly in their own closed minds, to make them understand what is REALLY happening around the world!
Alarm bells ringing for the last 20 years have sounded to deaf ears. The SIRENS are now going off – this is our LAST warning people! We MUST Stop the Islamic Rot.
Muslims under Muhammed also attempted to fight the Mongolians under Ghenkis Kahn and got destroyed which Muhammed went into hiding. A practice done by afghan leaders when they are defeated. Muhammed tried to attack china only to be destroyed. They have also invaded the southern philippines and to this day have been waging war on the Catholic north. The apologists for muslims have made themselves enemies to cultures and races who have had wars with muslims. This is why Serbians rightfully hate Clinton and those who supported him in bombing serbia in defense of the muslim bosnians,croats and Albanians in bosnia and kosovo. Muslims need to be fought. Islam is a threat to every human being. The majority of humans will NEVER heed to Islam. If muslims continue to use force, they will be nuked, gassed and annihilated from the earth once and for all.
Excellent.
One way forward is to confront the constant narrative of victimhood with the truth.
This narrative is the “moderate” Muslim’s primary weapon of conquest when seeking to enslave freedom loving people.
We should also confront Muslim attempts to shutdown debate about ideology, religion, and politics. We should make sure our children understand what “free speech” actual means.
We should support Israel without equivocation, not because a sovereign government can “do no wrong”, but because Israel stands for the same values as the West and is the frontline against Arab supremicism.
Frontpage, By Raymond Ibrahim:
Although the birth of the Islamic State and the herald of the caliphate are often regarded as some of 2014’s “big shockers,” they were foretold in striking detail and with an accurate timeline by an al-Qaeda insider nearly one decade ago.
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
On August 12, 2005, Spiegel Online International published an article titled “The Future of Terrorism: What al-Qaeda Really Wants.” Written by Yassin Musharbash, the article was essentially a review of a book written by Fouad Hussein, a Jordanian journalist with close access to al-Qaeda and its affiliates, including the late Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who pioneered the videotaping of beheadings “to strike terror into the hearts” of infidels (Koran 3:151).
As Hussein explained in the introduction of his book Al Zarqawi: Al Qaeda’s Second Generation: “I interviewed a whole range of al-Qaeda members with different ideologies to get an idea of how the war between the terrorists and Washington would develop in the future.”
And in fact the book details the master plan of al-Qaeda—in its “second generation” manifestation known as the “Islamic State” which follows much of Zarqawi’s modus operandi—to resurrect a caliphate. This plan is sufficiently outlandish that Yassin Musharbash, the author of the Spiegel article reviewing Hussein’s book, repeatedly casts doubt on its feasibility. Thus al-Qaeda’s plan is “proof both of the terrorists’ blindness as well as their brutal single-mindedness”; there is “no way” al-Qaeda can follow the plan “step by step”; “the idea that al-Qaeda could set up a caliphate in the entire Islamic world is absurd”; and the following “scenario should be judged skeptically.”
Yet it is all the more remarkable that much of this plan—especially those phases dismissed as infeasible by Musharbash (four and five)—have come to pass.
In what follows, I reproduce the seven phases of al-Qaeda’s master plan as presented in Musharbash’s nearly ten-year-old article (in bullet points and italics, bold for emphasis), with my commentary interspersed for context. Phases four and five are of particular importance as they describe the goals for recent times, much of which have come to fruition according to plan.
An Islamic Caliphate in Seven Easy Steps
•The First Phase Known as “the awakening”—this has already been carried out and was supposed to have lasted from 2000 to 2003, or more precisely from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in New York and Washington to the fall of Baghdad in 2003. The aim of the attacks of 9/11 was to provoke the US into declaring war on the Islamic world and thereby “awakening” Muslims. “The first phase was judged by the strategists and masterminds behind al-Qaeda as very successful,” writes Hussein. “The battle field was opened up and the Americans and their allies became a closer and easier target.” The terrorist network is also reported as being satisfied that its message can now be heard “everywhere.”
Much of this is accurate and makes sense. Sadly, if any eyes were opened after the 9/11 attacks on American soil, they weren’t Western eyes—certainly not the eyes of Western leadership, mainstream media, and academia. But to many Muslims, the strikes of 9/11 were inspiring and motivating, giving credence to Osama bin Laden’s characterization of America as a “paper tiger.” A few years after the Islamic strikes of 9/11, Americans responded by electing a man with a Muslim name and heritage for president, even as he continuously empowers in a myriad of ways—including banning knowledge of Islam—the same ideology behind the strikes of 9/11. Meanwhile, the average Muslim relearned the truths of their religion, namely that the “infidel” is an existential enemy and jihad against him is a duty, as al-Qaeda and others had successfully shown.
•The Second Phase “Opening Eyes” is, according to Hussein’s definition, the period we are now in [writing in 2005] and should last until 2006. Hussein says the terrorists hope to make the western conspiracy aware of the “Islamic community.” Hussein believes this is a phase in which al-Qaeda wants an organization to develop into a movement. The network is banking on recruiting young men during this period. Iraq should become the center for all global operations, with an “army” set up there and bases established in other Arabic states.
This too is accurate. Among other things, the “Islamic community,” the umma, began to be more visible and vocal during this time frame, including through a rash of attacks and riots following any perceived “insult” to Islam, growing demands for appeasement, and accusations of “Islamophobia” against all and sundry. If there weren’t any spectacular terror attacks on the level of 9/11, young Muslim men were quietly enlisting and training in the jihad—or in western parlance, “radicalizing.” Al-Qaeda went from being an “organization” to a “movement”—international “radicalization.” Most importantly, Iraq, as the world now knows, certainly did become the “center for all global operations” with an “army” of jihadis set up there.
•The Third Phase This is described as “Arising and Standing Up” and should last from 2007 to 2010. “There will be a focus on Syria,” prophesies Hussein, based on what his sources told him. The fighting cadres are supposedly already prepared and some are in Iraq. Attacks on Turkey and—even more explosive— in Israel are predicted. Al-Qaeda’s masterminds hope that attacks on Israel will help the terrorist group become a recognized organization. The author also believes that countries neighboring Iraq, such as Jordan, are also in danger.
Much of this third phase as described and transpired seems to have been an extension of phase two. In retrospect, there certainly appears to have been a focus on Syria, even if the jihad started there one year behind schedule (2011). And many of the jihadis were “already prepared” and “some are in Iraq.” None of this was a surprise, of course, as U.S. intelligence always indicated that if American forces withdrew from Iraq, the jihadis would take over.
•The Fourth Phase Between 2010 and 2013, Hussein writes that al-Qaeda will aim to bring about the collapse of the hated Arabic governments. The estimate is that “the creeping loss of the regimes’ power will lead to a steady growth in strength within al-Qaeda.” At the same time attacks will be carried out against oil suppliers and the US economy will be targeted using cyber terrorism.
This is immensely prophetic. Recall that the timeline given (2010-2013) coincides remarkably well with the so-called “Arab Spring,” which culminated with Islamic terrorists and their allies taking over the leadership of several Arab countries formerly ruled by secularized autocrats: Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood (which plays Dr. Jekyll to al-Qaeda’s Mr. Hyde); Libya, al-Qaeda/Islamic jihadis; ongoing Syria, al-Qaeda/Islamic jihadis (or their latest manifestation, the Islamic State, al-Qaeda’s “second generation”), etc. It should be remembered that in each of these nations—Egypt, Libya, Syria—the Obama administration played a major role in empowering the jihadis, though in the name of “democracy.”
•The Fifth Phase This will be the point at which an Islamic state, or caliphate, can be declared. The plan is that by this time, between 2013 and 2016, Western influence in the Islamic world will be so reduced and Israel weakened so much, that resistance will not be feared. Al-Qaeda hopes that by then the Islamic state will be able to bring about a new world order.
Again, right on time: the “Islamic State” declared itself the “caliphate” in 2014, with many Muslim organizations and persons around the world pledging their allegiance, if not imitating their slaughter, with inspired “lone wolves” already beheading “infidels” in Western nations. And if the administration helped empower jihadis during the “Arab Spring” and in the name of “democracy” in Egypt, Libya, and Syria, it helped the creation of the Islamic State by withdrawing U.S. military forces that were keeping al-Qaeda at bay in Iraq. Recall that in 2007 George W. Bush said that “To begin withdrawing [military forces] before our commanders tell us we are ready would be dangerous for Iraq, for the region and for the United States. It would mean surrendering the future of Iraq to Al Qaeda. It would mean that we’d be risking mass killings on a horrific scale. It would mean we allow the terrorists to establish a safe haven in Iraq to replace the one they lost in Afghanistan. It would mean we’d be increasing the probability that American troops would have to return at some later date to confront an enemy that is even more dangerous.” All of these predictions have proven remarkably prescient—not because Bush was a prophet but because U.S intelligence clearly understood the situation in Iraq, and briefed Obama on it just as it did Bush. Yet, in 2011, Obama declared the Iraq war a success and pulled out American troops, leaving the way wide open for the jihadi master plan of resurrecting the caliphate to unfold.
•The Sixth Phase Hussein believes that from 2016 onwards there will a period of “total confrontation.” As soon as the caliphate has been declared the “Islamic army” it will instigate the “fight between the believers and the non-believers” which has so often been predicted by Osama bin Laden.
This needs clarification. While many assume that the “fight between the believers and the non-believers” is between Muslims and non-Muslims, this is not always the case. Soon after the announcement of the caliphate, the Islamic State made clear that it was in the phase of waging jihad on “apostates” and “hypocrites,” meaning all the “apostate” or “infidel” Arab leaders like Bashar al-Assad, as well as Muslim populations that are insufficiently “Islamic.” It is for this reason that the new caliph took on the name of “Abu Bakr”—the name of the first historic caliph (632-634) whose caliphate was characterized by fighting and bringing back into the fold of Islam all those Arabs who broke away after Muhammad died. Afterwards, when all the Arab tribes were unified under the banner of Islam, the great historic conquests, or jihads against neighboring “infidels,” took place.
•The Seventh Phase This final stage is described as “definitive victory.” Hussein writes that in the terrorists’ eyes, because the rest of the world will be so beaten down by the “one-and-a-half billion Muslims,” the caliphate will undoubtedly succeed. This phase should be completed by 2020, although the war shouldn’t last longer than two years.
Phase seven remains to be seen, as it is has another five years to go. As for the world being “so beaten down by the one-and-a-half billion Muslims,” actor Ben Affleck reflected this sentiment recently when he kept apologizing for Islam by saying Muslims “are a billion and a half.” At any rate, considering that the preceding phases have all largely come to pass—with a passive West doing nothing to prevent them, that is, when not actively aiding them—there is certainly no good reason to think Western leadership will stop the final phase from occurring: a unified, aggressive, expansionist, and eventually possibly even nuclear armed caliphate preparing to terrorize its neighbors on a grand scale—just like its historic predecessor did for centuries.
The whole mindset of the people who have written against ben affleck on this topic, including the writer, is of a people who have let their heads become ruled and hypnotised by an agenda which is non beneficial to anyone except those who set this agenda.
By focussing and misinterpretating a phenomenal number of inaccurate representations of Islam in the above and throughout this whole site is doing nothing but causing division, hatred and no doubt providing a justification in your own heads to act and vilify a good religion of peace.
Bloody trolls get a life
I am continually amazed, saddened and sometimes infuriated while recalling clearly in my mind and memory the horrors of 9/11. Would Affleck have gotten the applause and approval pat on his good boy head then. But I saw it coming by the lack of overall outrage about building a mosque at or near Ground Zero. The sainted open-minded holier than thou ones clucked their tongues at those of us who took issue with it. But it was clear to many of us that Islam did not want any other site – they wanted THAT ONE or they would have gone elsewhere realizing our sensitivity. They demand everyone be senitive to them while they run runshod over everyone else. Children in school forbidden to say Merry Christmas because it offends Islam OFFENDS ME but then I don’t count. I’m one of the worker bees, the mules, the taxpayers that make it possible for the politicians to play golf as Hussein is so fond of. I would apologize to those who died horrible deaths on 9/11 but of course they are not here. One of Obama’s first actions he couldn’t wait to get to once he seized control was the re-writing of history. All the reports about 9/11 were cleansed of references to violent Islam. Can you get much more arrogant than that? Re-writing history. He is a blight on this country as well as those who should have removed him by now were they now cowards or sellouts too.
Its completly brain dead ..A lower life form… Any one who owns a restaurant in yoyo land where this thing lives should refuse it service… It pisses on the graves of US soldiers with its retarded brain dead liberal asinine comments.. A total waste of oxygen.. GO TO HELL.LOW LIFE AND STAY AWAY FROM OUR TROOPS..THEY ARE NOT YOURS!!!!!!!!!
Affleck’s mentality reminds me of some relatives who defend the accused despite their blatant guilt. Diverting the blame and the evidence by relating some other irrelevant point which neither supports nor relieves the subject or subject matter.