• Why Jihad Watch?
  • About Robert Spencer and Staff Writers
  • FAQ
  • Books
  • Muhammad
  • Islam 101
  • Privacy

Jihad Watch

Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

Raymond Ibrahim: When Muslims Betray Non-Muslim Friends and Neighbors

Jul 9, 2015 5:09 am By Raymond Ibrahim

Let believers not take for friends and allies infidels rather than believers: and whoever does this shall have no relationship left with Allah—unless you but guard yourselves against them, taking precautions – Koran 3:28

Days ago, after the Islamic State [IS] entered the Syrian city of Hassakè, prompting a mass exodus of Christians, a familiar, though often overlooked scene, took place: many otherwise “normal” Muslims joined ranks with IS, instantly turning on their longtime Christian neighbors.

This is the third category of Muslims that lurks between “moderates” and “radicals”: “sleepers,” Muslims who appear “moderate” but who are merely  waiting for circumstances to turn to Islam’s advantage before they join the jihad; Muslims who are waiting for the rewards of jihad to become greater than the risks.

There is no lack of examples of these types of Muslims.  The following are testimonials from non-Muslims, mostly Christian refuges from those regions of Iraq and Syria now under Islamic State (or other jihadi) control.  Consider what they say about their longtime Sunni neighbors who appeared “moderate”—or at least nonviolent—but who, once the jihad came to town, exposed their true colors:

Georgios, a man from the ancient Christian town of Ma‘loula—one of the few areas in the world where the language of Christ was still spoken—told of how Muslim neighbors he knew all his life turned on the Christians after al-Nusra, another jihadi outfit, invaded in 2013:

We knew our Muslim neighbours all our lives. Yes, we knew the Diab family were quite radical, but we thought they would never betray us. We ate with them. We are one people.

A few of the Diab family had left months ago and we guessed they were with the Nusra [al-Qaeda front]. But their wives and children were still here. We looked after them. Then, two days before the Nusra attacked, the families suddenly left the town. We didn’t know why. And then our neighbours led our enemies in among us.

The Christian man explained with disbelief how he saw a young member of the Diab family whom he knew from youth holding a sword and leading foreign jihadis to Christian homes.  Continues Georgios:

We had excellent relations. It never occurred to us that Muslim neighbours would betray us. We all said “please let this town live in peace — we don’t have to kill each other.”  But now there is bad blood. They brought in the Nusra to throw out the Christians and get rid of us forever. Some of the Muslims who lived with us are good people but I will never trust 90 per cent of them again.

A teenage Christian girl from Homs, Syria—which once had a Christian population of approximately 80,000, but which is now reportedly zero—relates her story:

We left because they were trying to kill us. . . . They wanted to kill us because we were Christians. They were calling us Kaffirs [infidels], even little children saying these things. Those who were our neighbors turned against us. At the end, when we ran away, we went through balconies. We did not even dare go out on the street in front of our house. I’ve kept in touch with the few Christian friends left back home, but I cannot speak to my Muslim friends any more. I feel very sorry about that. (Crucified Again, p. 207)

When asked who exactly threatened and drove Christians out of Mosul, which fell to the Islamic State a year ago, another anonymous Christian refugee responded:

We left Mosul because ISIS came to the city. The [Sunni Muslim] people of Mosul embraced ISIS and drove the Christians out of the city. When ISIS entered Mosul, the people hailed them and drove out the Christians….

The people who embraced ISIS, the people who lived there with us… Yes, my neighbors. Our neighbors and other people threatened us. They said: “Leave before ISIS get you.” What does that mean? Where would we go?…  Christians have no support in Iraq. Whoever claims to be protecting the Christians is a liar. A liar!

Nor is such Muslim treachery limited to Christians.  Other “infidels,” Yazidis for example, have experienced the same betrayal.  Discussing IS invasion of his village, a 68-year-old Yazidi man who managed to flee the bloody offensive—which included the slaughter of many Yazidi men and enslavement of women and children—said:

The (non-Iraqi) jihadists were Afghans, Bosnians, Arabs and even Americans and British fighters….  But the worst killings came from the people living among us, our (Sunni) Muslim neighbours….  The Metwet, Khawata and Kejala tribes—they were all our neighbours. But they joined the IS, took heavy weapons from them, and informed on who was Yazidi and who was not. Our neighbours made the IS takeover possible.

Likewise, watch this 60 Minute interview with a Yazidi woman.  When asked why people she knew her whole life would suddenly join IS and savagely turn on her people, she replied:

I can’t tell you exactly, but it has to be religion.  It has to be religion.  They constantly asked us to convert, but we refused.  Before this, they never mentioned it.  Prior, we thought of each other as family.  But I say, it has to be religion…. Keep reading 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Follow me on Facebook

Filed Under: Iraq, Islamic State (aka ISIS, ISIL, Daesh), Syria, Taqiyya Tagged With: Ma'loula


Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Comments

  1. Jaladhi says

    Jul 9, 2015 at 5:35 am

    It only goes to show that there are no moderate Muslims and they can never be friends with a non-Muslim. This behavior seen at present in Syria is a norm and seen all over the world – specially it was seen in India at the time of partition and seen in Pakistan and Bangladesh even today. At the time of partition of British India, the Hindus of the land became their enemies instantly and there was such a bloodbath of Hindus. Of course in response then Muslims were also killed. A Muslim is only true to what he learns in Quran – forget friends they kill their own brothers/sisters/parents if they go against Quran and Mo/allah!!

  2. Michael Copeland says

    Jul 9, 2015 at 6:26 am

    “It has to be religion”, said the Yazidi woman: indeed.

    “Prophet said “The nation of Islam is one nation to the exclusion of all others””
    (placard in Oxford Street demonstration http://www.thinkafricapress https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq4el7gyPas at 0.31).
    muslims are “merciful to each other but ruthless to the unbelievers”, Koran 48:29, part of Islamic law.
    “do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends.” K.5:51,
    “Allah is the enemy of the unbelievers” K. 2:98,
    “Allah does not love the unbelievers” K. 30:45
    unbelievers are “the vilest of creatures” K.8:55

    Religion has it.
    See “Allah is the Enemy” at LibertyGB
    http://libertygb.org.uk/v1/index.php/news-libertygb/6816-allah-is-our-enemy

  3. nicu says

    Jul 9, 2015 at 7:00 am

    Once a Muslim – always a Muslim !

    • nacazo says

      Jul 9, 2015 at 2:26 pm

      No. We have tons of ex-muslims such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Ibn Warraq, etc.

      • TheBuffster says

        Jul 10, 2015 at 1:42 am

        Ibn Warraq, Nonie Darwish, Bosch Fawstin, Patrick Sookhdeo, Salman Rushdie, Anwar Shaikh, Ali Sina, Wafa Sultan…

        Nicu, what would make you say “Once a Muslim, always a Muslim?” There is nothing in the story that implies that those who leave Islam never really leave it. It’s a story about Muslims who seem friendly to unbelievers, but then – when opportunity to subordinate the unbelievers comes along, the friendly demeanor disappears and the Islamic supremacy replaces it.

        Of course, even kindly Muslims who don’t want to go along with the violent ones have to make a choice when the jihadis come roaring in: do I go along in order that I and my loved ones will survive, or do I die for refusing to join my fellow Muslims in following the example of Mohammad? (A third choice would be to flee, if you can, when you see the baddies coming. But that applies to the non-Muslims, too.)

        There are a lot of former Muslims who are fighting against the Islamic doctrine, and risking their lives to do so. Because they know Islam from the inside, they are some of the most effective voices against Islam that there are.

        A human being can rethink his ideas, see where he is mistaken, and abandon those mistakes forever. And no ideology is more abandonable forever than Islam.

    • Alex says

      Jul 9, 2015 at 10:05 pm

      Not true. I am an ex Muslim and I would never go back to this horrible cult.

  4. Baucent says

    Jul 9, 2015 at 7:16 am

    Is it fair to judge a religion based on the behaviour and actions of it’s followers? I think it is, in fact it’s the only way to weight up whether the beliefs and teachings are in any way commendable. Sadly for Islam, this type of story is all too common. It seems the more someone adheres to this religion the more contemptible as a person they become. I believe it was Jesus who pointed out “you don’t get good fruit from a bad tree”, and Islam is a “bad tree” the world would be better off without.

    • Justina says

      Jul 21, 2015 at 6:55 am

      it is indeed fair to judge a religion based on followers’ behavior if that religion’s core sacred book promotes
      this and the credible traditions of the sayings and actions of its found does also. And that is the case with
      Islam, which is also demonstrably a false religion based on other things. For instance, it is clearly a
      cobbling together of miscellaneous heretical and pagan notions with a smattering of Jewish legends,
      gets a lot of the Old Testament history and genealogy dead wrong, and claims Jesus was caught up to
      heaven and a phantom took His place on the Cross, while eyewitnesses saw Him taken there and die
      and saw Him risen from the dead and THEN ascend to heaven later.

      it is argued that God would not abandon a prophet in the process of his mission. But what if that mission
      included dying so as to show God’s power to raise the dead? Islam’s argument is very flawed, especially
      when you consider that prophets were often killed per the OT record. Hints in the OT such as Isaiah 48:16 and Micah 5 speaking of the messiah coming from Bethlehem that “His goings forth have been
      from of old, from the beginning” points to Him being God Incarnate “from the beginning” only God was
      in the beginning.

      • Linde Barrera says

        Jul 21, 2015 at 11:47 am

        To Justina- Encompassing, well written post. Thank you.

  5. DP111 says

    Jul 9, 2015 at 7:26 am

    When Christians, Hindus or any others, are driven out of a newly founded Islamlic area. there are a few Muslims who will help non-Muslims to find safe passage. This is quite calculated, as it is a way to get the non-Muslims out of theior ancestral lands without too much fuss. Also, it makes these driven out non-Muslims believe the fiction that there are still a few “good” Muslims.

    • TheBuffster says

      Jul 10, 2015 at 1:59 am

      DP111 – What you say may be true in some cases, but since Muslims are human beings I think it is highly likely that most of those who helped non-Muslims to leave did it out of their own personal decency that they put *above* their Islamic duty. Not all “Muslims” are Muslims down to the marrow. Remember, for a Muslim to admit he has doubts about Islam or any part of Islam is to be in danger of the accusation of apostasy or hypocrisy, which are killable offenses.

      A person of conscience, when having to choose between saving innocent people or letting them be murdered to save his own hide, may – in the end – take a risk to do the right thing, because he knows he could not live with himself if he let his neighbors be slaughtered when they could have been saved.

      I think it is unrealistic to believe that there are no decent Muslims who’s consciences are better than their religion. I think it highly unlikely that those who helped their neighbors to escape slaughter and slavery did it out of calculation and not out of their own humanity. Did Germans who helped Jews do it out of the kind of calculation you described? Or out of honest human decency and self-respect?

  6. Lynn says

    Jul 9, 2015 at 8:11 am

    Unless I hear the word Reformed and see actions reflecting being reformed; they are merely waiting for the percentages to change before they show their hand.

    Have we heard about reformed muslims? NO.

    • mortimer says

      Jul 9, 2015 at 12:38 pm

      Disagree. We are definitely hearing about self-declared moderate Muslims being assassinated almost every week.

      Lynn, I hate to suggest you aren’t paying attention to the news.

  7. JamesonRocks says

    Jul 9, 2015 at 10:59 am

    “This is the third category of Muslims…”

    There truly is no third or second category of moozie… There is only the one. A moozie is a moozie is a moozie.

    • mortimer says

      Jul 9, 2015 at 12:34 pm

      Your opinion has no support and remains a mere claim. Opinion surveys show Muslims self-identify in different opinion groups.

      Only 15% of Muslims worldwide support terrorism, but larger numbers ‘sometimes’ or ‘somewhat’ support groups that defend Muslim interests. They do not wish to think of themselves as ‘supremacists’, but 65% of Muslims are to some degree supremacists. 35% of Muslims are very wishy-washy and barely Muslim.

      You should base your opinions upon verifiable fact, rather than animus-motivated guessing and adamant but baseless claims.

  8. mortimer says

    Jul 9, 2015 at 11:04 am

    Can we doubt that Muslims living in Western countries are different?

    It turns out then, that most apparently ‘moderate’ Muslims are merely ‘shallow opportunists’ and will drift with the wind of opportunity.

    Meanwhile, in Western countries, the politicians who should know better are leading us into a Muslim invasion from which there will be no retreat once the Islamist gain control.

    Islam is supremacist and so the only possible result of supremacism is ethnic cleansing and genocide.

  9. Angemon says

    Jul 9, 2015 at 12:19 pm

    I can’t tell you exactly, but it has to be religion. It has to be religion. They constantly asked us to convert, but we refused.

    In the West, we’re told that’s anything but religion. It’s always framed as a reaction to poverty, disenfranchisement, lack of opportunities, unemployment, colonialism,racism, bigotry, xenophobia, etc. – anything but religion.

    • Ed says

      Jul 9, 2015 at 4:20 pm

      Don’t forget Israel. It’s all Israel’s fault.

  10. DP111 says

    Jul 9, 2015 at 12:37 pm

    Is there a way to defeat Islam. Yes. Total military defeat of the forces of Islam in all its forms.

    Then accept no terms of surrender unless everyone converts. Make them homeless as they have made Christians, Buddhists and Hindus homeless by invading and driving the out from their ancestral lands.

  11. al fabeech says

    Jul 9, 2015 at 3:53 pm

    Religious views no longer matter. It’s herd survival mentality. A longtime Muslim friend/neighbor has no choice but to fall in line or face the same consequences of their Christian/Infidel neighbors. It’s Nazi Germany. How did a whole nation stand by while the Holocaust happened? Please wake up world! We are animals!

  12. Ml says

    Jul 9, 2015 at 8:11 pm

    I read years ago Dr,Bill Warner on YouTube,and can see how right he is,I sure hope people stop believing that Muslims are nice people,well history and facts say otherwise,HARBER is the only one how try’s to change the security,will he sucead?young people don’t see what happen in the USA,
    GOD HELP US ALL,put Islam is taking over,the peasfull ,nice people right under auer nose.

  13. albert says

    Jul 10, 2015 at 10:53 am

    The Armenian government offered a safe haven for the arab Christian and Yazidi people but the UN and western leaders blocked the offer, Obama’s press spokesman even laughed at the plight of the Christians, Do Obama, Cameron, Merkel, Hollande want to see the Genocide of these people ?

    • Ed says

      Jul 10, 2015 at 11:20 am

      Do you have a source or link for this story, I’d like to read up on it. Thanks.

    • Linde Barrera says

      Jul 12, 2015 at 5:35 pm

      To albert- Your post of 10:53 am July 10 states that the government of Armenia (God bless them) offered a safe haven for the Arab Christians and Yazidi but the UN blocked the offer. Was any rationale given for the rejection? Thank you in advance for responding.

FacebookYoutubeTwitterLog in

Subscribe to the Jihad Watch Daily Digest

You will receive a daily mailing containing links to the stories posted at Jihad Watch in the last 24 hours.
Enter your email address to subscribe.

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!
If you are forwarding to a friend, please remove the unsubscribe buttons first, as they my accidentally click it.

Subscribe to all Jihad Watch posts

You will receive immediate notification.
Enter your email address to subscribe.
Note: This may be up to 15 emails a day.

Donate to JihadWatch
FrontPage Mag

Search Site

Translate

The Team

Robert Spencer in FrontPageMag
Robert Spencer in PJ Media

Articles at Jihad Watch by
Robert Spencer
Hugh Fitzgerald
Christine Douglass-Williams
Andrew Harrod
Jamie Glazov
Daniel Greenfield

Contact Us

Terror Attacks Since 9/11

Archives

  • 2020
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2019
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2018
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2017
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2016
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2015
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2014
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2013
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2012
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2011
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2010
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2009
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2008
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2007
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2006
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2005
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2004
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2003
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • March

All Categories

You Might Like

Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Recent Comments

  • gravenimage on New study reveals that Muslim religiosity strongly linked to hatred towards the West
  • gravenimage on Chief Rabbi of UK Says It’s ‘Alarming’ That 44% of Muslims Are Anti-Semitic
  • Boycott Turkey on Iranian Kurdistan: Muslim brothers behead their sister in honor killing over her romantic relationship
  • gravenimage on India: Police make first arrest for ‘love jihad’ under new law
  • Mojdeh on New study reveals that Muslim religiosity strongly linked to hatred towards the West

Popular Categories

dhimmitude Sharia Jihad in the U.S ISIS / Islamic State / ISIL Iran Free Speech

Robert Spencer FaceBook Page

Robert Spencer Twitter

Robert Spencer twitter

Robert Spencer YouTube Channel

Books by Robert Spencer

Jihad Watch® is a registered trademark of Robert Spencer in the United States and/or other countries - Site Developed and Managed by Free Speech Defense

Content copyright Jihad Watch, Jihad Watch claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to their respective owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and you do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

Our mailing address is: David Horowitz Freedom Center, P.O. Box 55089, Sherman Oaks, CA 91499-1964

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.