Part of the essential training of soldiers, those going to Iraq, and those going elsewhere or remaining at home, ought to be about Islam. Not fake Islam. Not the Islam of the Muslim apologists whom too many in the government think are just the people to teach about Islam. Remember that nice Egyptian man, who joined the U. S. Army and was put in charge of teaching about Islam and cultural sensitivity to soldiers, and then turned out to have been involved in the first attack on the World Trade Center?
There should be lectures for this audience, this captive audience of hundreds of thousands, on how non-Muslims are regarded in Islam, how they were treated under the Shari'a, what the Muslim worldview is, and why this belief-system has such a hold on its adherents, why Believers are not allowed to get out but treated, if they dare to question or leave Islam, as traitors.
The Army has not done this. No doubt it fears suits by CAIR, and the reaction of those few Muslim troops (almost entirely black Muslims). But it has somehow to overcome its timidity, just as the C.I.A. and F.B.I. and local police forces need to stop being so protective -- fearful, rather -- of Muslim sensibilities that they dare not speak truthfully about Islam. We can only hope that on their own, in the interstices of life, those whose duty it is to protect this country will somehow, catch-as-catch-can, learn a little here and a little there about Islam.
It is possible to construct courses that will set out the doctrines of Islam, relying heavily, almost exclusively, on what is to be found in the Qur'an, Hadith, Sira, and in the commentators who are themselves Muslim. It can and should be done.
Meanwhile, the army should make sure that the "training" includes enough to ensure that the soldiers are no longer surprised, shocked in fact, at how those whom they have come to help are never going to regard those Americans as anything other than Infidels, that is, with essential hostility that transcends, or survives, any temporary accommodation for the purposes of self-interest. While they may be eager to use the Americans for their own ends (getting the Americans to fight their internal wars, or soaking them for the very last dollar in aid they can get), those Sunni tribes in Anbar Province who have apparently now turned on Al-Qaeda are not our "friends" and never could be. They have fallen out with Al Qaeda not because Al Qaeda attacks the Americans, but because Al Qaeda has been too zealous in its imposition of its own ways on them, and has killed local sheiks and their relatives.
One reason for the very high degree of demoralization among the most aware and thoughtful troops -- the ones who reflect upon their experience -- is the gap between what they were told about Islam and about Iraq and their own experience of it.
This cannot go on.
At the various camps in which soldiers are trained, there is a chance to allow hundreds of men to learn something about Islam, something about the 1350-year history of Islam, something about the central duty of Jihad, and the various instruments of Jihad that go far beyond mere "terrorism" or indeed, combat (qitaal). And finally, those officers and men should be required to learn something as well about the fissures -- ethnic, sectarian, and economic -- within the Camp of Islam.
So far, more than four years into this mistaken campaign, this Tarbaby Iraq, there is not the slightest sign that either the military or the civilian leadership (including members of Congress) have begun to recognize that those who presume to lead us (to "take a leadership role"), those that is whose task is to both instruct and protect us, have a duty to themselves learn about Islam, its tenets, its attitudes, its atmospherics, and about the 1350-year history of Islamic conquest and subsequent subjugation of non-Muslim peoples.
This is not a duty that can be foresworn. It must be fulfilled. Lives, countries, whole ways of life, depend on enough people in our ruling elites, in North America and in Western Europe, learning enough, and in time, and then acting sensibly and appropriately on that basis.
Yes, I agree
This essay should be printed on official stationary and circulated throughout the entirety of the United States Department of State, both Houses of Congress and every Cabinet office member on official payroll.
Every newspaper and news outlet should be circulating this essay.
We should encourage not just the military to become properly educated - though certainly a priority - the entire citizenry of this country (cradle to grave) is in dire need of this information as well.
It is no mis-statement to claim it's a matter of survival.
Islam teaches to worship ONE GOD and obey the messenger and your rightous rulers. To be kind to your parent/s in old age. Islam says the best among you are those best to their wives. None of you have faith until you love for your brother what you love for yourself. Islam offers a ticket to Al-Jannah (paradise) whereas kufr offers you an eternal ticket to damnation by fierce angels standing over the pits of fire.
I couldn't agree more. We should teach Isam just the way it is. Promise you, your entire army will turn against you If you teach them the correct Islam. To Allah belong all praise, the mighty in power, the all knowing, the all hearing
ab'dull states
Indeed.
thanks Archimedes2Many, many more of us . . .each and EVERY DAY. You can count on it!
"We should teach Islam just the way it is."
--- Abdullah
Yes, we agree.
And Infidels will naturally be particularly interested in what the Qur'an and Hadith and Sira can tell us about Muslim atttitudes toward Infidels.
Part of the essential training of soldiers, those going to Iraq, and those going elsewhere or remaining at home, ought to be about Islam.
Yes, the religon of peace and tolerance! You mean like they do at DePaul University in Chicago, apparently?
One of the great things about being in America, is that everyone is free to express themselves; it is right guaranteed by the Constitution which most elected officials swear to uphold.
We can learn a lot about islam when we visit with muslim students who promote their perspectives and insights on islam, at Student Activities Fairs, held on many American campuses.
Isn't that lovely?
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55198
Klocek had a spirited discussion about the Middle East with some Muslim students who were promoting their perspective at a Student Activities Fair on the Chicago school's campus.
Even people new to America are guaranteed freedom of expression.
He visited a table of the Students for Justice in Palestine and took a handout showing an Israeli bulldozer destroying a Palestinian house...
Part of our Constitutional protections guarantees freedom of the press.
During the course of the visit he began discussing the Middle East with students at the table, and when one of the students likened the Israeli treatment of Palestinians to Hitler's treatment of Jews, which offended him, he challenged the students by quoting an Arab source who said that although most Muslims are not terrorists, most of today's terrorists are Muslim.
In our civilized society we used to discuss differing points of view especially on American college campuses, without fear of retribution. That is one of the joys of living in a free and open democracy such as we have in America.
The student group then filed a complaint against Klocek with Dumbleton, dean of the School for New Learning. Klocek was suspended, without the normally required hearing.
So, for the right-wing-Christian-nut-jobs that imagine that we are under threat and promote their ridiculous conspiracy theories that foreign cultures hostile to their own point of views is just plain silly.
Writing about the incident in the school paper, Dumbleton stated: "No student anywhere should ever have to be concerned that they will be verbally attacked for their religious belief or ethnicity."
See? We have nothing to fear at all. There is no reason whatsoever to be a racist, bigoted, intolerant, islamophobe, in America.
John Mauck, an attorney representing Klocek, said earlier that the statements made about Klocek attacking students' "religious beliefs and ethnicity" was tantamount to hanging a scarlet "R" of racism on a long-serving professor.
In a diverse, cosmopolitan, tolerant, multicultural, metro-sexual (what ever that hell that is), politically-correct democracy, we are all equal and can live together as one.
Anyone who disagrees, will be sued!
"Islam teaches to worship ONE GOD "
who? the illiterate pedophile or the piece of rock?
sorry i don't see any god in pisslam. Only demented voices and a piece of mineral
And instead, we have a program sending West Pointers to mosque in New York to "celebrate diversity" and "learn about other cultures"....and being feted by the most articulate, well-spoken, seemingly moderate spokesmen...and the men in uniform coming out of these mosques saying words like "awesome."
Yo Abby,
As you likely know, the Saudi Arabian Constitution consits of two things: Qur'an and Sunnah.
In Qur'an--yes, even in your own personal copy--God himself commands:
5:38 As to the thief, Male or female, cut off his or her hands: a punishment by way of example, from Allah, for their crime: and Allah is Exalted in power.
Our 'good friends', the Saudis, DO amputate the hands of unrepentent thieves; as God commands good Muslims to do.
On another of today's threads you stated:
"...I am also anti mutilating anyone's body parts..."
You have placed yourself above God, and are, then, a blasphemous heretic.
"allah" is Satan and muhammad is his minion and his messenger.
The deploying soldiers get only a generic briefing prior to deployments, one at the unit level where some low ranking intelligence type gives a very generic background brief covering mainly where they are going and why. It is usually a semi impressive overview showing nice maps, graphics and an accompanying power point presentation. They get more as the deployment gets closer but spend the majority of the time on training on the latest techniques used by the enemy. The goal is survival not on the historical causes. It is not as bad as it looks however, Robert’s books accompanies many of our soldiers. Many have taken it on themselves to discover the where and why of this struggle. At the small unit level they teach each other what they have learned. They are also the only ones dealing with the Muslims on a face to face level. Don’t be fooled by High ranking and clueless leaders who have a Muslim exchange officer as an LNO to sing the PC version of Islam. The soldiers at the ground level will replace the PC dinosaurs at the top. As the we can win their hearts and mind types move out the younger and more knowledgeable soldiers will replace them. Read some of their blogs they do “get it” which is slang for know the truth. Islam doesn’t fool them at all.
good article. I have been saying that the koran is a good book for our enemy's tactics and that our politicians and military leaders should read it. Taking it a step further would be a good idea too.
Or let the leaders read it and condense the important stuff for the enlisted people. I know that I probably would have been bored stiff reading it - OH, I WAS BORED STIFF READING IT!! And I read it just to find out 'why do they hate us' after 9/11!!
If the muslims who are in the military are bothered - tough! Military people are bothered by a lot of things and we all get over it. And by the time it gets condensed to something for the enlisted people - they don't have to have it in such a format as the koran is in - which is a cludgy document. They can leave out all the bad excerpts from the old testament - since they are all put in there from a man who was illiterate and a pagan who didn't know any of it. They can leave out any references to mohammed and allah, and trees speaking about Jews behind them. (I am just giving examples)
Good article and a good idea? Are you giving your post to the Pentagon? your politicians? and to the President? If not, maybe you should send it onwards.
Why restrict such education to the armed forces? What about our children being brainwashed in schools? Despite our protestations, wrong and watered down version islam is taught in schools whereby our kids have absolutely no idea what awaits them in the big bad world when they grow up. By the time they wise up to the true consequences of having islam in our midst, it is too late. Our daughters grow up trusting the good mannered and often introvert mahmood sitting next to her during RE lessons, become friends with him and before you know it, she is wearing a burkha!
Is it incumbent upon each and every one of us to teach the real message of islam to our kids from their early age so that they can never be taken in by muslims and their stealth ways of brainwashing our impressionable children?
In the name of secularism, muslims are free to teach intolerance towards other faiths to their kids , but we can't warn our kids about it. Well, if our schools won't do it, then should we do it behind closed doors in our own homes?
I am reminded of Davis Irving, the disgraced British historian and a top notch Holocaust denier who had a poem for his daughter that went:
I am a Baby Aryan
Not Jewish or Sectarian
I have no plans to marry an
Ape or Rastafarian.
Can we do this to our kids? Will we turn them into intolerant, vile, racist and haters of others just like the odious Mr Irving? What is the difference between him and muslims who teach exactly the same intolerance to their sons and daughters, except they call it religion.
Abbie, do Britain a favour - go down to the white cliffs of Dover and jump off.
Teach the imperialistic, expansionistic dogmas of the Koran and Hadiths that the jihadists draw upon as their warcode.
Draw no conclusions about the value of the "peaceful" verses of the Koran, or the worth of Islam, as such, since these are irrelevant for combat, and the "peace" suras have been "abrogated" (voided) as far as militant Muslim war-planning goes.
Know thy enemy- ands his tenets- before trying to defeat him.
Otherwise you are fighting immaterial shadows cast by those attempting to distract your forces.
The hardcore of Islam needs to be understood in order to defeat, since it is terroristic, intolerant, and tyrannical.
You need not fight the "religion", as a whole, but have to target its homicidal heart.
Davis Irving!!! Of course I meant David Irving.
Apologies to the real Mr Davis Irving.
Like I wrote above, I liked this article, but I realize that this idea might be beyond our politicians and military leaders comprehension - they haven't even defined the enemy, they call this war a tactic, and we are not even told the truth in the newsmedia of who perpetrates violence against our citizens, but also the perpetrators in wars these days (eg: Lebanon/Israeli war) - how can we think that they would even think that the military - or anyone else - should read the koran to know their enemy?! All these people I mention are our fellow citizens, the students, the police, the media, the educators, the military - are our sons and daughters who are chosing ignorance. You talk to them and tell them what the truth is, their eyes glaze over even if they started the conversation on this subject.
they are ok with letting muslims tell their side while bashing others, and censoring honest dialog about their religion not being a religion but a political movement that uses god as a weapon.
Just teach the troops: There is no such thing as a friend where you are going. Any aid (intel) you get will be because there's a benefit to that provider--not because he wants to help you.
Just teach the troops: There is no such thing as a friend where you are going."
-- from a posting above
That is not enough. How will they be able to make sense of the ability of Iraqis to pocket American aid and yet wish them ill, many taking delight in the loss of American life, and those not taking delight certainly not at all disturbed by such losses, for their attitude is one of using the Americans for their own domestic ends (to fight their enemies, to provide them with money and military equipment), if -- long before they get to Iraq, they haven't had the view of Infdiels in Qur'an and Hadith, and in the Sira, carefully and slowly explained to them, not in country, but in training back in the United States -- with, even, some book learning, some quizzes, some understanding. Perhaps not for the 17-year-old Marine, but for those who are 25 or 30, and especially in the civilian army, doesn't one wish their stay to be put to good use, and the best use is, if this Tarbaby Iraq venture continues (and one hopes the obstinate and hallucinating Bush will be forced to end it by Congress taking at long last, its initial responsiblity for the stopping the train which they initially waved on, in a fog of misinformation, and now has become a runaway train in Iraq that, for the good of the real war of self-defense against Islam, must be stopped and with it, the squandering of men, money, materiel, and morale.
Right now they are told "not to trust" people. That's an improvement on the troops being told how deepl;y grateful they would find the Iraqis, save for that "handful of extremists" and those "few dead-enders" (Rumsfeld's absurd phrase), but it just won't do. If the army, in its basic training, cannot begin to tell a few home truths about Islam, and a great deal more than a few home truths to the officer corps, then nothing will have been learned about the Iraq fiasco, and why the failure to understand Islam, and then Iraq itself, presenting two of the main fissures within the Camp of Islam, it will be one more failure of deriving any good from this venture.
For $880 billion, American taxpayers have a right to demand just a bit more enlightenment then "don't trust anyone you meet."
That won't do.
well seeing as the presidentis the head of the armed forces and the commander-in-chief we need to start teaching Bush and his advisers about what Islam really is other than what the Saudi Arabians tell them what they want to hear and of course they're not upset the Al Turki family by time the truth about Islam and this knowing that they do tell the truth they will never get that lovely well-paying job through the Saudi Embassy after they leave public office
A good place to start is this terrific book review:Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Myers reviews Pakistani Brigadier S. K. Malik's, The Quranic Concept of War
Here's an important excerpt:
Quranic warfare is “just war.” It is jus en bellum and jus ad bellum if fought “in the way of Allah” for divine purposes and the ends of Islam. This contradicts the western philosophy of just war theory. Another important connotation is that jihad is a continuum, across peace and war. It is a constant and covers the spectrum from grand strategy to tactical; collective to the individual; from the preparatory to the execution phases of war.
Malik highlights the fact that the preservation of life is not the ultimate end or greatest good in Quranic warfare. Ending “tumult and oppression,” achieving the war aims of Islam through jihad is the desired end. Dying in this cause brings direct reward in heaven for the mujahid, sacrifice is sacred. It naturally follows that death is not feared in Quranic warfare; indeed, “tranquility” invites God’s divine aid and assistance. The “Base” of the Quranic military strategy is spiritual preparation and “guarding ourselves against terror.” Readers may surmise that the training camps of al Qaeda (The Base) were designed as much for spiritual preparation as military. One needs only to recall the example of Mohammed Atta’s “last night” preparations.
The battleground of Quranic war is the human soul—it is religious warfare. The object of war is to dislocate and destroy the [religious] “Faith” of the enemy. These principals are consistent with objectives of al Qaeda and other radical Islamic organizations. “Wars in the theory of Islam are . . . to advance God’s purposes on earth, and invariably they are defensive in character.” Peace treaties in theory are temporary, pragmatic protocols. This treatise acknowledges Islam’s manifest destiny and the approach to achieving it.
General Malik’s thesis in The Quranic Concept of War can be fundamentally described as “Islam is the answer.” He makes a case for war and the revitalization of Islam. This is a martial exegesis of the Quran. Malik like other modern Islamists are, at root, romantics. They focus on the Quran for jihad a doctrine that harkens back to the time of the Prophet and the classical-jihadist period when Islam enjoyed its most successful military campaigns and rapid growth.
Read it all.
http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/parameters/06winter/win-ess.htm#Myers
An article about Malik's book and, I recall, Joseph Myers's review was put up here some time ago. Check the archives using the search engine.
Of course it deserves to be reposted. If I had my druthers, I'd immediately put Myers in charge of the army's training of soldiers about Islam. I have a feeling that he knows how silly the Iraq venture is, and how onlythrough withdrawal can anything lasting for the Camp of Infidels be accomplished.
Perhaps there are generals who would be willing to speak out of Iraq. They needn't fear. They will immediately earn more on the lecture circuit, and possibly in future appointments, than they might lose through the acts of a vindictive Bush Administration attempt to silence or to punish them.
I am a junior officer in the reserves. I served on active duty during the Gulf War and then in Bosnia. In fact, during my entire career every military action I was involved in had the US on the side of helping muslims. As a college student I took "Introduction to Islam" yet I was completely ignorant of true Islam until I began reading Jihad Watch and Mr. Spencer's books. I purchased and shared three copies of "Islam What the West Needs to Know". I have been shocked by the resistance or ambivalance of fellow officers. I am now studying Arabic because I intend to be as prepared as I can possibly be. Unfortunately, the military isn't going to train about Islam. We won't even name the war (War on Terror, what is that?). All we can do is support the work of Jihad Watch and those brave souls who speak out. Thank you Jihad Watch crew!
""We should teach Islam just the way it is."
--- Abdullah"
such as:
"Sura (3:151) - "Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority." This speaks directly of killing Christians, since they believe in the Trinity (ie. what Muhammad incorrectly believed to be 'joining companions to Allah')."
Hugh mentions:
Jihad Watch: The Qur'anic Concept of War
and
Yep . . .surely, he leaves one hopeful . . .here are a few links for review:
Jihad Watch: Senior Army Advisor takes issue with NDU "hirabah ...
Jihad Watch: Are plans in place if schools attacked?
Jihad Watch: Hezbollah, Illegal Immigration, and the Next 9/11
Jihad Watch: NYT investigation: "It is not possible to go to ...
With the President a prisoner of political correctness and enchanted by the Sauds, it is hard to see how anything about Islam's destructive history and the basis of jihad can get down to the troops. The channel will be blocked by the President himself, much as he blocks any action on border defense, and by the Saudi-funded CAIR, and the Grover Norquist stooges planted in this Administration.
If anything they would hire CAIR to serve up mealy-mouth FBI-style "Islam is a peaceful religion" stuff. If the President will not see that the relatively tiny FBI and the CIA are properly trained on Islam, he will certainly not do it for the Armed Services.
Getting books by Robert and others in Robert's class of expert colleagues out into the hands of the troops, the infantry companies and on down would help bridge the gap. How many rifle companies are over there? If we could get each company a basic library, that would be a good start. There area also translated jihadist books, including the Al Qaeda Manual and others.
My understanding is that the rifle companies do have semi-stationary bases where their headquarters are located.
Each rifle company (and other combat units) should have access to the Internet and a catalog of sites like JW/DW.
We need angels to help with the financing. This would be a small step, but it could save lives. I thin American Congress for Truth has started such a program (not sure if that is the right name, but there is at least one out there).
Of course it should be as basic as tactics and strategy at West Point, the War College, Annapolis, etc, but if is not being taught at thesse places yet the troops in the field cannot wait. They need to know what they are up against now.
Someone mentioned the educational system needs this same infusion of knowledge on Islam. However, CAIR and other Islamist orgs have already made significant inroads both nationally, in the state educational departments, the K12s, and the Universities We are under attack, basically everywhere. It is hard to counter the trillion-dollar Saudi effort to bring this country down.
I wished I had an answer. Maybe some of us could offer informal volunteer instruction to local military bases? Or even to local schools, if the Imams do not yet have a veto on volunteer instruction on Islam.
Our military, any military, is not, not has ever been, a socialization ground. We're not diplomats.
We have 2 functions, ONLY, ONLY, ONLY:
1) kill bad guys
2) destroy their wares
That's it...we've never had to study any other culture for social reasons, save that of being in order to defeat them, and that is the only function of the military.
While I can understand the idea behind this, it's simply not practical, and the only thing we need to study, and have ever needed to, was weaknesses in order to defeat the enemy.
The problem, the ONLY problem, with the conflict in iraq, is being forced into this political correctness & cultural sensitivity nonsense.
The only solution is to allow us to take the gloves off and let our forces fight the way they were designed to do.
A slogan those of us who know it well adopt it, as it's been tried and true effective every time:
"When you have them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow"
Socialization and cultural understanding is the job of the peace corps.