David Swindle reviews my book The Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran in FrontPage this morning:
Few would consider Robert Spencer, author and prominent scholar of Islam, to be a radical.Spencer's politics fit snuggly within the mainstream of conservative thought. He appears regularly at both Human Events and FrontPage Magazine. His books are published by the stalwart conservative press Regnery.
His rhetoric and demeanor are hardly radical either. Read his books and you'll find sly, witty humor to complement his often depressing subject matter. His talks are no different. He presents a friendly demeanor....
So in what manner is Spencer possessed of the Radical Spirit?
To understand this we need to understand what it means to be radical. The first definition of the term (coming from its etymology) sums it up: "Arising from or going to a root or source."
Thus Spencer's radicalism soon becomes clear to those familiar with his books and his essential blog, JihadWatch. His principle project is this: to go to the root of understanding Islam. To strip away the obfuscations of the Left and alleged "moderate" Islamist apologists and to really demonstrate just what this religion is all about.
And so his newest book, The Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran is in a sense his most radical work yet. In the past Spencer has hit numerous Islam-related topics. Last year's Stealth Jihad looked at how many Islamists have shifted tactics from violence to quiet subversion. Previous books focused on Muhammad and the differences between Islam and Christianity.
Now he examines the Koran itself. In twelve accessible chapters - each interspersed with sidebars and quotes in Idiot's Guide fashion - Spencer gives a crash course on the Koran's origins, its interpretation and its contents. He explains how the book was assembled and why it's so difficult to understand. (It's not even written chronologically!) He also shows how pervasively anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, misogynistic, intolerant, and violent attitudes are embedded within this book revered by more than a billion people....
Supplementary:
"Christmas Spirit and Islam"
(by Amil Imani)
http://www.globalpolitician.com/26115-islam-christmas
Just wanted to say Robert that your latest article at FPM about Ali Eteraz (sic?) was just fantastic. As usual, you made your point in spades without resorting to any of the rhetorical excess that afflicts most of us here (myself included). If I were Ali, I would have felt the utter compulsion to respond, simply because the piece was such an effective refutation and yet at the same time was so moderate and reasonable in tone.
I'm desperately trying to learn to dial it down when I'm going at it with my liberal brothers and sisters. You set a hell of an example, oh fearless leader.
Send a copy to your Senators and Congressmen, they can stack it in the pile-they-were-never-going-to-read-anyway, the base of which, of course, is comprised of the last, best, and really final version of the health bill.
"Spencer's politics fit snuggly within the mainstream of conservative thought."
Given the present state of so-called 'conservative' thought, which apparently has no clue as to what true conservative values are, I wouldn't recommend trumpeting this.
Then there's:
"Well, I'm certainly not anti-Islamic..."
-- Robert Spencer in Catholic Report
No, how could anybody possibly walk away with such a horrible, unfair misconception? And I'm sure all the posters on this site aren't the least anti-Islamic, either.
James,
1) Robert is NOT affiliated with any political party
2) As for being "politically neutral", this is so, insofar as Robert concentrates on the single issue of Islamic jihad (and its non-violent corollary, dhimmitude). The fact that he understands and trumpets which side of the spectrum is the bigger aider and abettor of Jihad and dhimmitude is perfectly consonant with his mission statement.
And for the record, Robert often comes down hard on Republicans like Grover Norquist and conservatives like Dinesh Desouza.
If supporting Islam's imperialist aims is politically 'left', and opposing Islam's violence is 'conservative', then I have suddenly become a 'conservative'!
If supporting Islamic imperialism is politically 'left', and opposing Islamic violence is 'conservative', then I have suddenly become a 'conservative'!
Fairuzfan,
You are correct (for once)...all the posters on this site aren't the least anti-islamic. There are never absolutes...your mere presence on this site negates the ability that ALL are anti-islamic. I believe all that come here are looking for reason, reason why islam is the enemy of mankind. Perhaps we're all confused why adherents of islam continually profess peace but we can plainly see the damage and trouble the ideology of islam produces and wonder why. Maybe you can shed some light on this for us. You're all full of witty comments denoucing the site and Robert but never seem to question the violence perpetrated in the name of islam; I wonder why that is. Did you ever wonder that those that hijacked your wonderful religion are inspired by your "holy book' and religious leaders; I really find it enlightening that people of your ilk can only come post slurs instead of facts to refute what Robert has to say. Why is that? Could Robert be correct and all he is doing is pissing off muslims because he's letting the cat out the bag? It's simply laughable to watch people try to defend islam.
"conservative thought" is not a party James. Your bucket holds no water.
I agree with you, Comic Relief, that it is quite amusing to witness people defending Islam. In fact, if one is prepared to defend Mohammedanism, what wouldn't one defend if they had a mind to?
"Spencer's politics fit snuggly within the mainstream of conservative thought."
These are the words of the book reviewer, not Spencer himself...I have been posting here and reading Spencer's works for numerous years...I have no idea what his actual 'politics' are, nor do I care...He may be 'guilty' of conservative thought, but I don't hold that against him...
Feyrooz Fan calls himself a Catholic. Supposedly he's also a former Jew, or so he says.
What he is is a despicable and vile Jew-hating schmuck.
Oh, but he's a fan of Feyrouz -- who, I confess, is one of the greatest female singers of all time!!!!
She's a Christian, by the way. A gorgeous woman inside and out. I was smitten by her music the very first time I heard it in the Jerusalem suk. I spent the rest of the day trolling music shops in the suk till the owner located the record with my rendition of:
sa'altuk habibi, lewayn ayachayn!!
haleela haleeela!!
He reached down and handed me her LP with a fat smile on his face. I still have the LP, and I've since bought many CDS of her.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyJAqVMNFk4&feature=PlayList&p=2BBAAF58A1FE987E&index=0&playnext=1
James ....
Some might call it that, because they see any criticism of a non-white, non-Western ideology as "right-wing" (and racist, etc etc etc ad nauseam).
But I think you'll find that the posters here who agree with Robert span the spectrum of thought and beliefs. Sometimes you might even see these differences flare up from time to time (see the comments a few posts back, on the "Backlash Myth", for example. Put all of us on a different site, about topics we disagree on, and watch the fur fly then.
However, the reason we're _here_ is because we all agree on thing - that Islam, as laid out in the Koran and the Hadiths and put into practice by True Believers, is a danger to all of us, and our preferred ways of life, whether Christian or atheist, straight or gay, druggie or straight, American or East Indian, man or woman, whatever. None of us wish to see our respective free countries fall under the yoke of Islam, nor wish to accommodate their increasing demands on our cultures and laws, to change to fit THEM and their religious view of the world.
So if I were you, I'd take a closer, longer look at this site, both the articles and the comments, before you try to pigeonhole.
So was Irshad Manji right when she called JW "right wing propaganda?"
Irshad Manji is not what I would call a brilliant intellectual, she's an ambivalent muslim (or an egregious hypocrite) who is fully aware that islam is morally bankrupt and downright evil. By her own admission she is a heretic and has been marked for death by islam's henchmen. She is openly gay and has publicly criticized her immutable religion and she knows that those two islamic "sins" are punishable by death.
Who cares what Irshad Manji thinks about JW and Robert Spencer? She's a fraud who pretends that islam is reformable when she knows damn well it is not. Maybe she plans to follow Rushdie's path to fame and fortune by becoming a hunted heroine, a courageous voice in the dark speaking up for terrified muslim homosexuals and subjugated muslimas.
I think Manji is a drama queen who is more interested in selling a fabricated persona and a few books than exposing the truth about islam. Her fellow muslims view her with utter contempt because she is gay; she has been exiled, ostracized, and condemned by her religion, yet she still defends it?!!! Give me a break!
It is quite impossible to convey just how much Robert Spencer's writing has given me.
Even coming from a (non-religious) Jewish background myself, always defending and arguing against those who criticise Israel so unfairly. I, like many Israelis, had no idea of the ideology and teachings of Muslims regarding land disputes and the religion in general.
Robert has awoken me from my sleep and I will continue to spread the word here, in Israel.
Robert has all the answers!
This book is really great. It enlightens us about the essence of Islam, the so-called holy Koran, and unlike the repetitive and boring Koran, it's very entertaing, it's a pleasure to read it and at the same time very instructive. I can only recommend it.
Unfortunately today is already Christmas Eve, and everybody has got their gifts together. But there are other opportunities for presents and this book is the ideal gift for people who still think that Islam is the religion of peace(TM).
I would suggest that Christians here give Spencer's book to their priest, pastor or minister at their parish church; and that Jews give Spencer's book to the rabbi at the synagogue they usually attend.
If said synagogue or church maintains a little library for its members, donate Spencer's books, and other suitable books, to that library (*my* church's little parish library contains, among other things, Serge Trifkovic's "The Sword of the Prophet"...I borrowed it from there and read it, before I bought a copy for myself).
If you have access to a Christian or a Jewish secondary school, as a teacher or as parent of a student, or as a former pupil, then again, do what you can to stock up the library.
Every little bit helps. Johnny Appleseed, Johnny Appleseed.