Here comes Haroon Moghul, the comic relief of the “Islamophobia” victimhood propaganda industry, again. In life poor little Haroon so cowers in fear of “Islamophobic” coffee servers that his Starbucks name is not Haroon but “Dwayne,” but he is a paper lion behind the keyboard, trafficking in defamation and dishonesty and taking advantage of his audience’s ignorance about Islam to invert reality, portraying Muslims as victims of a cruel “Islamophobia” machine, instead of non-Muslims threatened by the global jihad.
In this notably confused piece, he is intent that we recognize “the distinction between the practices and the person.” This is quote rich coming from a man who has made a career out of smearing those who call attention to the violent texts and teachings of Islam and how jihadis use them, claiming that we are targeting or endangering or collectively blaming all Muslims. But his point here is not that the Qur’an teaches violence and hatred, but any individual Muslim might be a wonderful person, which would be an entirely reasonable point to make. Instead, even by Haroon Moghul’s standards, this piece is quite muddled: “The Pope believes that certain Trump policies are at odds with Christianity as he understands it. But was he figuratively (given that Trump is not Catholic) excommunicating the GOP frontrunner? After all, Francis didn’t say Trump’s practices were un-Christian. He said the person who espoused those tactics ‘is not Christian.’”
But Trump does espouse those tactics, and so the Pope was actually saying that he was not Christian. Moghul appears to be trying to claim that the Muslims of the Islamic State perform practices that are un-Islamic, but that doesn’t mean that they themselves are not Muslims. “But beneath the bluster of the moment, it also offers an inadvertent opportunity to reflect upon why mainstream Muslims eagerly condemn ISIL as un-Islamic, yet are often reticent to deny ISIL members their Muslim identity.” Actually, only Dwayne’s fellow “Islamophobia” propagandist Reza Aslan and perhaps a handful of others have ever admitted that the Islamic State is made up of Muslims; most Leftist and Muslim analysts (and most conservatives as well, for that matter) strenuously deny that they are Muslim at all.
“ISIL is objectively, inexcusably brutal. They target innocent civilians, attack indiscriminately, and use rape as a weapon. None of these behaviors are Islamic.” Really, Dwayne? Let’s see:
“ISIL is objectively, inexcusably brutal.” Is that Islamic?
“This is the recompense of those who fight against Allah and His Messenger, and hasten about the earth, to do corruption there: they shall be slaughtered, or crucified, or their hands and feet shall alternately be struck off; or they shall be banished from the land. That is a degradation for them in this world; and in the world to come awaits them a mighty chastisement.” (Qur’an 5:33)
“Narrated Abu Qilaba: Anas said, ‘Some people of ‘Ukl or ‘Uraina tribe came to Medina and its climate did not suit them. So the Prophet ordered them to go to the herd of (Milch) camels and to drink their milk and urine (as a medicine). So they went as directed and after they became healthy, they killed the shepherd of the Prophet and drove away all the camels. The news reached the Prophet early in the morning and he sent (men) in their pursuit and they were captured and brought at noon. He then ordered to cut their hands and feet (and it was done), and their eyes were branded with heated pieces of iron, They were put in ‘Al-Harra’ and when they asked for water, no water was given to them.’ Abu Qilaba said, ‘Those people committed theft and murder, became infidels after embracing Islam and fought against Allah and His Apostle.’” (Bukhari 1.4.234)
“They target innocent civilians, attack indiscriminately, and use rape as a weapon.” Is that Islamic?
Targeting innocent civilians: “One whom I do not suspect told me from Anas b. Malik: When the apostle raided a people he waited until the morning. If he heard a call to prayer he held back; if he did not hear it he attacked. We came to Khaybar by night, and the apostle passed the night there; and when morning came he did not hear the call to prayer, so he rode and we rode with him, and I rode behind Abu Taiha with my foot touching the apostle’s foot. We met the workers of Khaybar coming out in the morning with their spades and baskets. When they saw the apostle and the army they cried, ‘Muhammad with his force,’ and turned tail and fled. The apostle said, ‘Allah Akbar! Khaybar is destroyed. When we arrive in a people’s square it is a bad morning for those who have been warned.’ Harun told us from Humayd from Anas similarly.” (Ibn Ishaq 757)
Attacking indiscriminately: “It is reported on the authority of Sa’b b. Jaththama that the Prophet of Allah (may peace be upon him), when asked about the women and children of the polytheists being killed during the night raid, said: They are from them.” (Muslim 4321) “They are from them” is permission for an indiscriminate attack on the polytheists even though their women and children were there.
Using rape as a weapon: “Abu Sirma said to Abu Sa’id al Khadri (Allah he pleased with him): O Abu Sa’id, did you hear Allah’s Messenger mentioning al-‘azl? He said: Yes, and added: We went out with Allah’s Messenger on the expedition to the Bi’l-Mustaliq and took captive some excellent Arab women; and we desired them, for we were suffering from the absence of our wives, (but at the same time) we also desired ransom for them. So we decided to have sexual intercourse with them but by observing ‘azl (Withdrawing the male sexual organ before emission of semen to avoid-conception). But we said: We are doing an act whereas Allah’s Messenger is amongst us; why not ask him? So we asked Allah’s Messenger and he said: It does not matter if you do not do it, for every soul that is to be born up to the Day of Resurrection will be born.” (Muslim 3371) This hadith is about whether one must practice coitus interruptus while raping female captives; the idea that raping them is just fine is taken for granted by all concerned, including Muhammad. How has the Islamic State behaved any differently with Yazidi and Christian women?
Moghul is right: many Sunni authorities and leaders call groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State takfiris because of their frequent practice of pronouncing takfir upon, or excommunicating, other Muslims. But they acknowledge the principle of takfir itself as Islamic, so here again, disingenuous Dwayne is up to his old tricks.
“What the Pope’s fight with Donald Trump accidentally teaches us about Islam,” by Haroon “Dwayne” Moghul, Quartz, February 21, 2016:
There are a couple neat things about the Donald Trump versus Pope Francis spat. Besides making for entertaining television (and even more entertaining Twitter), the scuffle has turned out to be a pretty good way to explain what Muslims mean when they say that the Islamic State isn’t Islamic.
In case you missed it, Pope Francis condemned Donald Trump’s policies on Feb. 18: “A person,” the pontiff said, “who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel.”
A predictably angry Trump fired back: “If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been President.”
That escalated quickly. But, as you can see, it’s not just me that’s interjecting ISIL and Islam into the debate. I’m just using their public clash as a teachable moment.
The distinction between the practices and the person is critical to understanding why Muslims condemn ISIL. The Pope believes that certain Trump policies are at odds with Christianity as he understands it. But was he figuratively (given that Trump is not Catholic) excommunicating the GOP frontrunner? After all, Francis didn’t say Trump’s practices were un-Christian. He said the person who espoused those tactics “is not Christian.”
The distinction between the practices and the person is critical to understanding why mainstream Muslims condemn ISIL in the way they do. Nearly every Muslim leader and organization I can think of rejects ISIL, though they rarely go so far as to excommunicate their opponents (as ISIL itself does.)
But such reticence shouldn’t be interpreted as hesitancy.
There are few practices considered more taboo for a Sunni Muslim (the tradition I’m more familiar with) than excommunication. The Muslim world’s repeated attempts to reject and rebuke ISIL are neither insincere nor half-hearted. They simply reflect the belief that condemning the person, instead of the practice, places you on a slippery slope.
ISIL is objectively, inexcusably brutal. They target innocent civilians, attack indiscriminately, and use rape as a weapon. None of these behaviors are Islamic. But none of these are exclusive to ISIL, either. The Assad regime, and the Hezbollah forces who fight alongside them, commit many of the same crimes. They may not make celebratory videos, nor expand their targets beyond the Syrian people, but that doesn’t take away from the ugliness of what is happening….
Trump’s spat with the Pope is yet another ridiculous episode in a presidential campaign that has been defined more by its buffoonery than by any principles. But beneath the bluster of the moment, it also offers an inadvertent opportunity to reflect upon why mainstream Muslims eagerly condemn ISIL as un-Islamic, yet are often reticent to deny ISIL members their Muslim identity. It’s true that Muslims don’t recognize any figure with the kind of authority possessed by the Pope. But more importantly, most Muslims see excommunication as fundamental to extremism–and therefore as anathema to them.

Rob says
Will mainstream Muslims condemn ISIL if ISIL wins using the tactics they abhor?
Muslim morality is situational and has been since Muhammad’s day.
red rose says
Here’s a great video that someone shared with me. Its Sister Hatune (Middle East Christian) explaining that ISIS is IsIam.
billybob says
She calls a spade a spade. I don’t suppose the Pope approves of her doing that.
jihad3tracker says
Jihad Watch’s top dog is engaging in an envious rant about the distinguished Mr. Moghul, probably because he has a cool Starbucks alias (Dwayne) but Robert orders quintuple espressos under his own name.
Obviously, judging by this photo, the Holy See’s Capo di Tutti Capi is in awe of Haroon: “Sir, my hat is off to you !”
Lia Wissing says
Still don’t know what was funnier: the pope making his new qualifications for being Christian (despite what the Bible says) or his spokespersons/interpreters trying to explain what he actually said!
mortimer says
Pope Francis is a shameful, lazy example of the great LACUNA of ignorance…no…the ABYSS of ignorance of Islam among Western elites. They preposterously strut and present themselves as experts on Islam…when they are nothing of the sort. Trump’s ‘instincts’ about Islam are correct, even though his knowledge of Islam is equally deficient. All Western elites MUST URGENTLY read the Sira, hadiths, Koran, canonical commentaries and Sharia…or Western civilization will fall to these Koran savages.
The pope and other Western elites do not realize how IRRESPONSIBLY ignorant they are of Islam, and so they present themselves as TOLERANT and COMPASSIONATE leaders against this implacable, cruel and primitive force from the 7th century. They are LUDICROUS. Those elites, including Pope Francis, are in fact GREAT FOOLS. They do not know or understand the enemy under their noses and seem proud of it. The emperor and the pope have no clothes on.
But on the POSITIVE SIDE, more and more people every day are reading Islam’s foundational source texts (listed above) and they are taking up the scent of this vile ideology as bloodhounds taking a scent and with great determination following it.
The mullahs cannot beat Western civilization ultimately because armies of bloodhounds are now on the scent of Islam and they will doggedly pursue Islam until they have eliminated this vile, repulsive Death Cult from the earth. Former Muslims are also working on this problem and doing valuable work, but not enough. Nevertheless, the army of ideological fighters is growing rapidly. Therefore, ISLAM CANNOT WIN. Let us all redouble our efforts. We are the only ones left defending civilization. We must continue to expose this vile Cult of Cruelty and Sadism for what it is.
gravenimageg says
Great post, Mortimer.
mortimer says
Haroon Moghul is a professional liar. He should ask himself why, IF ISLAM IS TRUE, he must tell SO MANY AND GREAT LIES to get Western people to swallow it, when they would be thoroughly disgusted with Islam if they knew the truth?
If Islam cannot be defended by the truth and it truly is filled with unpleasant and repulsive falsehoods…what is his reward for defending what he fully knows to be so horrid?
Haroon Moghul is covering up the most repulsive Death Cult in history by telling Western people lies about it. If it is actually that repulsive. The only possible explanation for his support of Islam is that Haroon Moghul is sociopath who is excited by feverishly slavery, misogyny, torture, murder, plunder, rape and genocide and all the other normative atrocities of political Islam. He is a sadist.
Haroon Moghul must be very sick and evil to defend something so obviously and profoundly wicked as Islam.
Angemon says
Last time I checked, Trump didn’t quoted scripture to defend his decision to build the wall.
Berq to mortimer says
your comments about pope is 100% right in the above post.
Walter Sieruk says
The facts of reality show that ISIS is very Islamic. For example the jihadist thugs who compose ISIS are actually following the instructions of violence and killing that is part to the teachings of the Koran. As seen in 4:89. 5:33. 9:5,111,123. 47:4. The Koran,of course, is the”holy book ” of the god of Islam. The god of Islam likes it when non-Muslims [Kafirs] die. For example, the day after the London train bombing, on July 8, 2005 on Palestinian television Imam Suliman Satari said “Annihilate the Infidels… Allah count them and kill them, to the last one and don’t leave even one.” Furthermore Imam Abu Hamza Al-Masri said “What makes Allah happy? Allah is happy when Kafiers get killed. [1]
As shown in an earlier posting the god of Islam is not the same god as the God of the Bible. The above words of these Imams reflect the example of Islam’s prophet and the teachings of the Quran. “Muhammad now fell upon them [the Jews] slew all the men, nine hundred of them…”[2]
Moreover, the Quran reads “When ye encounter the unbelievers strike off their heads, until ye have made great slaughter among them. Verily if Allah pleased, He could take vengeance on them without your assistance, but He commandeth you to fight His Battles.” XLVII C.625
In short, these Imams and their murderous prophet with their bloody Quran show the world what Islam really is. After all, Jesus did teach “by their fruits ye shall know them.” Matthew 7:20. [KJV]
[1] The disc documentary OBSESSION: RADICAL ISLAM’s AGAINST THE WEST
[2] THE OUTLINE OF HISTORY: THE WHOLE STORY OF MAN by H.G. Wells
Kepha says
Why should Donald Trump, an adherent of Therapeutic American Deism masquerading as Christianity (liberal, mainline, so-called “Protestantism”) who is proud that he’s never had to ask God for forgiveness, worry about what the Pope says? By the same token, why should an ‘Alawite or Shi’ite worry about some Sunnite takfiring them, or vice versa?
I’m actually having a lot of fun with the Trump-Pope spat. I have lots of liberal friends and dear ones (who wouldn’t be caught dead entering a church, unless it’s for a wedding or funeral) who are always quick to attack you if you think some late term abortion-supporter or advocate of SSM is “no Christian”, but they love Frankie Argentino’s tacit excommunication of the Donald. In times past, they were the first to kick the Pope whenever they could (especially over that great sacrament of modernity, birth control), but now they’re very defensive of the Holy Blatherer whenever someone tells him to butt out of America’s discussion on immigration law enforcement.
I am no supporter of the Donald. Our political life has fallen to a real low when it looks like Male Vanity Hairdooooo vs. Shrillary Shrooooooooo in twenty-one-two [plus four]. I know enough about Chinese history to know that political will to enforce immigration laws, not a wall, is what is needed. He’s a great bloviator who taps into a lot of American frustration and exasperation with politics-as-usual, but he doesn’t have a single concrete idea (and was a flaming liberal up to about nine months ago). Further, as an Evangelical myself, the only things my co-religionists possibly see in the man is a political bodyguard; Trump’s boast that he’s never had to ask God for forgiveness smacks of someone who read too much Hemingway and virtually nothing of the Bible.
But I also strongly suspect that Jorge Bergoglio is one of the sanctimonious, anti-American, soft-on-Marxism sorts of radical priests of whom there were way too many back in the Sillier ‘Seventies. His comments on the current Hejra strike me as ignorant and out of tune with what might well result in the sacking of his own palace and another papal exile (when Avignon will probably be in no better shape).
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM says
You sound like a brainwashed communist. I suspect you been hanging around with too many chinese for far too long. Be interesting to know if and where you were educated and when you were indoctrinated.
awake says
“What the Pope’s fight with Donald Trump accidentally teaches us about Islam,”
Does not compute. The Vicar’s interpretation of Christianity, which he backtracked on already, does not in any way suggest that ISIS’ interpretation is un-Islamic.
Nice try Mohammedan.
TH says
The distinction between the person and his or her acts does have validity. However, since the people becomes good or evil by means of the practice of virtue or vice, their acts are very important in defning what kind of person we are dealing with. Even the most evil person has an intrinsic dignity which cannot be removed or ignored. Like other occasions, Pope Francis has once again shown that he is too loose tongued and he certainly should have avoided the run in with Trump. He could have stated that he didn’t agree with building walls between countries, without making the statement that those who promote this are not Christian.
Dr. Gonzalo. de Porras says
Si segun el Papa Francisco la politica de Trump no es cristiana, me pregunto si la politica de H.Clinton, abostista y pro-homosexual, ¿tiene su aprobación ?. Yo soy católico practicante, pero temo cada vez que Francisco sube a un avión pues entonces padece del “Mal de altura” y hace declaraciones incoherentes que tardan meses en aclararse
If according with the Pope Francisco Trump’s policy is not Christian, I wonder whether the policy H.Clinton,( abostista and pro-homosexual) , does your approval?. I am a practicing Catholic, but I fear whenever Francisco boards a plane for then hi have the “Altitude sickness” and makes inconsistent statements and declarations that take months to clear
Kasey says
Are members of ISIL trying to replicate the atrocities of Muhammed back in the 7th century? Maybe they are, but when one checks on all that Muhammed did, they haven’t come close to it yet. The World needs to beware!
simon says
Very good response to a pathetic attempt of distraction, confusion, obsfucstion of the truth thst Islam is EVIL at its core.
Joseph Depaz says
Maybe the pope never watch the youtube, isis said they will attack the white house,Rome Vatican.and want their flag be there.
gravenimage says
Haroon Moghul: Trump’s spat with Pope shows us that the Islamic State is not Islamic
……………………..
Of course, the idea that the Pope excommunicated Donald Trump–who is a Presbyterian–is absurd.
Just another Muslim taking advantage of Infidel dhimmitude.
And look what *else* he is doing–comparing Donald Trump’s wanting to keep violent Jihadists out of America with ISIS’s enslavement and genocide.
More false moral equivalence from Muslims.