S. 4, a bill to implement provisions of the 9/11 Commission, is currently on the Senate floor. It includes under “Miscellaneous Provisions” Section 1302, a “Sense of the Senate Regarding Combating Domestic Radicalization.” Predictably, it is based on the usual premise (Subsection (a)(1)) that extremists are “exploiting” Islam to achieve “ideological ends” — but what those ideological ends might be, and how exactly Islam is being exploited, is not explained.
Also predictable are the dhimmi measures suggested to take care of the problem, including:
“Consulting with experts to ensure that the lexicon used within public statements is precise and appropriate and does not aid extremists by offending the American Muslim community”
This is D’Souzaite thinking: if we speak honestly about the Islamic jihad being waged against us, it will drive Muslims who abhor the jihad to join it. That’s like saying that a Christian who despises Fred Phelps (the “God hates fags” guy) will join his group if he or Christianity is criticized.
It is unsurprising, but disheartening, to see this kind of shoddy reasoning coming not from a “conservative” pundit, but from the Senate.
“Pursuing broader avenues of dialogue with the Muslim community to foster mutual respect, understanding, and trust”
Not “Calling upon the Muslim community to expel jihadists and demonstrate its commitment to living in America as equals with non-Muslims on an indefinite basis, without working for the imposition of Sharia law.”
“Working directly with State, local, and community leaders to…facilitate the sharing of best practices from other countries and communities to encourage outreach to the American Muslim community and develop partnerships between all faiths, including Islam”
Here again, the assumption that that community is being victimized, and that the outreach need only be in one direction, is deeply embedded.
Clearly, we should not expect a whole lot of clear thinking on the jihad worldwide or in America from the new management in Congress. But of course, we knew that already.
Here is the text:
SEC. 1302. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING COMBATING DOMESTIC RADICALIZATION.
(a) Findings- The Senate finds the following:
(1) The United States is engaged in a struggle against a transnational terrorist movement of radical extremists seeking to exploit the religion of Islam through violent means to achieve ideological ends.
(2) The radical jihadist movement transcends borders and has been identified as a potential threat within the United States.
(3) Radicalization has been identified as a precursor to terrorism.
(4) Countering the threat of violent extremists domestically, as well as internationally, is a critical element of the plan of the United States for success in the war on terror.
(5) United States law enforcement agencies have identified radicalization as an emerging threat and have in recent years identified cases of `homegrown’ extremists operating inside the United States with the intent to provide support for, or directly commit, a terrorist attack.
(6) The alienation of Muslim populations in the Western world has been identified as a factor in the spread of radicalization.
(7) Radicalization cannot be prevented solely through law enforcement and intelligence measures.
(b) Sense of Senate- It is the sense of the Senate that the Secretary, in consultation with other relevant Federal agencies, should make a priority of countering domestic radicalization and extremism by–
(1) using intelligence analysts and other experts to better understand the process of radicalization from sympathizer to activist to terrorist;
(2) recruiting employees with diverse worldviews, skills, languages, and cultural backgrounds and expertise;
(3) consulting with experts to ensure that the lexicon used within public statements is precise and appropriate and does not aid extremists by offending the American Muslim community;
(4) developing and implementing, in concert with the Attorney General and State and local corrections officials, a program to address prisoner radicalization and post-sentence reintegration;
(5) pursuing broader avenues of dialogue with the Muslim community to foster mutual respect, understanding, and trust; and
(6) working directly with State, local, and community leaders to–
(A) educate these leaders on the threat of radicalization and the necessity of taking preventative action at the local level; and
(B) facilitate the sharing of best practices from other countries and communities to encourage outreach to the American Muslim community and develop partnerships between all faiths, including Islam.