Islam As It Really Is…An Existential Threat to Western Values

The number killed by the “lone wolf” shooter in Tennessee now stands at five. The UN voted to OK the the nuclear deal with Iran even while Iranians in the street chant “Death to America.” ISIS is committing 7^th Century style atrocities in Syria and Iraq while calling for more lone wolf attacks on their enemies. Western leaders, most especially President Obama must recognize Islam for what it really is, not what they hope it is or would like it to be. The so-called “fundamentalist” or “radical” Muslims have not “perverted” the religion; they are following the religion as preached and practiced by Mohammed. They are doing exactly what their prophet did. Jihadi Islamists use violence to kill those who disagree with them, so did Mohammed. ISIS beheads, crucifies, and slaughters their enemies, so did Mohammed. Boko Harem captures women to use as sex slaves, so did Mohammed. Western leaders, especially President Obama should look at what Mohammed actually said and did. It is a matter of historical record to understand the threat Islam poses toward the West.

It is important to remember that Islam is not a religion that shares Western values. There is no freedom of worship under Islam. Women are treated as second class citizens under Islam. Homosexuals fear for their lives under Islam. Freedom of speech is heavily restricted under Islam. Mohammed was not preaching peace and tolerance like the Buddha or Jesus. Mohammed was a warlord. The religion he advocated was one of conquest and submission.

Whether you believe Mohammed was told the truth directly by Allah, or whether you believe he was a false prophet, doesn’t matter. The tenets of Islam permit, even encourage, warlike behavior to advance its supremacy. The most well-known are the concepts that do this are those of Jihad and Holy War. While some Islamic scholars claim, or pretend to claim, less warlike interpretations of these ideas they can be, have been, and are being used to promise reward those who die to advance the religion. Therefore, lone wolf gunmen, suicide bombers, and ISIS fighters can all believe they if they die while advancing Islam they will be rewarded with their 72 virgins in paradise. Likewise, lying to infidels, taqiyya and kitman, is permitted, and even encouraged, so as to advance Islam by gaining the trust of non-believers in order to defeat them. How many times has Israel been promised peace for land? We should realize that claims of peaceful intentions, such as the Iranian nuclear deal, could be examples of this.

One problem Western leaders seem to have is that cultural relativism dictates that all religions and philosophies are equally valid and good in spite of the absurdity of this position. If Aztecs were still hacking out hearts in job lots would the world dismiss this as just their way of worshiping? While most world leaders recognize that Nazism was bad, they have a more difficult time believing the same thing about “fundamentalist” Islam. Just as all Nazis wouldn’t slaughter Jews, all Muslims wouldn’t kill infidels. But both the Nazi philosophy and the Muslim religion can be used to justify such behaviors and stifle personal freedom and liberty.

Are there good things about Islam? Yes. But without a major reformation Islam will never be compatible with modern Western ideas. Unlike Christianity, however, that could use the actual words and actions of Jesus to modernize that religion it will be much more difficult for Islam to use the actual words let alone the actions of Mohammed to do the same.  It may not be fair to judge those who lived in the past by modern standards, but by our standards the Prophet of Islam was a war criminal of epic proportions. He didn’t preach or practice ideals compatible with our present standard of behavior. Is there hope for a Islamic reformation. Always. But without one, America and the West must recognize that Islam by its nature is a threat to our way of life.