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Ilana Mercer writes forcefully about the successes and failures of the film Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West. I tend to share her views. I think Obsession is a terrific film, and have twice spoken after screenings of it, along with the courageous Nonie Darwish, here in Los Angeles. It is a superb introduction to the challenge we are facing from the jihadists.
At the same time, I agree with Mercer that it doesn't go far enough in identifying the source of that challenge -- which I think must be done if anything is ultimately going to be done to meet the challenge effectively. So along with, but not instead of, Obsession, I recommend the less flashy but more informative Islam: What the West Needs to Know.
Now, I am in Islam: What the West Needs to Know, but not in Obsession, as Mercer points out, but that is not why I am recommeding the other film along with Obsession: while I appreciate Mercer's kind words, certainly the Obsession producers could have told the full truth about the jihad ideology without featuring my mug in their movie. If they had told those truths, however, they almost certainly would not have gotten their film onto Fox News. So it's a trade-off. A lot of people are waking up to what we're up against because of Obsession, and so my hat is off to Wayne Kopping and Rafael Shore.
From Ilana Mercer's excellent column:
...Viewers of "Obsession" are treated to terrifying, flesh-creeping scenes common in the Arab media: death-adulating, Quran-quoting kids and clerics in madrasas and mosques across the Muslim world, all calling for the killing of Jews and gentiles and for the subjugation of the West to Islam. Nevertheless, these spectacles are then punctuated by pieties about Islam being a peaceful religion, hijacked by extremists – a hell of a lot of them.To be fair, "Obsession" does dispel the fiction that jihad is an inner struggle, but then even an A-list Islam apologist like professor John Esposito has admitted as much: "Jihad means to fight to spread Islam, not just to defend it, and to wage war against [Jews and Christians] who refuse Muslim rule," Esposito has conceded.
"Radical Islam": now there's another redundancy that ought not to have marred the message of this important documentary. If one cares to delve into the Quran, the hadith, and the Sira, or read the scholars who've done so for us, then it becomes abundantly clear: Islam is radical.
[...]
"Obsession" features the brilliant Daniel Pipes and the heroics Brigitte Gabriel and Walid Shoebat. However, conspicuously absent from the impressive lineup is the indefatigable Robert Spencer, whose detailed exegeses have exploded the myth of a peaceful Islam.
On the other hand, since the directors of "Obsession" appear intent on upholding this Scheherazade-worthy charade, it is perfectly understandable why they would exclude the author of "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades)," and "The Truth about Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion."
Thank you, Ilana.
Read it all. And watch both films.
Posted by Robert at November 25, 2006 7:46 AM
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I have seen both films, and agree with Robert and Ilana's comments.
Bush's comments on Islam as the religion of peace are like a false theory in science. At first it may mislead, but later it illuminates the truth. Refuting a fallacy itself teaches, and sometimes more memorably, than just to recite the truth.
At one time, it was thought that rodents might spontaneously generate from rags. Now we know there has to be a cause.
Posted by: Old Atlantic![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at November 25, 2006 8:35 AM
I am not suprised that Robert was kept out of "Obssession" is that Foxnews's stock, some of it, if my memory is correct, is owned by a Saudi Prince. In other words, that stock owner would have "veto" power. If Robert was to have even just have not in video shown up, and just have some comments, forget about even doing a special on "Obssession".
Posted by: bigcatgirl13106 at November 25, 2006 8:40 AM
I agree, I call obssesion "Islamopologetics",I cant even recomend it, I:WTWNTK, I have purchased 3 copies so far.Its the most importent film ever.
Posted by: KAOSKTRL at November 25, 2006 10:32 AM
i've been telling everybody that all along.
when i show the movies to others, i always make sure they watch "Islam" before "Obsession."
but i cant figure out why robert or nobody else makes a hybrid. the videos are mostly from Memri so copyrighting shouldn't be an issue.
Posted by: freedomfight11 at November 25, 2006 10:37 AM
Given that there is nothing in the news in the U.K
about mass deportations of muslims from America i have to conclude that only a few Americans have seen Obsession and they do not have guns either.
at November 25, 2006 11:32 AM
Obsession was made without any involvement from Fox. The fact that they got Fox to show some of it is a credit to the people who made it.
Posted by: Brian of London at November 25, 2006 12:09 PM
We really need a series of films, entitled
Betrayal I
Betrayal II
...
These would be about our leaders, elites, professors (with a few exceptions), universities, lobbyists, large law firms, public interest law firms (with a few exceptions), charities, etc.
Perhaps each of these categories could be a separate Betrayal miniseries. Betrayal of the profs I, etc.
Posted by: Old Atlantic at November 25, 2006 12:22 PM
I just saw Obsession for the first time last night on Fox - and I thought it was pretty hard-hitting! Remember, most of our acquaintii would probably find Obsession WAY over the top, and others would think we were just a bunch of hatemongers & narrow-minded types, etc. And that from a film that allows that there are, indeed, "moderate" muslims! But, as we know, most have already gone the way of the dodo bird of late, unlamented fame...
I think people need to be educated about this entire radical islam (yes, I know, a redundancy, according to some) situation - i.e., the global view, etc. Then, when that has either barely sunk in and/or been rejected, the next film is the one featuring our Fearless Leader RS, wherein we redefine/clarify the words "muslim" & "Islam" so as to make it synonomous with jihad, radical & terror.
Personally, I hate to lump everyone in together; and, as I posted a few days ago, I view my educated & warm-hearted friends (south Slavs, actually) from Bosnia (the ones whose ancestors were converted by the sword of the Turkish invaders 500 years ago) with the utmost trust and friendship. And if they EVER turned out to be terrorists in nice clothing, I would be EXTREMELY shocked! They exhibit not one shred of sharia lifestyle; on the contrary, their homes & personal lives are much more akin to those of the Croats I've known in Zagreb and the Serbs I've know in Belgrade - i.e., well-educated & cosmopolitan with nary a twinge of anti-Western feelings (except, of course, for the friends in Belgrade who took a long time getting over the US & NATO bombing of their city when Clinton went to war against Milosevic - but that's another story!).
I think if there could be more widespread viewing of Obsession, that would be a very contructive first step. Hard as it is for many who post & blog on this site, not everyone is so "obsessed" with hatred for ALL 1.2 (or is it 1.5?) billion muslims! But we can certainly focus our emnity on those we know (by word & deed) to be 100% dedicated to our destruction.
By the by, my Bosnian friends believe in one wife per husband, and I cannot imagine these South Slavs dreaming of 72 virgins in heaven (maybe a little nooky on the side down here on Planet Earth, but "Heaven" is not necessarily or literally "paradise" for them...). One day I'll find the opportunity to quiz them on other aspects of their faith, but, thanks to the athiest influence of 40+ years of Tito, none of them are particularly observant or Allah/God-fearing in the first place.
Posted by: Joy at November 26, 2006 3:01 AM
the best thing i heard was that im a cow. i love cows. beatiful animals, humans on the other hand. not to sure. does that guy with the hook on his hand have a dome full of pig shit or is it just me. retarded muslim clerics. hey shit head can you recite your islamic abc's? or are you too distracted by the one year old girl? this almost seems to funny to think muslims are for real. what the hell does that grandma get in heaven? 72 virgins? oh i get it. muslimahs become lesbians after they die. sorry.
Posted by: ffoegthehun at November 26, 2006 4:28 AM
i agree totaly spencer.
what the world needs to know was a far better doco.
thanks for appearing in it...
God bless
Posted by: W_D_J_D at November 26, 2006 5:34 AM
This is a really a though provoking and a well-made movie.
The jihadi campaign in the middle-east has been forcefully exposed.
However, not much has been shown on the atrocities by punjabi islamists against the people of the indian subcontinent.
Punjabi-islamists and sikh extremists have been waging a savage war against more than 1.5 billion people in the Indian sub-continent.
They form a powerful axis of evil with arabs.
Israel-US-India and the oppressed ethnic minorities in Pakistan and Iran should wage a struggle against these evil jihadists and free themselves.
Posted by: mystichealer at November 26, 2006 5:58 AM
Although I agree with Mr. Spencer that OBSESSION has an unfortunate tendency to dilute its message about the global jihad by backing away from its subject matter of jihad warfare agianst the infidel population of the world(prosaically telling us that most Muslims do not support terror, for example) the film actually succeeds in spite of itself because it is so unbelievably frightening.
It is now clear even to lay people that much of the terror brewing around the planet is simply the result of Islamic ideology being put into action--and it is not merely the result of a handful of evil Muslim people using Islam as a facade for warring against non-Muslims across the globe. One reason the film's producers shy away from exposition about jihad ideology may be that they (rightly) fear that they will be negatively pigeon-holed (as 'hate-mongers' or something to that effect) by some odiously politically-minded individuals, thereby weakening the credibility of their attempt to wake up the world to the very real dangers posed by Islam's onslaught of global jihad warfare.
However, what the film's producers have backed away from in words they have,knowingly or not, made up for through deeply disturbing (and real) film imagery. It is perfectly obvious while viewing this film that the horrible events we are witnessing going on around the world are not merely acts of vicious, barbaric individuals. There is an equally vicious, barbaric agenda behind these events--and a sinister agenda at that. It is an agenda called Islam.
OBSESSION, whether it has meant to do so or not, has made it 100% OBVIOUS that Islam is inherently and ireedeemably malignant and is a threat to the entire world. And it is a threat that the western democracies will be forced to confront head on and defeat.
Posted by: pythagoras at November 27, 2006 1:47 PM
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