Published scholar talks Islam at MTRA

Valley News, by Jacob Preal

The Murrieta-Temecula Republican Assembly hosted Islam speaker and scholar Raymond Ibrahim at their recent monthly meeting June 3. Ibrahim presented “The History of Islam and the West – and how ISIS is a continuation of that history” to a receptive crowd. This so-called “history argument” unraveled an alleged history of hostility between the Islamic and Christian worlds that has been perpetuated since ancient times and now trickles into the modern era with terrorist groups. According to Ibrahim, it is this imperialistic mindset of Muslim occupation centuries in the past that continues to fuel the schemes of ISIS and other Muslims around the world who are in a constant “state of war.”

Raymond Ibrahim is a published scholar, most famous for “Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians” and “The Al Qaeda Reader.” He has spoken at various universities, federal agencies and testified before Congress regarding conceptual failures that dominate American discourse concerning Islam. He was asked to speak to the MTRA after Jean Powell, wife of the assembly’s President Bob Rowell, had enjoyed reading “The Al Qaeda Reader.”

Ibrahim shared with the audience his analysis of the western world’s relationship with Islam. Around 630 A.D., Islam invaded all lands around its point of origin, conquering approximately two-thirds of once Christian land that is now permanently occupied by Islam. He cites the 846 A.D. sacking of Rome and defiling of the Vatican by Muslim raiders in the name of Islam as an example of the unrelenting spread of the religion.

“Islam saw and continues to see, at least amongst many of its adherents that its mission is to, of course, take over the entire world and its historical foe is Christendom,” said Ibrahim.

In more recent times, claims Ibrahim, nations have faced Islamic pirates in combat. “Even America did not escape,” with the then-new nation caught in a naval battle from 1800 to 1815 “between America and the Muslims, or the barbary pirates as they were known.”

Ibrahim revealed that Thomas Jefferson sent an ambassador to meet with the Muslims to ask why they were attacking and enslaving their men.

“And so the Muslims told the ambassador that it is, quote, ‘a right and duty to make war on them, wherever they can be found and to enslave and plunder as many as we can,’” he explained. “And this is of course the same words and teachings that go all the way back to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.”

In agreement with this alleged history, Jefferson sought out the Qur’an at the Library of Congress on his own accord in order to learn more about the enemy. The Library will now argue that “he wanted to ennoble [Islam] and honor it,” diluting the truth that Ibrahim has discovered.

“Now you are starting to get an idea of why this history I am talking about is so little known. It has actually been turned upside its head.”

Other western figures in history, including Marco Polo, have had similar beliefs about Muslim violence being inherent to the Islamic faith.

“‘According to their doctrine, whatever stolen or plundered from others of a different faith is properly taken,’” Ibrahim read from the alleged words of the explorer, “‘And the theft is no crime. While those who suffer death or injury by the hands of Christians are considered as martyrs.’”

After, explaining these “1,400 years of Islamdom,” the audience was able to ask the speaker questions. MTRA Board Member Jennifer Kabbany asked if there was any solution to the “perpetual state of war” described by Ibrahim. He responded with an analogy.

“The problem is, the way they’re portrayed in America or in the west is moderate Muslims are supposedly upholding a sort of moderate Islam,” said Ibrahim. “That’s the false part.”

“Nazism, I think most people will agree, is a bad ideology and a bad creed… We also know that there were actually really good Nazis. Oskar Schindler, for instance, who was a Nazi… went to great length at no small risk to himself to save Jews and others,” he said. “We never say, ‘well because of Oskar Schindler there is a moderate Nazism which we should support.’ No, what we do is say, ‘he was a good man, clearly he was not being a real Nazi.’ And that’s the case with what we call ‘moderate Muslims.’”

In spite of all this, Ibrahim believes there to be a “silver lining” in the fact that “Islam is so easily defeated.” He believes that “Islam is only a force because it’s allowed to be.”