At War with Radical Islam?

Mike, I believe you are mistaken. You state what radical terrorists "are", and what it "has nothing to do with" as if you are stating hard dry facts. But you bring nothing to back up your assertions. It seems to me that you are stating your opinion as if it were fact, without bringing anything to support your claims.

I implore every Jew, and Gentile, to study what the Koran says about Jews and non-Muslims. And then what the Hadith and Sira [Sunna] say about Jews and non-Muslims. And also what each Islamic School of Jurisprudence says about Jews and non-Muslims. And how does historical Islamic history reflect what is taught in these areas? -- A critical study in these areas should raise quite a few questions. Key to understanding Islam, and having productive dialogue with Muslims are two concepts; Taqiyya, and Kitman [I will leave it to the capable hands of anyone interested to self-educate themselves two what these are... they are absolutely required to make any understanding of Islam]. Why people are unwilling to identify the 800 pound gorilla in the room is perplexing.

I don't think you can blame a religion for crazy people. The radical terrorists are psychopaths just like serial killers and rapists. It has nothing to do with their religion.

Harold who gave that ignorant statement from iran, you should stay well away from politics, perhaps you should understand that Iran is a sect of Shia Islam, the 'evidence' shown up there are all examples of Sunni terrorist plots, one fundamental belief for Sunnis across the world is that they disagree with what shias believe in. I suggest you take your time to understand politics in the middle east before you make stupid, idiotic and very dangerous comments like that.

I read your comment, Wassim, that's just......crazy. WAKE UP PEOPLE! FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, LOOK AT WHAT'S REALLY IN YOUR 'HOLY' BOOK! A LOAD OF WAR TALK! SHEESH! You should write an article with that in it.

Sorry love, did you grow up in a Muslim country? Did you go to a "madrasa"? Were you lucky enough to be brainwashed and then unfortunately saw the light? Were you forced to chant Death to Israel at the age of 6? I'd rather be crazy than be normal. I know too much to be normal anymore. Normal in the 21st century... is ignorance. I love not being normal. Normal is derogatory to me.

We Americans say how terrible it is for the mainstream muslims to not speak against these radicals who are out to destroy us...and the rest of the "non-belivers". We have tried to be polotically correct in our own defense because of the most UNAMERICAN GROUP, the ACLU. If my understanding of this group's Jewish majority is true, then maybe it is up to the Jews of the free world to speak against them when appropriate.

Recently in a synagogue, I was attending an interfaith something or rather (sorry - I don't believe in that strategy), and I asked the Muslim representative if it was too much to ask, too much to hope for, that the passages in the Quran that deamonize and villify Jews and entrench negative attitudes towards Jews in the minds of young Muslims, that these passages could either be edited, removed or corrected to reflect moderate Islamic views towards Jews (whatever that is - it can't be worse than being labeled the eternal enemy!)? Well, it looked to me like the Muslim guy could hardly stomach the audacity of suggesting *editing* a "sacred" text (little did he know that I'm Muslim myself - technically speaking), that didn't surprise me. What surprised me was the galant and seemingly genuine defense that the Jewish representative interjected with. She said "there are problematic texts on both sides". I was not happy. but I knew I'd hit a nerve and perhaps it was wise to accept this response at that time, but I don't accept it. Such a response is not worthy of acceptance given the gravity of the issue. There is nothing in the Torah that villifies gentiles (let alone Muslims - for obvious reasons!) whereas the Quran specifically villifies Jews. Also, given the lack of the tradition of interpritation of the religious text in Islam in stark contrast to Judaism, all the more reasons to see the Quran for what it is. It is a weapon of war. It's aim is not to make better people. It's aim is to "spread" its version of God and God's laws, at the expense of any other competing views. While you focus on tolerance, your enemy is focused on your eradication (the only proviso being capacity to achieve). Are there any "Jewish communities" in Indonesia and Pakistan and Egypt? Maybe they can tolerate (or ignore) a single Jew, but would they "tolerate" a whole community? WAKE UP pacifist Jews. Wake up and go forth and spread your version. The Quran is as devine as yesterday's newspaper.

This war isn't being fought against the West by bizarre offshoots of an otherwise tolerant faith. It is being waged by those in contact with its most authoritative form. Their Islam is radical only in the formal sense--that of having grown from its basic roots.

I beleive alot of this could be and part of Iran's war outside the middle east......one possible answer to this problem is go ahead and hit back at Iran.....With nurclear weapons if nessary to help put an end to this.....and before Im judged for this answer let me point out this .You have to know the nature of the beast that you are dealing with

Great job Lori! Straight and to the point. It would be very beneficial if this were published in news papers throughout the US.

I agree that we shouldn't get sidetracked by suspecting everyone of being a terrorist, because common sense would tell you that you can suspect a terrorist more from his behavior and body language than his ethnicity. After all, Israel's security does a much more efficient job of screening passengers that are clearly more suspicious than others, but you would never really hear of any thwarted terrorist attacks that the IDF or security at Ben Gurion airport has successfully stopped. Therefore, security ought to leave the elderly as well as young children alone when it comes to adequate screening like how much more efficient Israel's security is than that in the US or any other part of the world.

I approach Islam basically the same way I approach Judaism, and that means I'm not going to let empirical incidents color my theoretical understanding of the content of religious doctrine. That also means that Judaism gets the same benefit of the doubt, and I'm not going to let the behavior of David Raziel, Meir Kahane and now his grandson, Yigal Amir, Baruch Goldstein, Yacov Teitel, Asher Weissgan, Eden Natan Zada, Robert Goldstein, Irv Rubin and others affect that. Even Yitzchak Shapira's 'The King's Torah' and its attitude toward non-Jews, I will take very cautiously with a grain of salt, even though he is a rabbi and I'm sure can show some form of halachic backing for his views. In Islam, there's a difference between mujtahid jurists and official theologians vs. doctors, engineers, and construction contractors who choose to become political revolutionary firebrands, though, yes, you can find some of the former who will agree with the latter. Yusuf Qaradawi is as prominent and respected an Islamic figure today as any single one, and has clearly condemned Al Qaida's "mad declaration of war upon the world". Saul, when I see that Osama bin Laden has posted a comment here on Aish, I will post a response to him based on my best knowledge.

When I was very young I used to think that tolerance was one of the keys to a civil society. I still do, but tolerance at the expense of wisdom, truth and security is intolerant. As I have said before, I would seriously consider reclassifying Islam as an ideology and move it away from its religious labels. A people's behaviors can ultimately be traced to several sources. One of the main ones is a belief system. When you have cultures whose belief system is the same, then one would be foolish not to look at that source for models of behavior. When you see that belief system in the parents and children, I am afraid that you need to exercise caution. When you see little Muslim children show hatred, then any child in this culture, playing with that child, is exposed to that hatred. But, North American culture, in general, is one of tolerance. The Muslim culture is one of intolerance and that is not a generalization. So, the tolerant end up tolerating intolerance and that means tolerating hatred because children cannot discriminate. So one has North American children tolerating the way that Muslim girls are treated. Why not? After all, it is their religion. One ends up allocating police resources to that culture in particular but one has to keep quiet about it because it would be called profiling. Yes, it is true that a large percentage of our police resources is used up for those calls, but everybody has to keep it quiet. It is one of those pink elephants in the middle of the room. If you say anything then that dirty word is thrown at you - discrimination.

Mordachai (21), the fact the Quran is a divinely revealed eternal document for Muslims does not mean specific strictures are not conditioned; there's no contradiction here. If a divinely eternal document says 'When B occurs, do A', that means that conditional command is eternally binding in all times and places. It doesn't mean you get to do A whenever you want or when C occurs, just because the document is divine. I have read my share of Robert Spencer. While he makes some good points and concerns, I believe he also engages in some real spin and distortion, based on what I know. I have had discussions with Islamic scholars in my travels from Sudan through Pakistan; I will take them at their word of explanation, until something is conclusively proven otherwise. I have found nothing normatively and unconditionally authoritative to date that calls for wholesale murder of Jews, and the Muslim scholars I have spoken with say it is not true. If the beheadings are referring to the Banu Qurayza incident, I can at least share what is the standard Islamic view: thiswas a Jewish tribe that was charged with treason for allegedly abandoning the Muslims of Medina and teaming up with the pagan enemy Quarysh. The accused defendants agreed with Muhammad to be tried by a Jewish judge in accordance with Jewish law, as the Quran had not been fully revealed yet. They were aquitted of some charges, found guilty of others, and sentenced in accordance with D'varim 20:12. My personal view: however debatable and problematic the incident and application of Torah law was, this is not an anti-Semitic massacre. Lastly, I spent several years as a yeshiva student, engaged in countless hours of Torah discussion with Chabad in college, and have read my share of Adin Steinsalz and other Jewish scholars. I am not a halachic authority, but I certainly do quailify as having a clue.

OK Rob, so Lori doesn't have an objective and educated view of the Quran, I cannot personally tell, you seem to know very well, but can you deny that many Islamic terrorists are indoctrinated in mosques and madrasas? is it not Alla hu Akabar the yell of muslim terrorists when they blow themselves up or shoot at others? can you deny that Osama Bin Laden declared Jihad against the west based on his understanding of the Quran? why don't you try to correct him too?

The bottom line is that the terrorists that we are seeing trying to blow themselves up and take as many American lives with them as possible are self-declared Muslims. That's right, the terrorists are not yelling "Jesus is great" before opening fire. While that doesn't mean that all Muslims are terrorists, it does mean that if we are to protect ourselves from terrorists, we need to stop playing games with political correctness. When the Fort Hood shooter was espousing radical Muslim views and exchanging e-mails with a radical cleric, we have to take precautions and not fear appearing insensitive. Our airport security needs to stop frisking grandma, and pay attention to the suspicious looking young man with a one way ticket and without any luggage.

Rob, unlike yourself, devout Muslims do believe that the Koran is a divine document transmitted by Mohammed, that in the tradition of all other religious divine documents is supposed to be relevant to all places and all times, and does in fact call for wholesale muder of Jews, whether you would like to believe so or not. (And by the way, you cannot just dismiss the "eschatological" one as the exception to rule).Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the undeniable historical incident where Mohammed himself with his own bare hands beheaded between 400-600 Jewish men and took the woman and children as chattel. There is a book that is nearly 2 inches thick (about 800 pages) which speaks to what I am saying entitled The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism: From Sacred Texts to Solemn History (Hardcover) ~ Andrew G. Bostom (Editor), Ibn Warraq. Check it out. Also, before you start assuming that you have a clue as to what the Torah is talking about, which clearly you do not, you should, as you have stated, understand the sources that properly explain the text. I would be happy to talk with you about it anytime.

Literally speaking, what you say is true, but have a look at the number of Jews engaged in terrorist activities as against the number of Muslims - also consider the differences between political and religious motivations. Another factor to consider is the official interpretation of the literal word - I think you'll find a great difference in how a Muslim and a Jew would interpret similarly worded passages. Lastly, to reply specifially to the two cases of "wholesale extermination of entire peoples to the possibility of capital punishment for a host of offenses far afield from the crime of murder" - the first applied once only to a specific people - Amalek - and is not a general rule in Judaism, as is the conversion/elimination of unbelievers in Islam; and the second relates to what I said above about interpretations - the law is also so constructed that it is nearly impossible to fulfill the requirements for a death sentence even if it is "on the books"!

Mordechai, while I am not a Quran expert, my understanding is that Islam does not call for the wholesale extermination of Jews, and that the Quran ayat you cite, with the exception of the eschatalogical one perhaps, are ones that are in a particular context and do not apply to all Jews in all times and all places. Truly egregious is Lori A.'s claim that "Authoritative Islam is a radical theo-political ideology that openly aims to kill Jews, Christians and other non-believers who do not convert or submit to Islam." This is not what is taught by what appears to be the mainstream orthodox ulema of Islam today, and I would challenge her to back up that claim. She won't be able to, at least not in light of the teachings of contemporary, authoritative, mainstream mujtahid jurists and official theologians, Lastly, with all due respect, I would tell adherents of Torah Judaism that considering some of the features in your own tradition, from wholesale extermination of entire peoples to the possibility of capital punishment for a host of offenses far afield from the crime of murder, that you should take a hard sober look at your own teachings before anybody chooses to go off half-cocked against the teachings of another religion, especially without what appears to be a sound, comprehensive understanding of its details and nuances. If I cannot read Chumash and hope to have a solid, full understanding without Rashi, Mishna, Gemara, rabbinic decisors etc, then you cannot just pick up a Quran either.

27 out of 28 on FBI's most wanted list may indeed be Muslims. I'm sure there are many other radicalized Muslims who are not on the FBI list. But let's keep some perspective: there are about 1 Billion Muslims in the world. As I stated in my previous post -- by all means, let's fight the terrorists with all we've got, but let's not demonize everyone based on religious or racial profiling.

Why is the right not refered to as conservative. Why isn't The Isreal hating left spoken of as being radical. Wake up. It's the so-called liberal left that is calling these people criminals rather than terrorists.

Thank you for a great article. Respectfully I would suggest that Islam be looked at in its historical context. I am quite aware of its treatment, both good and bad, of its captors but one thing remains clear: it is an ideology of power and might. There is no mercy or love for even their own. In the last week they bombed couple of Christian places of worship because Christians were using Allah instead of G-d. This was in Southeast Asia. The examples are far too many and I would recommend that we stop using the phrase "radical Islam". When its religious leaders and political leaders do not denounce these acts of inhumanity and cowardice then it is no longer radical but common for them. As such the US should consider a new definition of Islam and it should no longer be classified as a religion. It should be classified in the same class as a political ideology along with communism. US is being attacked by an ideology in the same way it was by communism. By legally doing this the US will give itself the power of doing something about the root problem of this ideological terror that is called a religion. It is a concept that 1 billion people are worshiping. Islam is a concept: it is not a religion. Its people must be freed from that tyranny. The world needs to be rid of the tyranny of Islam. Our methodology should begin with a new definition. I am aware of the consequences but I don't think that we have much to worry about. Our present choices are bankrupting and killing us.

The following are verses from the "Holy" Koran. For all of you Muslim sympathizers your comments would be appreciated as to how you can explain these And thou wilt find them [the Jews] the greediest of mankind....Surah 11, v. 96, ibid. • Evil is that for which they sell their souls... For disbelievers is a terrible doom. Surah II, v. 90, ibid. • Taste ye [Jews] the punishment of burning. Surah III, v. 18 1, ibid., referring to the Jews of Medina. Two examples of the frequent • Those who disbelieve Our revelations, We shall expose them to the fire. As often as their skins are consumed We shall exchange them for fresh skins that they may taste the torment. Surah IV, v. 56, ibid. This is my personal favorite from the Hadiths, sayings attributed to Mohammed: "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'".(Sahih Bukhari 4:52:177)

Yes I agree with article and I've The Third Jihad. I encourage everyone to watch this movie report. We have a very similar situation in the UK. Action needs to be taken, things need to be said, but the PC brigaid make it very difficult!!! Nobody, has a problem with people just getting on with their lives even if they have opposing views, but when they take direct action because of their views... it becomes a problem. We've just had this situation where an Islamic group want to hold a demonstration against the war in Iraq and Afganistan in Wooton Basset, where many of the British service personnel are stationed and where the many dead heros are brought back for military funerals!!! This was an outrage, thank goodness the government had the good sense no to let go ahead.

That might be true. But 27 out of the 28 most wanted terrorists on the FBI's list are Muslims: http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/terrorists/fugitives.htm

They all where insane, acted on their own with no philosophy behind it. Islam is just the way to peace. And these poor misguided persons are just misled? Any critisism towards Islam is just bigotry to mask the true nature of the Islam: the Good For The World! At least that is what the media is trying to protray. And even the US President is making that mistake. Europe is already called Eurabia. Interesting, when a Jew does something it is always our fault and Jew is responsable. Excellent article. Acticles like this continue to clear up the mist the US and EU dhimmies in the soon to be caliphate are trying to protray to us.

I read one of the comments to this article that was more than derogatory of the Muslim religion, saying some deeply offensive things about their prophet, Muhammed. And yet, it's not OK for the radical Islamists then to say angry and hostile things about the Jews and "our" God? I think respect is in order here. As to radical fundamentalist preachings that do turn people away from God in the name of God, I am saying yes, this is terror and it must be stopped. But don't ignite the situation by using words that are about hate, to demean a reliigion that is filled with people who also believe in the same God, and it's just another name for God, Allah.

OK, let's read Quran: 5:51 O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people. 8:39 And fight with them until there is no more persecution and religion should be only for Allah; but if they desist, then surely Allah sees what they do. Islam - the religion of peace, huh?!

The author is right to say that we are not at war with the liberal left but it is the liberal left in this country that is doing all it can to retard the ability to confront America's enemies. It is they who agitated to close Gitmo and release so many prisoners from there to Yemen. It is they who agitated to allow those who should be tried by military courts marshals to be tried by civilian courts where they can avoid giving information to intelligence agencies. It is the liberals and their Democ-rat Party who put every procedural obstacle in the way of finding out information necessary to win the war on Islamo-fascism. It is the liberals who pay for the most expensive criminal de fence attorneys, counsel that ordinary Americans who get into trouble could never afford. Leaving the fight against Islamo-fascism to liberals is comparable to what FDR's campaign manager Jim Farley said about sending Adlei Stevenson to Moscow during the Cold War--sending the cabbage patch to the goat.

I agree with other posts that we can and should drop the qualifier, "Radical." It is a religion not based on Torah and their doctrine teaches people to be violent for the sake of their lies. The issues were well presented. The US and all of its citizens need to care more about saving lives than bein g politically correct.

It seems like with Muslims who become radicalized as one way of interpreting the Quran, I've been thinking lately that such individuals who attempt to carry out these terrorist attacks desire vigilante justice by taking man's law and/or G-d's laws into their own hands. How can such individuals live in a civilized society? Seems like those who take a potentially literal interpretation of the Quran are like sponges or sheep getting angry against the West without having enough reason and conscience to not believe everything they read. After all, isn't their "prophet" Mohammed really just an illiterate who had a hallucinagenic revelation in a cave somewhere? Why would G-d change his mind after he spoke to Moses and 2 million Jews before Mt. Sinai thousands of years earlier? Basically, too much or too little religion is not good. We have choices on how to interpret G-d, but arrogance is not a good virtue in order to get into Heavan, even if one abides to all the rules/laws in their bible.

WHEN WILL AMERICA OPEN HER EYES AS TO WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON IN HER OWN BACK YARD. I CAN'T BELIEVE THE GOV'T HAS THEIR HEADS BURIED IN THE SAND.

The government claims that only one percent of the Muslim's are radical - That means there are two million out there since the population is two hundred million. We need to be real and realize even if we do not think we are at war - they know we are!!!

Lori Averick is correct. HOWEVER, many people go from fear of this ideology to fear of everyone Muslim, or everyone Arab, or anyone with an unusual name, non-Western dress, etc. Let's remember: the Dec 25 bomber was reported BY HIS OWN FATHER to US officials who did ont connect the dots in time. In Nigeria, the population is about evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. Muslims are persecuted in some countries where they are in the minority. Brave Indians hid hotel guests during the Mumbai massacre, and to this day the Indian Muslim community has refused burial to the terrorists. So by all means, let's fight the terrorists, but let's not assume that every Muslim is a terrorist.

Why not just be honest and leave out the qualifier. Read the Quoran.

How much longer do we need to live thinking that we are saved in the U.S? We are not meant to stay in the Galut forever. Let's return to the land of our forefathers where we are saved. Im sickened when I go to a jewish bookstore and find ani-christian literature but yet I cant seem to find anti-islam materials. It is clear that they are going after us first and then after the chirstians. Let's go HOME.

It is self-deceiving to use the terms "radical", "violent" and "offensive" in relation to Islam/Jihad. The fact is that Mohammed commanded believers to wage war against non-believers and the sooner we stop trying to ignore this the better