Saudi Arabia and ISIS; Islam and Islamism

“Essentially, Islamism is a doctrine which provides a reason to hate and kill everyone who does not subscribe to it.” – Charles Moore

This one sentence encapsulates the West’s problem! The West has fabricated a term––Islamism––to get around a problem which it has introduced into our Judaeo-Christian civilization. The problem, of course, is Islam.

There is no such thing as ‘Islamism’. Islamism is a figment of the Westerner’s imagination. No self-respecting Muslim would recognize the term. What liberal Westerners perceive as Islamism is merely the practice of Islam as it should be practised. An Islamist is a devout Muslim!

Of course, there are many peace-loving Muslims: the people that Western politicians refer to as ‘moderate’. But these people are people who do not practice their faith to the letter of Sharia law, to the letter of the Koran, to the letter of the Hadiths. They are not properly living in accordance with the Sunnah, or way of, the Prophet.

The ‘Islamic State’ is carrying out the practices of their Prophet, as does indeed Saudi Arabia. What goes on in the so-called Islamic State is not much different from what goes on in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace and home of Islam.

Saudi Arabia puts people to death for apostasy. Saudi Arabia stones women to death for adultery. Saudi Arabia beheads people in the public square. Saudi Arabia amputates people’s hands (and feet!) for theft. Etc. All these atrocities we turn a blind eye to for commercial reasons. In Saudi Arabia these punishments are state-sponsored, whereas in the Islamic State, because as yet it is only a quasi state, they are not.

We are never going to be able to defeat the “enemy within”, or without, for that matter, until intelligent people come to the realization that our enemy is not Islamism, but Islam itself. Our forefathers understood the dangers of Islam. Why can’t we?

The fact is simple: Islam is out to defeat its long-time enemy. This is a Holy War, otherwise known as the Jihad. For as long as we refuse to come to terms with this reality, the West will be in danger; and its survival will also be in danger. – © Mark Alexander

All Rights Reserved

A version of this also appeared here

Op-Ed: Saudi Arabia, an ISIS That Has Made It

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Black Daesh, white Daesh. The former slits throats, kills, stones, cuts off hands, destroys humanity’s common heritage and despises archaeology, women and non-Muslims. The latter is better dressed and neater but does the same things. The Islamic State; Saudi Arabia. In its struggle against terrorism, the West wages war on one, but shakes hands with the other. This is a mechanism of denial, and denial has a price: preserving the famous strategic alliance with Saudi Arabia at the risk of forgetting that the kingdom also relies on an alliance with a religious clergy that produces, legitimizes, spreads, preaches and defends Wahhabism, the ultra-puritanical form of Islam that Daesh feeds on.

Wahhabism, a messianic radicalism that arose in the 18th century, hopes to restore a fantasized caliphate centered on a desert, a sacred book, and two holy sites, Mecca and Medina. Born in massacre and blood, it manifests itself in a surreal relationship with women, a prohibition against non-Muslims treading on sacred territory, and ferocious religious laws. That translates into an obsessive hatred of imagery and representation and therefore art, but also of the body, nakedness and freedom. Saudi Arabia is a Daesh that has made it.

The West’s denial regarding Saudi Arabia is striking: It salutes the theocracy as its ally but pretends not to notice that it is the world’s chief ideological sponsor of Islamist culture. The younger generations of radicals in the so-called Arab world were not born jihadists. They were suckled in the bosom of Fatwa Valley, a kind of Islamist Vatican with a vast industry that produces theologians, religious laws, books, and aggressive editorial policies and media campaigns.

One might counter: Isn’t Saudi Arabia itself a possible target of Daesh? Yes, but to focus on that would be to overlook the strength of the ties between the reigning family and the clergy that accounts for its stability — and also, increasingly, for its precariousness. The Saudi royals are caught in a perfect trap: Weakened by succession laws that encourage turnover, they cling to ancestral ties between king and preacher. The Saudi clergy produces Islamism, which both threatens the country and gives legitimacy to the regime. » | Kamel Daoud * | Friday, November 20, 2015

* Kamel Daoud, a columnist for Quotidien d’Oran, is the author of “The Meursault Investigation.” This essay was translated by John Cullen from the French.

Dans Bruxelles en alerte

Face а une menace «imminente», la Belgique a relevй son niveau d'alerte terroriste au maximum. Ce samedi, les rues sont quasi dйsertes et la population respectent les consignes de sйcuritй.

Army Chaplains to Lose Christian Motto Because It Might Offend Muslims

BREITBART.COM: The Royal Australian Army Chaplains’ Department is to lose their traditional motto held since 1913, because it is offensive to Muslims.

The cap badge and motto of the Australian army chaplains is presently identical to those held by the British army, a legacy and tradition dating back to the founding days of the Australian nation as it established itself as a Dominion independent of Great Britain. Emblazoned on a Maltese cross and wreath in purple and gold, the motto ‘In This Sign Conquer’ is thought to be a reference to the crusades.

Now just five months after a Muslim Imam joined the Australian forces religious advisory committee, that history is to be swept away, reports Australia’s Daily Telegraph. Despite the sudden push for change, there is not thought to presently be a single Australian Muslim chaplain in the army. » | Oliver Lane | Saturday, November 21, 2015

Medical Issues Causing Hillary Clinton’s Confusion, Dizziness?

Nov. 17, 2015 - 4:14 - ‘Unlikeable’ author Ed Klein on reports of Hillary Clinton’s health problems.

When Did Belgium Become a Terror Breeding Ground?

Nov. 17, 2015 - 4:02 - Zuhdi Jasser weighs in

Un-Welcome? Europeans Change Stance on Refugees after Paris Attacks

One of the key clues in the Paris attacks probe is a Syrian passport found next to the body of one of the suicide bombers. The question being asked now is whether one of the terrorists could have entered Europe as a refugee.

Canada’s New HEAVYWEIGHT PM: Behind-the-scenes of Justin Trudeau's First Day as Prime Minister

Belgium: Brussels on Lockdown Over Terror Alert, Soldiers Deployed

Public areas of Brussels including metro stations were closed on Saturday after the Belgian authorities raised the ‘terror’ alert status in the capital to its highest level. People have been advised to avoid crowded areas because of a "serious and imminent threat," according to a government spokesperson.

Brussels in Lockdown after Terror Threat Level Is Raised to Maximum

Military vehicles commonly sighted in Brussels on Saturday
as city moves to maximum terror alert level.

THE GUARDIAN: Shops close, football is cancelled and people are urged to stay home as army patrols streets in face of ‘serious and imminent threat’ of Paris-style attack

Brussels has been blanketed with security after the Belgian government raised alert levels on terrorist threats to the maximum, warning of the “serious and imminent” possibility of a Paris-style attack involving firearms and explosives.

The city’s metro system was closed down on Saturday until Sunday afternoon at the earliest as shops shut, shopping malls were partly shuttered, professional football was cancelled, concerts were called off and music venues, museums, and galleries closed their doors for the weekend.

The heightened alert level followed meetings of the national security and counter-terror services late on Friday, which concluded, on the basis of undisclosed evidence, that a major attack was being planned in Brussels. The rest of the country was put on a level three alert, one level short of the maximum. » | Ian Traynor in Brussels | Saturday, November 21, 2015

Brussels on Highest Alert as Belgian Officials Warn of ‘Serious and Imminent’ Threat

THE WASHINGTON POST: BRUSSELS — The government abruptly shut down the metro system, canceled sporting events and warned residents to avoid crowded places as Belgium placed the capital on maximum alert early Saturday, citing a “serious and imminent” threat of attack.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said Saturday morning that officials had identified shopping centers, public transportation and major events as targets of a possible attack, involving multiple assailants at multiple locations, similar to the deadly assault that struck Paris on Nov. 13.

Searches of homes overnight by police in the immigrant quarter of Molenbeek and other neighborhoods in Brussels uncovered explosives and weapons, the prime minister said. Belgian security officials said it appeared that suspects were planning simultaneous attacks and that this was the reason for raising the threat to its highest level early Saturday. The U.S. Embassy in Brussels also issued a security alert warning U.S. citizens here “to shelter in place and remain at home.” Late Friday, an additional Belgian citizen was charged as an accomplice in connection with the Paris attacks and participation in a terrorist organization. Authorities declined to release his name.

Armed troops stood guard in front of hotels and at major intersections. Movie theaters, pools and department stores were shuttered. A concert by well-known Belgian singer Johnny Hallyday planned for Saturday night at a major concert venue was canceled, as well. » | William Booth, Anthony Faiola and Emily Badger | Saturday, November 21, 2015

Turkey Threatens Russia Over Bid to Obliterate Sick Islamic State Terrorists

EXPRESS: RUSSIA and Turkey are in deadlock after the latter threatened Moscow with “serious consequences” if it continues its bomb assault on Syria.

Officials in the capital Ankara warned Russia to “immediately end its operation” after war planes hit Syrian ground “very close” to the Turkish border.

Turkey sees the Turkmen population that inhabits villages near the border as natural allies in the struggle against President Assad’s brutal regime.

Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish prime minister, said that "if civilians fleeing massacre and cluster bombs head to Turkey, and a new refugee influx emerges, everyone concerned will be held accountable."

The Russian ambassador Andrey Karlov was called in for crisis talks as tensions between the two sides escalate over their different of opinion on the Syrian conflict. » | Jack Fenwick | Saturday, November 21, 2015

'Five Bombings Planned' in Germany According to French Intelligence Dossier

THE TELEGRAPH: Last-minute cancellation of Germany-Netherlands football match was prompted by detailed information about five bomb attacks planned for Hannover, German newspaper claims

A plot to carry out a series of five bombings was behind Germany’s dramatic decision to cancel a high-profile football match at the last minute earlier this week, according to new claims.

A newspaper claims to have seen a copy of a detailed dossier on the planned attacks in Hannover that was passed to the German authorities by French intelligence just two hours before kick-off.

It was the contents of this dossier that prompted the Germans to order the immediate evacuation of the stadium half an hour later, Hannoverische Allgemeine Zeitung claims.

The dossier gives details of a plan by a five-member terror cell led by a German citizen to target the football match in a series of coordinated bomb attacks.

There have been no arrests in connection with the threat to the match, suggesting members of the cell may still be at large. » | Justin Huggler, Berlin | Friday, November 20, 2015

Ben Carson: Screen Syrian Refugees Like They're Rabid Dogs

Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson says in Alabama on Thursday that stopping militants posing as Syrian refugees from entering the US was like handling rabid dogs. Carson is among the GOP hopefuls who have called for the US to close to its borders to Syrian refugees in the wake of last week’s attacks in Paris in which 129 people died

THE GUARDIAN: Ben Carson: screen Syrian refugees like they might be rabid dogs: Republican presidential hopeful condemned after suggesting US needs to ‘determine who the mad dogs are’ so they can’t ‘run around the neighborhood’ » | Associated Press in Mobile | Friday, November 20, 2015

Nach Anschlägen in Paris: Houellebecq pöbelt gegen Frankreichs Politiker

Bestsellerautor Michel Houellebecq ist aufgrund seiner
provokanten Äußerungen und Romane nicht unumstritten

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Präsident Hollande ein "unbedeutender Opportunist", Premier Manuel Valls ein "Geistesschwacher": Der umstrittene Bestsellerautor Michel Houellebecq pöbelt in einem Gastkommentar gegen Frankreichs Politiker.

Nach den Anschlägen von Paris wurden schnell auch Stimmen laut, die Frankreichs Regierung und Geheimdiensten vorwarfen, im Vorfeld der terroristischen Attentate versagt zu haben. Der aufgrund provokanter Äußerungen umstrittene Bestsellerautor Michel Houellebecq übt in einem Gastkommentar, der am Donnerstag zunächst in der italienischen Zeitung "Corriere della Sera" und einen Tag später auch in der "New York Times" erschienen ist, ebenfalls harsche Kritik an Frankreichs Regierung. » | mod | Freitag, 20. November 2015

Frankreichs Armee nach Anschlägen im Rekrutierungshoch

Oswald Sigg: «Franzosen sind am Schwinden»

Verwandt »

«In der Banlieue grüsst man sich nicht»

SCHWEIZER RADIO UND FERNSEHEN: In den Pariser Vorstädten, wo die Integration oft versagt und sich Parallelgesellschaften bilden, lassen sich offenbar besonders gut IS-Kämpfer rekrutieren. Der Soziologe und frühere Bundesratssprecher Oswald Sigg hat zwei Monate in der Banlieue gelebt, um sich selbst ein Bild zu machen. » | srf/eglc;heis | Freitag, 20. November 2015

Europa muss mit Senfgas-Angriffen durch IS rechnen

DIE WELT: Dass die Terrormiliz IS über erbeutete chemische Waffen verfügt, gilt als wahrscheinlich. Die Frage ist, ob er sie inzwischen selbst herstellen kann – und wann sie in Europa zum Einsatz kommen.

Experten vermuten schon seit geraumer Zeit, dass die Terrormiliz Islamischer Staat (IS) an der Produktion von Chemiewaffen arbeitet. Nun bestätigte eine Untersuchungskommission des irakischen Parlaments diesen Verdacht. Die Terroristen sollen dazu Wissenschaftler des gestürzten Saddam-Hussein-Regimes, aber auch aus Syrien und Jordanien verpflichtet haben. "Der IS arbeitet sehr ernsthaft daran, chemische Kampfstoffe produzieren zu können", sagte Hakim al-Zamili, der Vorsitzende der Kommission für Sicherheit und Verteidigung des irakischen Parlaments. "Das würde nicht nur den Irak, sondern die ganze Welt gefährden." » | Von Alfred Hackensberger, Korrespondent | Freitag, 20. November 2015

France Is Trying to Create a Coalition to Destroy Isil, But President Obama Isn't Interested

THE TELEGRAPH: Will the leader of the free world please stand up?

Tell me: What’s a suicide bomber doing with a passport? He’s not going anywhere. And, though I’m not a religious scholar, I doubt that a passport is required in paradise for a martyr to access his 72 black-eyed virgins.

A Syrian passport was found near the body of one of the terrorists. Why was it there? Undoubtedly, to back up the Islamic State boast that it is infiltrating operatives amid the refugees flooding Europe. The passport may have been fake, but the terrorist’s fingerprints were not. They match those of a man who just a month earlier had come through Greece on his way to kill Frenchmen in Paris.

If the other goal of the Paris massacre was to frighten France out of the air campaign in Syria -- the way Spain withdrew from the Iraq War after the terror attack on its trains in 2004 -- they picked the wrong country. France is a serious post-colonial power, as demonstrated in Ivory Coast, the Central African Republic and Mali, which France saved from an Islamist takeover in 2013.

Indeed, socialist President Francois Hollande has responded furiously to his country’s 9/11 with an intensified air campaign, hundreds of raids on suspected domestic terrorists, a state of emergency and proposed changes in the constitution to make France less hospitable to jihad.

Meanwhile, Barack Obama, titular head of the free world, has responded to Paris with weariness and annoyance. His news conference in Turkey was marked by a stunning tone of passivity, detachment and lassitude, compounded by impatience and irritability at the very suggestion that his Syria strategy might be failing.

The only time he showed any passion was in denouncing Republicans for hardheartedness toward Muslim refugees. One hundred and twenty-nine innocents lie dead but it takes the GOP to kindle Obama’s ire. » | Charles Krauthammer | Friday, November 20, 2015