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My book The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) has for the week of October 30 once again made the New York Times Bestseller List (paperback nonfiction). It is again number 16, in its tenth week on the list.
And that, my friends, reminds me of a story. I was asked by Middle East Quarterly to review a book: Jihad: From Qur'an to bin Laden by Richard Bonney. I hadn't gotten very far along in the book when I came across this passage:
Enter a bookshop in the United States or the United Kingdom, and examine the shelves on contemporary history or current affairs, and what do you find? The array of titles portraying an inevitable conflict of civilizations, between "the West" and Islam, or depicting Muslim intolerance, fanaticism and violence is truly staggering. Titles such as Islam Unveiled, Preachers of Hate, The Two Faces of Islam, Onward Muslim Soldiers abound. Never have there been so many publications in English on the contemporary Islamic world. To the extent that these books serve to increase public understanding and awareness of the issues at stake between "the West and Islam", and within the Islamic world itself, since 9/11 we should be grateful. But do these books actually achieve this purpose?Regrettably they do not. Their purpose is to "sell copy". Public alarm in the West at the phenomenon of suicide bombings has created an atmosphere of distrust against both Muslims and the faith of Islam as such. On the whole, the alarmist publications are written by journalists with an eye to a good storyline. They know how to fuel public alarm and succeed in doing so. Their characterization of Muslims and the faith of Islam is cast in apocalyptic terms, because apocalypticism "sells copy". For every radical Islamist "cleric" (the credentials of such individuals to speak for their faith is in any case often open to question) who can be quoted in such books there may be dozens of mainstream Muslims who reject what is claimed on behalf of their faith. But their views do not count. The silent Muslim mainstream is a majority, but it is a majority that is shouted down by the violent Islamists on the one hand and those who do their publicity for them, the apocalyptic journalists of the West.
These journalists may not be Islamophobic themselves; but by using language such as "Islamofascism" they certainly create or perpetuate stereotypes which lend themselves to Islamophobia. These writings would not be quite so dangerous but for their effect on public opinion and because of the apparent credulity of some government advisers who are looking around desperately for a "quick fix" to what is perceived as the problem of the age. (p. 2)
Pardon the long quote, but since I am the dangerous man responsible for two of the books he names, Islam Unveiled and Onward Muslim Soldiers, I thought a reply from me would be appropriate -- not out of some sense of personal score-settling, but because Bonney here articulates several principles that are widely held. There is great confusion today over who is a trustworthy voice on issues concerning Islam and terrorism. Bonney is certainly not the first to claim that I am not to be trusted on such issues; but he is the first to validate the truth of what I have said about Islam while simultaneously denying my veracity when I say it.
For in the same book, you see, Bonney states that "the traditional reading of the Qur'an outlines four 'stages' which arose from the historical development in which the Prophet found himself....The final stage came with the Divine command of Allah enjoining the Prophet and his followers to wage war against the unbelievers unconditionally." (pp. 25-6) Although I distinguish only three stages (which are identical in substance to Bonney's four), I discuss exactly the same traditional reading in Onward Muslim Soldiers. I show it presented by mainstream Qur'anic commentators of past ages, as well as in our own day by a former Saudi Chief Justice, a Pakistani military official, Muslim Brotherhood theorist Sayyid Qutb, and others.
So both Bonney and I show that the traditional Islamic understanding is that the Qur'an's last word on jihad is unrestricted warfare against unbelievers. Is it sound scholarship when it comes from him and demagogic apocalypticism when it comes from me?
As for "selling copy," I am quite sure that Richard Bonney is against it. I am convinced, from perusing his tome here, that he takes every precaution to write books in a manner designed to ensure that as few people as possible will actually read them. I am confident that if I approached Richard Bonney with ten quid in my hand and offered to buy his book, he would wave away my money and thrust a complimentary copy in my hands. But I, on the other hand, I confess it: I write books hoping people will read them. People who claim I am doing this just to make money evidently have such cramped imaginations that they cannot fathom any way to earn a living other than that which brings down opprobrium and death threats upon one's head, and quite obviously cannot be writers themselves, or they would know what a non-lucrative profession it is – even when one reaches the lofty ranks of the paperback nonfiction bestseller list. But nevertheless, it’s true: I want as many people as possible to read my books. (My next book will be called Harry Potter and the Purpose-Driven Islam.) That’s why I write them. If they can bring in enough money to keep me from signing up for that job as a hotel clerk that I’ve had my eye on, so much the better. But nobody over here in the Jihad Watch Towers in Secure Undisclosed Locationville is getting rich. Richard Bonney is quite free to sniff with contempt at my book sales, so crassly larger than his own, but he is not free to make fast and loose with the facts — at least without me calling him on it. For one thing, he has included in his list of books that spread “Islamophobia” The Two Faces of Islam by Stephen Schwartz, who is in fact a Muslim. For another, I am not now and have never been a journalist. Nor do I, as a rule, use the word "Islamofascism." Good thing Bonney is here to protect the public from purveyors of inaccuracy like me, eh?
What I say about Islam and terrorism is true. The sooner people realize the truth the better able we will be to deal with it. Richard Bonney has confirmed the truth of what I say, even while consigning me to the Potboilers Purgatorio. The whole episode is an example of a much larger problem, which I have seen confirmed again and again ever since I began doing this publicly: the “experts” to whom government officials (yes, the ones Richard Bonney is afraid are listening to me – no worries there) and the mainstream media are listening are more often than not talking out of their hat, and the people on whom they heap contempt often know more about the subject than they do. The result is that most Americans and Europeans are fat and happy and have no idea what is coming down the pike.
Posted by Robert at October 20, 2005 3:44 PM
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Well, that takes care of that.
Posted by: Hugh![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 20, 2005 6:17 PM
Hey, Richard Bonney, read this...
http://hauns.com/~DCQu4E5g/koran5.html
at October 20, 2005 6:41 PM
Ok, I also have a story, Mr. Spencer. Last week I was at my local Large Chain Bookstore, and on a whim, I decided to ask for a copy of your latest book.
The young man helping me looked startled, and asked me to repeat the title. When I started to do so, he asked me to please say it quietly. I told him that the book was on the NYTimes bestseller list, and he glared and told me that Large Chain Bookstore would not carry that on its shelves, and that if I absolutely had to have a copy, I could order it.
"Well," I said," It's not as if I asked for a book promoting pedophilia, you wouldn't carry a book like that, would you? Or perhaps a book calling for bloody and horrible death to all Jews? Or the opression and abuse of women?"
Well, my trusty assistant was extremely offended by that. He pointed out, loudly, that Large Chain would NEVER carry books about those topics.
"Never?" I asked sweetly.
"Look, ma'am, it wouldn't even be legal to sell books condoning pedophilia and advocating genocide!" he barked at me.
Long pause, while I just smiled patiently at him.
"So, in other words, you really hadn't ought to be selling this book?" I asked politely, handing him one of the many translations translation of the Koran from Large Chain's shelf.
Needless to say, Earnest Young Bookseller hied himself off to wait on more reasonable customers. Somehow, I don't think I brought him around to right-minded thinking.
at October 20, 2005 6:42 PM
Islamic source:
http://www.al-islam.org/encyclopedia/chapter6b/1.html
at October 20, 2005 6:45 PM
" ... government advisers who are looking around desperately for a "quick fix" to what is perceived as the problem of the age. (p. 2)"
Anyone with any sense at all knows that there is no quick fix.
jay
Posted by: jay at October 20, 2005 6:45 PM
What's the name of that Large Chain Bookstore? I want to make sure I, and everyone I know, boycotts them for what they sell, and what they refuse to sell.
Posted by: Hugh at October 20, 2005 7:11 PM
While chatting about a heart-warming [perhaps bone-chilling for some] topic like jihad, we might add that Adolf Hitler was much interested in it and discussed it at length with a Muslim theologian, Muhammad Inayat Allah Khan, whom he met in Berlin in 1926. Khan was from India, although he rejected the idea of a united India and was an exponent of the Pakistan idea which had not yet reached its present glorious fruition at that time. Khan reported on their discussions, recounting that Hitler, "discussed Islamic jihad with me in details... I found him very congenial."
[see J.M.S. Baljon, Modern Muslim Koran Interpretation (Leiden: Brill, 1961), pp 11-12].
Forgive me for perhaps being so rude as to mention that an exponent of jihad had ever befriended Hitler.
at October 20, 2005 7:17 PM
...with ten quid in my hand...
Do Americans say 'quid'? I can't get past that. On another website an American had problems with 'bloody' and 'lawks a mercy', so I'm surprised to see 'quid' tripping off the tongue so readily.
Anyway, I order most of my books from Amazon or BOL out of laziness, so I've no idea if your book is on the shelves in the large bookshops here in the UK, but I will find out.
Posted by: Interested at October 20, 2005 7:29 PM
I have visited Robert at Secure Undisclosed Locationville, and when his chores were done -- hoovering the living room, puzzling the corners of the ceiling -- and he would feel a bit peckish, I noticed that he liked nothing better than to tuck into a big plate of bangers and mash. I never gave it much thought, but now, after your comment above, I'm beginning to wonder about Mr. Robert Spencer. Could he, might he, be not an American but a...
Posted by: Hugh at October 20, 2005 7:49 PM
The self-refuting argument in action:
there may be dozens of mainstream Muslims who reject what is claimed on behalf of their faith
at October 20, 2005 8:00 PM
I found an entire shelf of Karen Armstrong at the Borders on Red Bug Road in Orlando. None of your books are carried, including your best-seller. What bias?
Posted by: Beagle at October 20, 2005 8:02 PM
Robert seems stangely androgynous (or Canadian) to me. I kid because I care.
Posted by: Beagle at October 20, 2005 8:06 PM
I think Hugh is doing shots of Champagne.
Posted by: Mad_Jack at October 20, 2005 8:08 PM
Chores??
I should coco! Time for bed - I'm cream crackered from mentally putting in all those 'u's in 'color' etc.
Posted by: Interested at October 20, 2005 8:17 PM
I have Robert Spencer and Daniel Pipes all figured out. They write critically on Islam because they get the same death-defying thrill as B.A.S.E. jumpers without ever having to leave their arm chairs. :)
Posted by: markjames at October 20, 2005 8:30 PM
No, Mad_Jack, whatever salad days in Ay and Epernay were spent riddling in the caves are over. It's strictly Chateau de la Pompe, deux mille cinq for the rest of this year, and then the vintages will go up annually, in natural lockstep with the anno strictly domini.
Posted by: Hugh at October 20, 2005 9:31 PM
Interested writes:
"Do Americans say 'quid'? I can't get past that. On another website an American had problems with 'bloody' and 'lawks a mercy', so I'm surprised to see 'quid' tripping off the tongue so readily."
No, we don't normally say quid, bloody, zed,
lawks a mercy, petrol,... Maybe RS is like the
fox that covers his tracks with his tail.
Thanks Robert, for all of your work. I've bought myself copies of two of your books, and I have
made some headway with the rest of my family.
The word is getting out, but it will take a
lot more work. Maybe I'll buy more copies as gifts, and you can retire rich.
at October 20, 2005 9:39 PM
Lans sakes, y'all. I said "ten quid" because Bonney is a Merrie Auld Englishman. You can savor his august Anglo mug here:
http://www.le.ac.uk/hi/people/bon.html
Hugh is right: I love bangers and mash, but not as much as a heaping plate of bubble and squeak.
Cordially
Robert Spencer
at October 20, 2005 9:51 PM
Will you post your review of Professor Bonney's book when you have written it? I would love to read it.
I think Bonney is probably one of those snobbish academics who believes that only tenured professors in prestigious universities are qualified to write books about the humanities, religion, and history. He probably hasn't read any of your books. He obviously didn't bother to read your bio.
at October 20, 2005 10:08 PM
OK, I've heard of bangers and mash, but what in world is "bubble and squeak"?
It sounds like something you'd be eating on a daredevil reality TV show.
Posted by: treehugger at October 20, 2005 10:21 PM
Waaaaal, Mr. Treehugger,
Bubble and squeak, as every good English lad knows, is made with leftover cooked potatoes and cabbage.
Take one ounce of butter, one finely chopped onion, a pound of cooked and mashed potatoes, and 8 ounces of cabbage. Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the onion and fry for a few minutes until softened, stirring frequently. Then add the potatoes and cabbage. Fry over a medium heat for 15 minutes until brown then serve.
How the lads and I in old Gloucester used to enjoy topping this off with a few jellied eels from the corner cookstall!
Cordially
Robert Spencer
at October 20, 2005 10:48 PM
Treehugger:
bubble and squeak are leftovers from the night before, eaten as breakfast the next day.
Posted by: Voltaire at October 20, 2005 10:49 PM
Mr.Spencer, I know Iraq’s Constitution Is No Recipe for Democracy, but is it a recipe for Bubble and Squeak?
Posted by: Miss Moneypenney
at October 20, 2005 10:51 PM
"These journalists may not be Islamophobic themselves; but by using language such as Islamofascism..."
Bloody hell! I nearly spit out my Pepsi laughing when I read this. Here we have a guy who has just researched and written a book about Islamic Jihad and he shudders at the term 'Islamofascism' which quit frankly is a very accurate term for the jihadist ideology. And then he has the balls to use the word 'Islamophobic' which Islamic apologists recently coined to try and silence those critical of Islam's dirty secrets.
This sentence tells me all I need to know about this author. That being; he's a PC liberal wanker and doesn't know squat about the subject he's just written a book on.
Posted by: William The Crusader at October 20, 2005 11:05 PM
I have seen food that bubbled and squeeked, I didn't eat any of it...but I might whip up some of that potatos and cabbage...
Bonney...a whole lot to do about nothing.
There used to be a stand up commedian named Professor Erwin Corey, who appeared in a rumpled tuxedo, tennis shoes and a floor length tie. His hair looked like an explosion in a wool factory.
His act consisted of talking for a long time and never saying anything. He was really good at non speech. Bonney wrote a non article, said a lot without saying much. He's not as good at it as Corey, but he tried...
BTW...I bought Roberts book and paid top dollar for it. No discounts. I especially liked the parts about the Crusades. I'm loaning it to my son. I keep telling him this stuff is nothing to laugh about, but he cant get past the ninty foot Adam...I understand that, it is kind of funny, but there is more to the story than just giants...Hopefully 'PIG to Islam and the Crusades, will help him understand what that is...
Posted by: duh_swami at October 20, 2005 11:37 PM
William The Crusader writes:
"This sentence tells me all I need to know about this author. That being; he's a PC liberal wanker and doesn't know squat about the subject he's just written a book on. "
I think he probably knows his subject, and given
what Robert writes, comes to much the same conclusion he (RS) does.
Maybe he had to savage Spencer's books so that the other PC reviewers would notice that (just
read the first few pages) and ignore the
rest of the book.
Sort of like the way dhimmi Christians in the
middle east spout the muslim party line about Israel, hoping that if they pile on too, their
mohammadan overlords will be merciful.
at October 20, 2005 11:38 PM
Hey, this is my first post on this blog. Some wonderful opinions here. Just saying Hi.
Posted by: MohdSatan at October 21, 2005 12:03 AM
HMM American...from the article above, I dont think Bonney knows Islam well at all. He sounded schizophrenic, especially the entire middle paragraph. Slip sliding around a lot...sort of like Kingky Tolerance. Wait a second!!! Maybe I'm on to something...has anyone ever seen Bonney and Kingky in the same room at the same time? Dont you think 'thats' just a little too coincidental? Kingky is a lot like Bonney, knows just enough about Islam to get himself into trouble, but not enough to get him out, maybe they are the same person...Well if they are the same, Kingky will never admit it, but eventually the echos of Islamic dementia precox will give him away...it always does...
Posted by: duh_swami at October 21, 2005 12:13 AM
US special forces bbq dead talibanis in afghanistan..in contravention of islamic contravention against corpse immolation..stay tuned tomorrow for..seething masses of muslims swarming out of their tea houses, abandoning their
hubbly-bubbly pipes..swarming into the streets to burn effigies and kill each other..good-night..
at October 21, 2005 12:52 AM
Dick Bunney seems to be another sucker for Saudi money.
Whether they pay him or not, to me it sounds like another quisling.
Quite frustrating to see that so many ignorant fools present themselves as if they knew something, when they have little, very little to offer.
Seems to be a disease of our society, something like 'mental AIDS'...
Posted by: sheik yer'mami at October 21, 2005 3:50 AM
I am against the term "Islamofacism". It is misleading and far from explaining anything.
Muslims may (and rightly so) object to it and I am interested in their objections to our view on Islam, not Fascism.
at October 21, 2005 5:13 AM
A large bookshop in Shepherd's Bush stocks nothing more daring than Irshad Manji and Bernard Lewis, plus various semi-autobiographical paperbacks about the Taliban, which were, of course, "not the real Islam". Plenty of Michael Moore, though.
I notice that Professor Bonney is Director of the "Centre for the Study of Religious and Political Pluralism" (?) at the University of Leicester. Leicester has around one third "ethnic minorities", which translates in this context as Muslims. It is also home to Yvonne Ridley, convert to Islam and Respect Party candidate, and a place where Labour shamelessly courts the Muslim vote. Perhaps the booksellers of Leicester are just playing safe.
"Bubble and squeak", as well as being delicious, is Cockney rhyming slang for "speak". It is well known that Britons, even if they live in the Outer Hebrides, speak in Cockney rhyming slang all the time. Perhaps the blurb on the back of the PIG guide should be re-written for the UK market, along the lines of, " 'Ere. Have a butcher's at this. You wouldn't adam and eve the porkies Mo came out with. Best keep it under yer titfer or you'll end up brown bread." The costermongers will bite your hand off and you will no longer be borasic.
Posted by: Interested at October 21, 2005 5:39 AM
I understand that as avian bird flu paranoia spreads from Land's End to John o'Groats people all over are reporting feeling 'peckish. This desire for outrageous amounts of bubble and squeak is only the first symptom of this terrifying disease.
Richard Bonney can be contacted here if need be:
http://www.le.ac.uk/hi/people/bon.html
Posted by: Sebastien at October 21, 2005 6:37 AM
Sebastien:
I gave that link in a comment above, but not so that people could contact Richard Bonney.
I ask you all not to do so. There is no reason to contact him.
If you feel as if you must do so, please remain polite. Perhaps ask only that he read books before trashing them in print. Do not say anything to him that will give him an excuse to dismiss the perspective you are trying to get him to consider.
But it is better not to contact him at all. You aren't going to convince him of anything, and there is no reason to annoy him at this hour of the morning before he tucks into his Welsh Chipple and Bacon Pie.
Cordially
Robert Spencer
at October 21, 2005 6:43 AM
Dear Mr Spencer
I would hope that no one send a rant to Mr. Bonney. Just because someone is wrong, it doesn't make them any less worthy of a respect and one will never regret being too polite.
With respect for Mr Bonney, he seems to be part of a group of academics for whom wars and civilizations are detached concepts which don't directly concern him. Unfortunately our enemies are less familiar with the Queensberry Rules and should he be unlucky to find himself as a victim of Jihad, his denunciation of your books, will probably not be accepted as mitigating circumstances.
One wonders how polite a Jewish condemnation of nazism would need to be for someone like Mr Bonney not to be displeased.
His beef with you is down to one of style rather than content, but just because there is no hardback version, it doesn't make it less correct. The stubborn fact is that Islam is a 1400 year old genocide against infidels, to come to a different conclusion is simply to deny reality.
I would hope that if you would be able to have some written exchange with Mr Bonney on the subject of his remarks, to at least enquire whether he has read any of your books, or others by Bat Ye'or or Ibn Warraq.
Best Regards
Sebastien
Posted by: Sebastien
at October 21, 2005 7:52 AM
"For every radical Islamist "cleric" (the credentials of such individuals to speak for their faith is in any case often open to question)who can be quoted in such books there may be dozens of mainstream Muslims who reject what is claimed on behalf of their faith."
-- Richard Bonney, Jihad: From Qur'an to bin Laden
Credentials? Clerics like Sadr and Khomeini derive their credibility from the enthusiastic support they receive from these "mainstream Muslims" of which Bonney dreams.
Whaddya think Sadr's popularity is among Arab Shi'a right now? 90%? 95%? How popular was Khomeini among the Persian Shi'a? About the same.
And what are these "claims" he's talking about. All the murder & mayhem is right there in the Islamo-scriptures, plain as day. Spencer, Emerson, Pipes, Fitzgerald and others have been demonstrating that day in and day out for years now.
Did this petrodollar author not even read the scriptures?
The putative "silent mainstream Moslem" will be the death of us all.
Posted by: Shaughn at October 21, 2005 9:22 AM
Re: Beagle's comment -
"Robert seems stangely androgynous (or Canadian) to me."
Canadian? We should be so honoured.
Posted by: johnb at October 21, 2005 10:49 AM
Robert,
"Harry Potter and the Purpose-Driven Islam" . . . pure greatness! Laughing so hard I almost had to make a run for the bathroom.
Cheers.
Posted by: Matt at October 21, 2005 11:57 AM
Shaughn:
I think you overestimate Sadr's domestic popularity more than a bit.
Posted by: waterdragon52 at October 21, 2005 12:15 PM
Beagle if you can't find Spencer's books in Orlando,it is probably because Florida is "Palestine" west, the place from whence Al Arian delivered 50,000 votes to Bush in 2000.
On the other hand, I on the west coast buy all of my Spencer books at Borders,in fact Onward Muslim Soldiers was carried on the new book rack when I bought it.
Check out the managers and employees of your local bookshop and determine if you can, how many of them are Muslim.
BTW, the latest contribution to the Jihad is the Electronic Intifida/Jihad, becoming programmers, systems analysts and managers and general run of the mill geeks, not only has status (in the "I'm too good to soil my hands Arab world) but it enables them to push their agenda and take over the internet, Dell and Microsoft are infected with them, and Silicon Valley (I lived there) most definitely.
at October 21, 2005 5:26 PM
Those who run the computer industry, if it does not carefully monitor those it is training, and putting into positions of responsibility, and who could possibly inflict all sorts of damage, need to learn something about Islam, lest their own tolerance and negligence lead to all sorts of things that they will regret.
Posted by: Hugh at October 21, 2005 9:53 PM
My Bonney lies over the ocean,
My Bonney lies over the sea,
Bring back my Bonney to me
at October 22, 2005 12:13 AM
Dear Interested -you obviously have no idea of the ethnic makeup of UK towns. The majority of the Asian inhabitants of Leicester are of Gujerati origen or their descendants and are Hindu.Leicester has the largest Diwali celebrations in the world outside of India. Given events in Gujerat over the last few years you can assume that very few of these people are fans of Muslims. Hirschpud
Posted by: hirschpud at October 22, 2005 4:35 PM
Robert, when I first looked for your book PIGI&C at our public library, every copy in the county was checked out--and I live in a rather liberal community.
Also, although I'm a Yank who speaks Chinese and Thai, I happen to like bangers and chips myself; and I have a son who likes fish and chips. Hence, I lift a glass to our good friends across the waters. \~/. Alas, some of us are "Anglo-Saxon" (in De Gaulle's phrase) only by osmosis.
Posted by: Kepha at October 22, 2005 6:37 PM
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