Islam -- Spread by the Sword? You Bet

Alyssa A. Lappen reviews The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) in Human Events:

In Islam, pigs are not Halal. For that reason, some might assume that the little pig on the cover of Robert Spencer's bestselling new Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) is meant to insult the faith.
They would be wrong. In fact, the publishing house of Regnery (a Human Events sister company) has trademarked the term Politically Incorrect Guide, along with the little pig, and has posted this insignia on two other books, Thomas Woods' Politically Incorrect Guide to American History and Tom Bethell's Politically Incorrect Guide to Science, the latter to be published this fall. Moreover, Regnery is working on several other titles in the series, all to be decorated by a pig.

Apparently the series does intend to be humorous, however. Also on the cover is quotation from an Islamic chat room. A poster wrote of Spencer: “May Allah rip out his spine from his back and split his brains in two, and then put them both back, and then do it over and over again. Amen.” Not funny, but he jovially tags this “--'praise' for the author on RevivingIslam.com.”

These lighthearted touches, before one even opens a book on a deadly serious subject, foreshadow many more quips inside. A few examples:

• After Muhayissa murdered K'ab, he was rebuked for the deed by his brother Huwayissa, who was not yet a Muslim. Muhayissa, unrepentant, told his brother, “Had the one who ordered me to kill him ordered me to kill you I would have cut off your head.” Huwayissa replied, “By God, a religion which can bring you to this is marvelous!” And he became Muslim. “The world is still witnessing such miracles today.”

• "Polygamy...is moving westward with Islam. In late 2004, polygamy had become so common among Muslims in Britain that the British were considering recognizing it for tax purposes.”

• "Lying: It's wrong—except when it isn't.”

Other funny tidbits are the small boxes in each chapter entitled “A book you're not supposed to read.” These recommendations include such scholarly works as An Introduction to Islamic Law by Joseph Schacht; The Decline of Eastern Christianity: From Jihad to Dhimmitude by Bat Ye'or; and Islamikaze: Manifestations of Islamic Martyrology by Raphael Israeli; as well as ancient and modern Islamic texts like the Qur'an, Umdat al-Salik, or Reliance of the Traveller: A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law, translated by Noah Ha Min Keller and Milestones by Sayyid Qutb.

But for all the humor, the 231-page text is in fact a somber discussion of Islam for the layman, and the scholarship at its base is impressive. The book includes 21 pages of footnotes, the vast majority of which cite Muslim sources themselves.

Spencer attacks the notion, head on, that the Qur'an teaches tolerance and peace, for example, by citing the Qur'an itself.

Read it all.

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6 Comments

Terminator | August 25, 2005 7:08 PM

Bravissimo!

Somehow, slowly I believe we are getting somewhere. Websites, books, discussions on TV expose the smarmy appeasers, the 'misunderstanders' and PC-moderators who 'just won't have any of it' and still believe it is US causing the problems by doing something about it, instead of just lying down and letting 'them' take over.

The huge problem of having allowed millions of Musulmanes into our society and by giving them undeserved rights, rights that no infidel could ever hope to get in an Islamic country, has made us more than vulnerable. This trojan horse, this fifth column of Islam, is biting its time :

There are the ever pregnant females, who are in hijab, bilbab or chador, uneducated and unemployable, breed ever more unemployables, alienated, unintegrated, unassimilated and full of resentment. And if they produce males, they are brought up in Koran-Schools, madrassahs, funded by the government where they are thaught nothing but Jihad and how to undermine and destroy the host country.

There is no reason to extend to them rights that we as citizens enjoy. Why should they be alowed to vote? Many are illegal. Why are they not rounded up and deported?

We need politicians who are willing to tackle the issues and who are capable to protect the citizens from infiltration.

Why should we have to live in fear?

dolphin | August 25, 2005 7:45 PM

You are a real tormentor, Robert :) Now I want to buy your book even more. I can't wait until it hits the local stores here.

-----------------------------
dolphin, CAGE co-founder.
http://www.acage.org

Clyde | August 25, 2005 8:00 PM

Has anyone from the G.B.Administration read your book and if so have they made any comments?

DP111 | August 25, 2005 8:22 PM

An appropriate time to re-read this

A short history of Islam and its impact on your life.

http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/sina40721.htm

Shelly64 | August 26, 2005 2:02 AM

I just got the book today via amazon.com.

I have read about 4 chapters and skimmed through some others. The book promises to be a quick read.

I must say, personally, I prefer the more heavily documented and thorough style of Serge Trifkovic's "Sword of the Prophet", but I guess this book is aimed at a little less well educated crowd.

I do hope it opens a LOT of eyes. Keep up the good work, Mr. Spencer!

Granny Weatherwax | August 26, 2005 3:23 AM

I am halfway through my copy (Amazon.co.uk - £10.50) which I save to read on the tube into London. So far, to my husband's relief, no one has noticed but never mind. The Mists of Islamic Intolerance (Myth of Islamic Tolerance) is very heavy to carry so I keep that at home. So far I'm finding it concise and accessible but not dumbed down. I disagree with Shelly64 here as I do consider myself to be reasonably well educated.

I may send a copy to my new MP, he is a complete pillock on local issues of import but at least I got the right response from him on the Religios Hate Bill. The customer reviews on Amazon UK were favourable the last time I looked (Saturday); I may write one myself once I have finished the book.

FrontPageMag.com

Books by Robert Spencer

The Muslim Brotherhood in America, by Robert Spencer

Islamophobia: Thoughtcrime of the Totalitarian Future

Muslim Persecution of Christians, by Robert Spencer

The Ground Zero Mosque: Second Wave of the 9/11 Attacks

“My comrade-in-arms, my pal, my buddy.”
— Oriana Fallaci

“Robert Spencer incarnates intellectual courage when, all over the world, governments, intellectuals, churches, universities and media crawl under a hegemonic Universal Caliphate’s New Order. His achievement in the battle for the survival of free speech and dignity of man will remain as a fundamental monument to the love of, and the self-sacrifice for, liberty.”
— Bat Ye’or

“Robert Spencer is indefatigable. He is keeping up the good fight long after many have already given up. I do not know what we would do without him. I appreciate all the intelligence and courage it takes to keep going despite the appeasement of the West.”
— Ibn Warraq

“America's most informed, fearless, and compelling voice on modern jihadism.”
— Andrew C. McCarthy, Senior Fellow at National Review Institute

“Robert Spencer is the leading voice of scholarship and reason in a world gone mad. If the West is to be saved, we will owe Robert Spencer an incalculable debt.”
— Pamela Geller, Atlas Shrugs

"The consummate Islam critic and expert." — Bruce Bawer

“Over the years, we have become friends, and I have received his assistance on several pieces of legislation I proposed.”
— Former Congressman Tom Tancredo

“Few people are capable of applying scholarship, analytical reasoning, and objectivity to their topic -- while simultaneously being readable and witty -- as can Robert Spencer.”
— Raymond Ibrahim

“A national treasure...The acclaimed scholar of Islam.”
— Frank Gaffney, Center for Security Policy

“I am indeed honored to call him my friend.”
— Brad Thor, novelist

“A top American analyst of Islam....A serious scholar...I learn from him.”
— Daniel Pipes

“A brilliant scholar and writer.”
— Douglas Murray

"One of my best teachers."
— Ashraf Ramelah, Voice of the Copts

“Thank God there’s at least one man with balls left in the West.”
— Kathy Shaidle, Five Feet of Fury

“I read people like [Mark Steyn] and Bob Spencer and the rest of them, and I say, ‘Boortz, you’re pretending you’re an author. These people really are. They really write some entertaining, some standup stuff.’”
— Neal Boortz

“Robert Spencer is the Stephen King of Jihad.”
— Chris Gaubatz, Muslim Mafia

“Armed with facts and fearlessness, Spencer stands up for Western civilization.”
— Michelle Malkin

“Widely read in conservative foreign policy circles.”
— New York Times

“Widely read in many quarters in Washington.”
— Washington Post

“A canny operative who likely has the inside track on the State Department’s Middle East affairs desk should the tea party win the White House.”
— New York Magazine

“A hero of the American right.”
— Karen Armstrong

"The leading anti-Islamic intellectual in the United States....The go-to Islam expert for the right wing."
— Salon Magazine

“Robert Spencer is an Edward Said turned upside down.”
— Stephen Suleyman Schwartz

“One of the nation's most notorious Islamophobes.”
— Hamas-linked CAIR

"Geller and Spencer are probably the most important propagandizing Islamophobes in the world. These people's voices speak very loudly — not just here in the United States but overseas."
— Heidi Beirach, Southern Poverty Law Center

“Satanic ignoramus.”
— Khaleel Mohammed

“The Likud anti-Christ.”
— Dar al-Hayat newspaper (Saudi Arabia)

“Zionist Crusader, missionary of hate, counter-Islam consultant.”
— Al-Qaeda’s Adam Gadahn, “Azzam the American”