By constantly projecting Western standards on Islamic jihadis, CIA head John Brennan has come to epitomize the U.S. intelligence community’s intellectual failures concerning the true sources of the jihad.
Last Friday, March 13, Brennan insisted that Islamic State (IS) members are not Islamic. Instead, “They are terrorists, they’re criminals. Most—many—of them are psychopathic thugs, murderers who use a religious concept and masquerade and mask themselves in that religious construct.”
Note his usage of terms familiar to Western people (“terrorists,” “criminals,” etc.). Islamic State jihadis may be all those things—including “psychopathic thugs”—from a Western paradigm, but the fact left out by Brennan is that, according to Islamic law and history, savage and psychopathic behavior is permissible, especially in the context of the jihad.
But perhaps Brennan knows all this and is simply being “strategic”? After all, the CIA head also “warned against ascribing ‘Islamic legitimacy’ to the overseas terrorist group, saying that allowing them to identify themselves with Islam does a disservice to Muslims around the world.”
Brennan of course is following Barack Obama’s lead; a month earlier the president said:
We must never accept the premise that they [Islamic State] put forward, because it is a lie, nor should we grant these terrorists the religious legitimacy that they seek. They are not religious leaders, they are terrorists. And we are not at war with Islam. We are at war with people who have perverted Islam.
The problem is that, according to Western norms—built as they are atop Judeo-Christian principles—Islam has been “perverted” from day one. As far back as the 8th century, mere generations after Islam was born, Byzantine chronicler Theophanes wrote in his Chrongraphia:
He [Islamic prophet Muhammad] taught those who gave ear to him that the one slaying the enemy—or being slain by the enemy—entered into paradise [e.g., Koran 9:111]. And he said paradise was carnal and sensual—orgies of eating, drinking, and women. Also, there was a river of wine … and the woman were of another sort, and the duration of sex greatly prolonged and its pleasure long-enduring [e.g., Koran 56: 7-40, 78:31, 55:70-77]. And all sorts of other nonsense…. Keep reading
John C. Barile says
It’s said that John Brennan himself had converted–reverted?–to Islam while on station in Saudi Arabia.
John C. Barile says
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=2577
John C. Barile says
Islamo-apologist and enabler par excellence. His real allegiance is quite opaque; a covert Saudi recruit, perhaps?
John C. Barile says
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/19/the-islamic-cloud-over-brennan-and-hagel/
mortimer says
‘Covert’? It appears to any one of sense that many of Obama’s appointees have been nominated by Saudi Arabia, since they completely agree on every point of Saudi interests!
America has been selling out to Saudi Arabia for a long time. America needs to use a different portable fuel than oil and send the Saudis back to their tents.
roger says
The worst sell out is the American universities accepting funding ( a very comfortable degree of funding) from the Saudis.
Islamic funding = Islamic narrative.
I’m sure that this would hold true for every institution, along with the Republican party (Grover Norquist ).
RG says
The internet seems to be inconclusive about whether or not John Brennan ever converted to Islam during his world travels, but here’s one statement right from the ‘horse’s mouth’ that can’t be refuted. It says everything that needs to be said about John Brennan and his sympathies toward islam! REST ASSURED THE MAN IS A MUSLIM AT HEART – it makes no difference that he was educated as a Catholic, he can’t speak highly enough about defending muslims, his words betray him! He talks and walks just like them – and when it walks and quacks like a duck, guess what!?!?
>> http://cnsnews.com/news/article/islam-helped-shape-cia-nominee-john-brennan-s-world-view <<
mortimer says
Thanks for the link. The article leads one to conclude he is heavily invested in the Islamic world view and in defending it from discovery. His main job seems to be to deceive Americans so they cannot understand the history and nature of jihad.
Brennan is trying to delude Americans into believing that ‘real’ jihad is a Buddhist-like ‘inner cleansing’ or a shamanistic ‘sweat lodge’ ceremony, rather than a military war of subjugation is it is described in 99% of references to it during the first 500 years of Islam.
roger says
Jihad is an inner struggle, a conflict over what type of explosive to use, whether to kill that daughter that doesn’t wear the hijab, you know, just the usual problems.
Beagle says
I think one perverts to Islam.
PRCS says
“I think one perverts to Islam.”
Grade wise, that one’s a 10.0!
Joe Shmo says
I’m definitely gonna use that.
roger says
Yeah, he just hasn’t learned to tell bare faced lies with a straight face yet, he’s getting there though.
Maybe when he gets the full beard and the massive bruised prayer bump he might feel more comfortable.
Give it time I’m sure that he has a 9 year old cousin or two that he has his eye on.
Daniel Triplett says
Taqiya at work. As head of CIA, this Muslim obviously knows the truth about it; more than the rest of us.
Frightening. That explains why Barack Hussein put him in charge; to control the information. A modern day Goebels, the propoganda chief.
Wellington says
First-rate analysis by Raymond Ibrahim. As for John Brennan, it’s arguable that he by himself constitutues a fifth column. The man is disgusting. That he is presently the head of the CIA is appalling and profoundly disturbing.
mortimer says
DISTURBING is the right word.
Brennan’s comments implicitly blame Western analysts of Islam for CAUSING jihad if they disagree with his ‘perversion-of-Islam’ theory!
It cannot be shown that ISIS is significantly different from the Islam of the first five hundred years of Islam. The weapons used are different.
Brennan’s lies are not even credible lies.
Wellington says
Agreed.
mortimer says
Al Azhar Univeristy has not declared the theology of ISIS to be deviant or ‘innovation’ (bida) or apostate, therefore it must be theologically correct and above reproach, since Caliph al Baghdadi has been scrupulously proof-texted in every order he has given.
Brennan presents himself (on his own authority as a civil servant) to know more about Islam than Al Azhar’s fatwa department.
Wellington says
You’re correct, mortimer, that “Brennan presents himself…..to know more about Islam than Al Azhar’s fatwa department.” But, of course, so does Obama, Kerry, Biden, the Clintons, Cameron, May——ah, the list is a very long one, a very long one indeed, of Westerners who (hey, who could doubt it but an Islamophobe?) know more about Islam than do Muslims aplenty themselves?
Ah yes, the Age of Nonsense marches on, courtesy of many idiocies, not the least being those of political correctness and multiculturalism (pc/mc). And yet another of these idiocies is overall self-induced ignorance and laziness, courtesy of bored and pampered people in the West who can’t be bothered by the longest-lived totalitarian ideology waiting at the door to tear down the entire house if allowed entrance. Sadly, the door is right now at least ajar. Perhaps, even more sadly, a bit more than this. Fluid and dangerous times no doubt.
Demsci says
Hi, Wellington, echoing your sentiments here.
But, Wellington, what if, in a few years time, for only a PART of the Westerners, the threat and advent of both Islam and PC/MC (Policors) will be seen as an inspiration to finally get idealistic about SOMETHING? I mean, no more defense only, being sad only, but being INSPIRED, not by the message of Islam, but by the Positive Alternative to it?
And Wellington, if we lament those Policors, those sleeping, idiotic, ignorant majority, why do we still want to save them from the Muslims? The Policors and the Muslims DESERVE each other!
Let us in future NOT try to diminish the bad, BUT try to expand the good.
For instance, you of all people KNOWS what OUR MIG-texts are, OUR Most Important Guidelines. Why not concentrate on the people who consciously choose for them?
True, that means initially potentially giving up a lot! Of unwilling people, of territory. and we will be a minority. But among friends, with friends, with unheard of technology, we will survive and thrive.
It is almost like Noah’s flood isn’t it? Only a few could then be saved, not all. And now?
Joe Shmo says
“I mean, no more defense only, being sad only, but being INSPIRED, not by the message of Islam, but by the Positive Alternative to it?”
I agree, to me it’s like positive campaigning in an election. Help people realise what they’re fighting for. I think it can be a great way to motivate. For example, look back at the people who have walked this path before (writers, fighters, philosophers etc.), who fought tyranny and promoted freedom in their own times and still do today.
Wellington says
Echoing Benjamin Franklin, Demsci, we either all hang together or we’ll hang separately. It is therefore incumbent upon those who know what Islam is about and how corrosive and stupid pc/mc is to never give up opposing those who refuse to see these things. Yes, be positive and go on the offensive and not always play defense, but a society and a nation must move as one or the splintering will be devastating and dangerous for all.
shrugger says
Why does everyone associated with this Regime look like they drive around handing out candy from rape vans?
PRCS says
Criminals IS the appropriate label for those who conduct jihad on American soil (and I don’t mean that ‘inner spiritual struggle’ nonsense).
Though the ‘underware bomber’, the ‘shoe bomber’, the ‘blind sheik’, and Malik Nidal Hasan, to name but a few, all believed they were carrying out God’s commands to conduct violent jihad, they are incarcerated in accordance with OUR laws for the crimes they committed on OUR soil.
We din’t charge them with ‘conducting jihad’. After arrest, they were charged, tried, and sentenced in accordance with secular, man made laws; not the shari’ah.
Our so-called ‘journalists’ should inform their audiences that violent jihad is a core tenet of written, Orthodox Islam–not a perversion of it–which (a) has no place here and (b) will be punished in accordance with OUR laws.
Joe Shmo says
I’m fascinated by body language, so I often try to reconcile what someone says with their behaviour. I think it’s possible to have a fairly good insight into a person’s state of mind when they’re saying something. Obviously, you can never be completely sure but I find it works most of the time. People can be read once you know the signs.
I was watching Obama in that second link 30 seconds in:
“…they try to portray themselves as religious leaders, holy warriors in defence of Islam. That’s why ISIL [sick] presumes to declare itself the “Islamic State”. And they propogate the notion that the United States is at war with Islam. That’s how they recruit, that’s how they try to radicalise young people.”
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-dont-grant-terrorists-legitimacy-by-labeling-them-islamic/
Obviously bollocks, but there’s a big pause after he says that, he blinks over half a dozen times very quickly and sticks his tongue out. That means he finds that comment extremely distasteful for some reason. (Sticking one’s tongue out is a pretty iron-clad indicator of that and blinking a lot too) I think it’s because he knows it’s a huge lie. It’s not the concept of what he’s saying that makes him uncomfortable. His whole demeanour (as always) is very detached. He doesn’t seem otherwise bothered by what he’s saying. Contrast with Clinton during the Lewinsky scandal or Nixon. They were clearly affected by the content of their lies or what they were discussing.
I always thought Obama seemed robotic, even when I thought he was a good guy. He seems under enormous stress somehow, but not bothered in the moment. I believe it’s because of his constant masquerade; it just takes it’s toll. It’s not necessarily the stresses of his job, but his role-playing. He knows what he says is a lie.
Just my two cents.
Lloyd Miller says
Everywhere, Brennan is identified as a Muslim who converted while on duty in Saudi Arabia! Brennan should simply be removed from office as a precaution!
Jules says
What’s paradise for women? Serving the food and wine and bending over? Or are they segregated somewhere else? It maybe they just all go to hell.