Shirley Sotloff is a grieving mother, and so whatever she says can be excused under that rubric. Nonetheless, her video is fascinating in numerous ways. She tells the caliph that her son was over there to chronicle the suffering of Muslims — i.e., look, Abu Bakr, this guy could be useful to you alive. She assumes throughout that the U.S. has indeed done wrong to the Islamic State, but argues that her son should not be punished for it.
But worst of all, she shows off her Karen Armstrong/John Esposito understanding of Islam to lecture the caliph (gently, to be sure, but unmistakably) about how un-Islamically he is behaving — for surely the Emir al-Momineen’s heart will be melted by an appeal to Islam from a Western non-Muslim woman, won’t it? She tells him: “Since Steven’s capture, I have learned a lot about Islam. I’ve learned that Islam teaches that no individual should be held responsible for the sins of others.”
Has the caliph somehow overlooked this Islamic tenet? Or have Armstrong, Esposito, Aslan and the rest of the whitewash crew neglected to tell Mrs. Sotloff that Islamic law allows for the taking of captives (cf. Qur’an 47:4), including non-combatants such as women who are then pressed into sex slavery (cf. Qur’an 4:3, 4:24, 23:1-6, 33:50), and thus the kidnapping of a male journalist is certainly within the parameters of Islamic law?
Mrs. Sotloff continues: “As a mother, I ask your justice to be merciful and not punish my son for matters he has no control over. I ask you to use your authority to spare his life, and to follow the example set by the Prophet Mohammad, who protected People of the Book.” Mrs. Sotloff may here be referring to the spurious but increasingly popular Achtiname, Muhammad’s pact with the monks of St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai, in which Muhammad grants all sorts of rights and privileges to Christians that do not accord with the provisions of Islamic law, which mandates that Christians and other non-Muslims be subjugated, in accord with the Qur’an: “Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.” — Qur’an 9:29. This subjugation is not a guarantee that one’s life will be spared, however; if one is considered to be a kaffir harbi, one’s life is forfeit.
The people who have misled Mrs. Sotloff about Islam have done her a grave disservice, and given her false hope.
“Video: Sotloff’s mother appeals to ISIS leader,” Al Arabiya, August 27, 2014:
The mother of Steven J. Sotloff, an American hostage being held by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has released a video on Wednesday appealing for her son’s release.
Shirley Sotloff called on ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-declared Muslim Caliph, to “grant amnesty” to her 31-year-old son and freelance journalist.
“I am sending this message to you, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi al-Quraishi al-Hussaini, the caliph of the Islamic State. I am Shirley Sotloff. My son Steven is in your hands,” she begins.
“You, the caliph, can grant amnesty. I ask you please to release my child,” she continues. “I ask you to use your authority to spare his life.”
Baghdadi – whose real name is Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai – was previously held at Camp Bucca, a U.S. detention facility in Iraq.
Upon his release in 2009, Baghdadi reportedly told his captors: “I’ll see you guys in New York.”
Baghdadi’s militant group, which beheaded this month American journalist James Foley, vowed to also execute Sotloff unless U.S. President Barack Obama suspends an ongoing U.S. military campaign against the militant group.
The United States is currently operating surveillance flights on Syria in what is seen as preparations to targeting ISIS facilities in the war-torn country.
Sotloff’s mother tells Baghdadi in her appeal video that her son “has no control over the actions of the U.S. government. He is an innocent journalist.”
“Since Steven’s capture, I have learned a lot about Islam. I’ve learned that Islam teaches that no individual should be held responsible for the sins of others,” she said.
“As a mother, I ask your justice to be merciful and not punish my son for matters he has no control over. I ask you to use your authority to spare his life, and to follow the example set by the Prophet Mohammad, who protected People of the Book,” she continued.
“I want what every mother wants–to live to see her children’s children. I plead with you to grant me this.”
Diane Harvey says
His answer to her, “Not what I might want, but what Allah wills. Allah’s instructions and those alone will be done.”
Always On Watch says
Diane,
No doubt!
lou says
Women like this should be in burkas, and told to shut up.
Always On Watch says
Since when does the Quran allow for keeping prisoners of war while the war is being waged?
There is no mercy during the waging of jihad!
No weakness of any kind is allowed.
By addressing al-Baghdadi as Caliph, she has emboldened him.
Her pleas for mercy will fall on even deafer ears now.
In my view, she has signed her son’s death warrant. Sheesh. Fatal gnorance!
Jay Boo says
I heard this repeatedly and undiluted on NPR
It would seem likely that the go between Islamo-negotiators are spoon feeding back the (sins of America ) narrative in order to have the useful idiot news-media replay it.
What is needed is ultimatums
Either they release the hostages in 48 hours or we ship barges full of barrel bombs to Assad and trust Assad will act humanely.
That is the language they understand.
pdxnag says
Ship shiploads of Muslims out of America. 50,000 for every hostage killed. They are not citizens and never will be, unless they become apostates from Islam. The Islamic army has already landed. Expel it.
voegelinian says
Sounds like a plan. Unfortunately, neither America nor the West — nor the Counter-Jihad — is ready to even entertain it.
Davegreybeard says
Not yet Hesp, not yet.
Jay Boo says
Michael
You have a lot of stuff jumbled up in there that when taken as a whole becomes some sort of incongruent swashbuckling proselytizing.
john spielman says
she should at least had the the foresight to cover her head with a black garbage bag before addressing the nest caliph, his Satanic highness Al the (BODY) BAGdhdadi
Beagle says
Exactly.
john spielman says
that shoud read “new” caliph
Beagle says
If all she cares about is getting her son back, only raising the money and paying the ransom has a better than 50% shot of working.
If she would like to do something constructive, beg President Obama to nuke the IS, or at least start heavy bombing. That might actually get their attention. Probably won’t save your son, nothing but millions of dollars will, but it would garner you some respect. Now you’re just another groveling kuffar. Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi is still going to select from his menu of options found in 47.4:
Quote:
“Now when ye meet in battle those who disbelieve, then it is smiting of the necks until, when ye have routed them, then making fast of bonds; and afterward either grace or ransom till the war lay down its burdens. That (is the ordinance). And if Allah willed He could have punished them (without you) but (thus it is ordained) that He may try some of you by means of others. And those who are slain in the way of Allah, He rendereth not their actions vain.”
— — —
I don’t know, maybe she lucks out and gets “grace”. But having watched the IS kill supposedly insincere converts to Islam, I would not bet on it.
Jay Boo says
Muslim terrorists are self-serving.
They wish to milk the obliging media for as far as they can go with it.
Beagle says
If the US was obviously gaining allies and preparing a very robust military response, her chances would be a lot better. Sadly, for her and her son, Caliph Ibrahamsandwich has no reason to let her son go. He can probably do more for Islam by continuing to humiliate us and rely on our useful idiots to carry his message forward.
I can hear their pearl-clutching self-empowering feckless idiocy now: “If only we hadn’t blown up that Toyota Hilux with the recoilless rifle near the Mosul Dam this never would have happened.” Of course not in those words. They’d talk about our horrible slaughter of innocents or something.
Jay Boo says
Now if only the news media will stop snacking on Islam’s diversion and tell the whole world the ULGY truth that this kidnapping is just another raw example of the despicable filth inherent in Prophet Mohammad’s Islam.
Myxlplik says
Hey Jay, I was wondering, after you give out you email, if I could date your daughter and have your bank account information? lol
Myxlplik says
Because I’m a Nigerian Prince who needs some help liquidating 20 billion dollars.
Jay Boo says
Thanks Myxlplik
Myxlplik says
There is a high degree of probability that the Caliph will be highly insulted by this “painted whores” gumption, in regards to her condescending explanation of Islam and Mohammed. He will see it as arrogant, stupid, and not be impressed with her “learning” of Islam.
She would have been better off appealing to his sense of what could be gained by Muslims if he released her son, and just kept it to simple begging, beyond that.
voegelinian says
There are only three pragmatic responses to this Caliph, two from the mother, the third from America:
1. Pay the ransom.
2. Convert to Islam.
3. Carpet-bomb half of Iraq.
Charli Main says
Option C sounds like a plan but to avoid offending all the Muslim apologists they are going to have to be SMART bombs.
You know the ones, smart enough not to kill all those innocent Muslim women who might want to leave Islam and exchange bin bags for mini skirts.
voegelinian says
Yes; not merely smart bombs, but mind-reader bombs, capable of knowing what’s in a Muslim’s mind sans the taqiyya. Perhaps some of our asymptotes in the CJ can volunteer their amazing abilities in this regard for assistance in the programming.
Joseph says
Beautiful. I’ll take option #3.
Like that scene from Patriot Games where they tell the rogue IRA gunner to “hold his temper”. With a shotgun, he blows away three assassins who have come to kill him at his home. As he steps over the bodies of the dead assassins on his way out, he says: “That’s me holding my temper, Paddy”.
Carpet bomb ISIS into oblivion. That’s the U.S. “converting to Islam”.
Islam_Macht_Frei says
Unfortunately she will probably learn, as the parents of James Foley learned, that these guys are “far more brutal than they realized.”
jon hanks says
What a burden she must be bearing. How many mothers, not only in the western world, but anywhere, as they rocked the cradle, could have imagined the insanity in which they now find themselves, at the hand of pure and undefiled Islamic medievalism. Lord, have mercy.
Alice says
And the person to whom she is appealing is laughing his head off as she submits herself willingly and begs.
Myxlplik says
Only a liberal would be arrogant enough to send a message to the Caliph lecturing him on Islam, but like Robert said at the end of the post, “The people misleading Mrs Sotloff about Islam have done her a great disservice.”
Who knows though the Caliph might have a Saladin moment, but probably not after being insulted.
John C. Barile says
Al-Baghdadi has six years of captivity to even the score for. He will ignore Mrs. Sotloff–whom he hates–because she is of us, the kuffar.
Joseph says
“The people who have misled Mrs. Sotloff about Islam have done her a grave disservice, and given her false hope”.
She’s a grown ass woman. She has a responsibility to seek the truth for herself. Let her come here to JihadWatch or the numerous other reputable websites today that teach what Islam is truly about.
She “misled” herself by listening to fools and liars. Yes, the useful idiots bear responsibility as well, of course. And they can all go to hell. But the primary responsibility for her ignorance rests squarely on her own shoulders. If I read Esposito or Armstrong or some other Islam apologist, I see that what they say does not square with reality. And then I say to myself: “This is nonsense. I’ve got to find someone whose words about Islam correspond to the reality that I can read in Islam’s texts and see with my own eyes on the internet, videos and the like.”
And that’s how people of good will eventually do find the truth. They put what they read up to the mirror of reality. If it’s a match, then it’s true; if not, then they move on to another source.
We need to stop passing the buck. I’m a grown ass man. I am responsible for what I know and for what I don’t know. If I listen to fools and liars, I am responsible for that decision. And I am then responsible if/when what I say is full of ignorance, false assumptions, misinformation, and just plain stupidity. As in the case of this woman here.
Rob says
Joseph,
Very well said….except for the a** parts.
Joseph says
Yeah, agreed. The a** parts were low class; you’re right. Thanks for the feedback.
Jay Boo says
“for surely the Emir al-Momineen’s heart will be melted by an appeal to Islam from a Western non-Muslim woman, won’t it”
—————–
All the Islam butt-kiss Huff Post readers will look at that line and think it was meant literally.
Don McKellar says
Saddly, the only “positive” outcome that could occur from this is that al-Baghdadi’s thugs might correct her with another beheading video, citing verse for verse what Spencer has just pointed out. Although that’s not exactly positive, it’s horrible. But maybe a little bell will tinkle inside the empty skulls of at least a handful of those idiots who buy into that politically correct swill inspite of the Mount Everest of evidence and examples to the contrary on the news every day.
Mirren10 says
”If the capture and more than likely consequent beheading of her son do not open her eyes to the reality of Islam, I don’t know what will ?”
You are assuming she doesn’t know the realities of islam.
I don’t know whether she does, or not, but I for one don’t blame her for what she is saying. She is trying to save her son’s life, and if I was in her position, I would say *anything* to prevent the murder of my child.
wes says
Good Heavens! The last thing you want to do is appeal to them to follow the prophet Mohammad! That’s what started this whole mess!
Julian says
“I ask you to use your authority to spare his life, and to follow the example set by the Prophet Mohammad, who protected People of the Book”.
Honestly, when you say things like that, the events that happen, in a sick twisted kind of way are almost deserved. If you are not willing to stick and defend the truth at every avenue at every instance, it will be like removing 80% of a cancer tumour – it will grow back, mutate and multiply. Islam does not deal with “pretty pleases”, especially not ones from the “lower than cattle” infidels.
voegelinian says
Sadly, I agree. And I may be so bold as to add that through this video appeal no doubt become internationally viral by now, she is (tending to do her part (obviously unwittingly and witlessly) in effectively) endangering the lives of untold numbers of men, women and children in the West.
nacazo says
any idiot going to the middle east without realizing how much they can make their family suffer…. well they are already idiots…. egocentric idiots.
Thomas Black says
“I’ve learned that Islam teaches that no individual should be held responsible for the sins of others.” Statements like this are common. Western leaders regularly say Islam is a religion of peace and that atrocities (beheadings, extermination efforts against the Yazidis, mass kidnappings, etc.) have nothing to do with Islam.
Ultimately, Islam is what the people who identify as its followers say it is. Muslims are not likely to be favorably impressed with the spectacle of non-Muslims lecturing them about Islam. And if non-Muslims want to understand the reality of Islam, they should look at how Muslims act and what they believe, instead of trying to interpret the Koran.
voegelinian says
What Shirley Sotloff is essentially doing is appealing to the taqiyya dawa which Muslims routinely profess about how sagely “tolerant” and “merciful” Islam is supposed to be. While I doubt she is doing this in a canny and cunning way (most likely she’s PCMC-blinkered enough to actually believe it), it is an interesting experiment, daring a Muslim to demonstrate concretely the “tolerance” and “mercy” his co-religionists glibly testify characterizes the True Islam — but it’s hardly an experiment worth gambling your own child’s life on. And anyway, such an experiment in this context would also proceed without factoring in the crucial Mohammedan tactic of the Good Cop/Bad Cop — where the Bad Cop (and if any Muslim is a Bad Cop, it would be this upstart Caliph who has led massacres and beheadings) functions precisely by blithely ignoring the need to behave “peacefully” and “tolerantly”, his nakedly candid belligerence serving the crucial role of reminding the anxiously PC MC Westerner of the contrast between his ilk — the Tiny Minority of Extremists Who Have Nothing To Do With Islam — and the vast majority of relatively nice and peaceable Muslims who must abound throughout the world.
[FA] says
I always hear people challenge folks like Spencer with “what degree do you have in Islamic studies”. Well here is your answer you uneducated twits including this mother who is lecturing Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on “true Islam”. He has a phd in Islamic studies he obviously knows his own religion. Your grievance is still no excuse for ignorance. In fact it is because of this widespread ignorance of Islam we are dealing with all this grief!
voegelinian says
You forgot the Rule of PC MC: Authentic academic credentials in Islamic studies only have merit when the academic in question is whitewashing Islam — never when the academic is either critiquing Islam (as Spencer is doing) nor when the academic is actually a Muslim acting out literally bloody “extremism”.
It’s a Rule similar to the one that dictates that one can never “generalize” about Muslims when that generalization reflects something negative; while on the other hand one is encouraged to liberally (in both senses of the word!) generalize all day long to one’s heart content when one’s generalizations promote how wonderful Muslims and their Islam are.
PC MC is such a fascinating neurosis! I only regret I probably won’t live long enough to see it included in the DSM (“The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders”) — only because it’s highly unlikely my West will wake up and shake itself from its PC MC stupor before this 21st century begins to approach its fin du siècle).
voegelinian says
…nor when the academic is actually a Muslim acting out literally bloody “extremism”.
Nor when the academic is religiously promoting bloody “extremism”.
Dave J says
It would not surprise me if they made a big PR show of releasing him with one hand, while kidnapping and murdering many more with the other.
After all, they are crafty little Fascists.
mary_gonzales says
After decades, for the first time an US native citizen start begging….begging to their ex prisoner…but when i see the western government and the dumbass leftist act about the reality, i think more beg will appear soon..
Kepha says
My heart goes out to Shirley Sotloff. Unfortunately, she’s steering by the best lights our general American miseducation (via schools and media) have given her. I pray her appeal will succeed, by I fear we’ll see another beheading.
As for Al-Sammarai, may his “See you in New York” end up with him entering the USA in an orange jumpsuit escorted into the country by burly FBI agents taking him to face the meanest hanging judge the USA has.
wiederganger says
This is my first post here although I have been frequenting JW for a while now.. I am just as disgusted with Islam as any of you but as I was reading the comments on this particular post I could not help but disagree. This woman is trying to save her child by whatever means necessary, yes its unlikely it will work but what other option does she have? Islam needs to be wiped off the face of the earth and she is not helping that cause by begging and subjugating herself before this monster but in all honesty, if it was my child I would do the same thing. Damn my pride, personal honor, self esteem and sense of duty to western civilisation, I am a parent first and foremost and will stop at nothing if it has even the slightest hope of not having my childs head savagely sawed off by these animals. I think any parent should understand this. And to those who say he is a grown man and got what he had coming to him because, being kaffir, he should know better than to be in that region of the world to begin with.. Would you stop loving your child, regardless of their age, when they make a mistake, and leave them in the hands of these creatures if there was even the slightest shot of hope to get them out alive?
Walter Sieruk says
If she thinks that she can reason with the jihadists she has her hopes placed in something that will only have results of futility. For those who engage in the jihad for the cause of Islam will not respond to reason. I don’t blame her for trying, because ,no doubt she loves her son. Nevertheless, those of the jihad terror mindset don’t understand reason. They only understand the force of violence. This is because those of the jihad have all their faith place in the false and violence religion of Islam which has no logic or logic of reason to uphold it. Only blind faith in Islam they have.With no reason at all. As Benjamin Franklin printed in POOR RICHARD’S ALMAMACK “The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.”