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

Belgium’s Prime Minister: “This is not a war between the West and Islam”

May 23, 2016 3:42 pm By Robert Spencer

Unfortunately for Michel, Belgium and the West, all too many Muslims consider this to be precisely a war between the West and Islam. And the West’s response to this challenge is hamstrung by the refusal to acknowledge that fact.

Charles Michel Belgium

“We are not at war with Islam: Belgian PM,” from Iran’s state-run Ahlul Bayt News Agency, May 23, 2016 (thanks to Lookmann):

AhlulBayt News Agency – Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel vowed on Sunday that the West will ultimately defeat terrorist group Daesh (the so called IS) as the royal family hosted a ceremony marking two months since the deadly Brussels bombings.

He vowed that Belgium and other countries fighting IS, which claimed the Brussels bombings as well as last November’s attacks in Paris, will eventually prevail.

“This is not a war between the West and Islam. And we will do everything to stop these terrorists. This is a difficult fight. A fight that will take time,” he said, adding: “We will know setbacks and successes.

But I am confident that we will win.”…

On what grounds?

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Filed Under: Belgium, Featured Tagged With: Charles Michel


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Comments

  1. mccode says

    May 23, 2016 at 3:50 pm

    There is no war between the West and Islam. Unfortunately, one must recognize the war between Islam and the West.

    • Lia says

      May 24, 2016 at 3:26 am

      Is this really the sum of what poor Mr Michel knows and thinks?

      • mezcukor says

        May 24, 2016 at 9:51 am

        just like his father. He is from the town where I was born . My mother did not have the family in high regards,

    • Richard Paulsen says

      May 24, 2016 at 4:37 am

      They make war against us. We don´t fight back.I would say.

  2. Lizzy says

    May 23, 2016 at 4:02 pm

    Here, in the UK, in the matter of Brexit, we have already been told that by being a member of the EU has averted war in Europe and a vote to leave the EU would put us in danger of WW111.

    The whole of the EU is indeed preventing war in Europe by its collective pandering to muslims and refusal to criticise in any small way the disgraceful practices of islam within Europe. Should the pandering cease and criticism of islam be voiced we would sure as hell feel the wrath of islam. That is the real fear of European leaders.

    • gravenimage says

      May 23, 2016 at 9:05 pm

      Absurd. The EU just doesn’t want anyone to escape their suicidal policies.

      • mortimer says

        May 24, 2016 at 12:20 am

        Europeans are killing their cultures, their languages and their race…a self-performed genocide.

        And replace European culture with what? 7th-century Arabia?

        Preposterous! They’re mad.

        • Tom W Harris says

          May 24, 2016 at 6:29 am

          Mad, or greed? Maybe the oligarchs want to kill their own citizens and replace them with much cheaper ones.

    • RM says

      May 23, 2016 at 10:31 pm

      Geez. All it takes is one dim bulb to ruin the lighting. And we have many more like you. We are in trouble.

    • Carolyne says

      May 24, 2016 at 10:17 am

      The EU has taken away England’s morals and culture. What is that worth to the English? A few years of capitulation to Islam and then total anhilation? Is this in England’s interests? Is this what the English people want? You must vote to leave this den of thieves.

  3. Champ says

    May 23, 2016 at 4:02 pm

    Belgium’s Prime Minister: “This is not a war between the West and Islam”

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    This should be added to the dictionary as one way to define: DENIAL.

    • mortimer says

      May 24, 2016 at 12:03 am

      Next to the word DENIAL in the dictionary you will find a picture of Charles Michel.

      Keep whistling past the graveyard, old son. Pray the Belgian secret police don’t screw up defending you while they are NOT FIGHTING MUSLIMS.

      • Champ says

        May 24, 2016 at 6:31 pm

        Good one, Mortimer! 😀

  4. mortimer says

    May 23, 2016 at 4:02 pm

    MESSAGE FOR CHARLES MICHEL

    “It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism, while the wolf remains of a different opinion.”

    « Il est inutile que les moutons adoptent des résolutions en faveur du végétarisme , tandis que le loup reste d’un avis différent. »

    Muslims believe jihad against disbelievers is valid until the end of time.

  5. mortimer says

    May 23, 2016 at 4:04 pm

    PM Michel, are you a ‘disbeliever’? Then Muslims hate you for that. They are at war with you, whether you agree or not. You don’t have to be the one to pick the fight…Mohammed picked the fight 1400 years ago. They’re just following him.

  6. WorkingClassPost says

    May 23, 2016 at 4:17 pm

    The man’s a fool if he believes that, and a liar if he doesn’t.

    • mortimer says

      May 24, 2016 at 12:04 am

      Why can’t he be both?

  7. Face_The_Truth says

    May 23, 2016 at 4:47 pm

    If it is not a war between Western Christian-majority countries versus Islamic ideology, then what is it?

    American armed forces can decimate Sunni ISIS fighters and collaborators (along with some collateral deaths of other Muslims) in a number of days in Iraq, Libya and Syria.

    Does anyone think Islamic attacks on non-Muslims in Western Christian countries will completely go away from the next day after American service-people return home?

    If Islamic attacks do not go away from the next day, then it must be true that Islamic attacks on non-Muslims cannot be thwarted without completely uprooting and degrading the fundamental basis of all Islamic attacks where the fundamental basis is pure and unadulterated version of Islamic ideology that encourages, emboldens, empowers, and promises the followers of Islam eternal life in Islamic paradise in order to carry on ongoing bloody Islamic war against non-believers of Islam.

    How did American military retreat from Iraq and Afghanistan turn out under our current Muslim president in the White House?

    America invaded Iraq and toppled Iraqi government that had nothing to with 9/11 Islamic attacks in America; but, America did not attack Saudi Arabia that had everything do with Islamic ideology and Islamic attacks along with collaborators like the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.

    Furthermore, our current Muslim president in the White House wanted to democratically Islamize Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria by toppling the governments there.

    If it is not a war between the West and Islam, just by killing a few thousand Muslim Jihadists would have paved the way for total peace and tranquility all over the world wherever faithful Muslims reside.

    How are so many American democracy projects in Islamic countries turning out so far if average Muslims in those Islamic countries truly love and respect the Christian ideals of the West?

    Therefore, to say that the West is not in war with Islam may be slightly true due to the open reluctance of governments of the Western Christian countries to fight and eradicate Islamic ideology as well as Islamic terrorists; but, to say that the ideology of Islam has always been at war with the Christian West is indeed 100% true.

  8. PRCS says

    May 23, 2016 at 4:54 pm

    No, the West is NOT at war with Islam.

    The West is geographical location with no universally accepted definition.

    Islam is an ideology.

    And, no, Islam is NOT at war with the West. Per “Allah’s” edicts, Muslims in Dar al Islam are in a permanent state of war (jihad) with those of us in Dar al Harb who have yet to submit until the entire world is governed by Islamic law.

    They’re not happy about the filthy kuffar in India, Thailand, China, or the Philippines, either.

    The West is but one target of Big Al’s brain dead slaves.

  9. Angemon says

    May 23, 2016 at 5:11 pm

    I wonder if Mr. Michel is accurately representing the feelings of the Belgian population? My money’s on “no”…

    • linnte says

      May 23, 2016 at 8:35 pm

      My money too. The EU needs to go, so people can live their lives in peace, AFTER THE CIVIL WAR with Islam.

  10. Voytek Gagalka says

    May 23, 2016 at 5:33 pm

    “This is not a war between the West and Islam”

    Oh, I got it! It must be a star-wars between Earthlings and the evil empire from Andromeda Galaxy! Or some story from the Lucas’ fantasy series. And surely “we will win”! Somehow. Didn’t a movie script predict that exactly?

    • Carolyne says

      May 24, 2016 at 10:22 am

      Kind of like leaving a raging war and saying you won. Europe will answer for this folly, as will the US and Australia.

  11. R Cole says

    May 23, 2016 at 6:05 pm

    Why don’t we hear more western leaders saying – this is not a war between the West and Buddhism?

    It’s those Buddhist militants again!!

    Can you imagine all the efforts to help us to ‘understand’ Buddhism!!

    ::

    The west is hamstrung by political correctness.

    What the Belgium leader should be doing is reviewing the immigration from those parts of the world – where the people show a reluctance to integrate.

    What we are seeing in Belgium is more than the reluctance to integrate — as the failed Paris bomber was allowed walk around freely in predominantly Muslim parts for months — it is the emergence of a separate state with a contradictory body of laws and norms.

    And it is happening at the very same location as the European Parliament.

    At the moment it’s a slow boiling frog!

    Belgium leaders can pretend for a while longer.

    • gravenimage says

      May 23, 2016 at 10:56 pm

      All true. Apologists have to constantly affirm that we are not at war with Islam and that Islam is a religion of peace.

      And why? No has to go on and on that we are not at war with Hindus or Jews or that Buddhism or Zoroastrianism is a religion of peace.

      Compare and contrast…

  12. Sam says

    May 23, 2016 at 6:06 pm

    “This is not a war between the West and Islam”

    So what are you fighting for? Idiot!

  13. Wellington says

    May 23, 2016 at 6:26 pm

    His face rather says it all. As Orwell noted, everyone by fifty has the face they deserve. Now, I know this doofus is only forty but he’s merely in acceleration mode regarding Orwell’s point. I mean just look at that face of his. It has useful idiot written all over it, contra a face like that of Clint Eastwood, Abraham Lincoln, John Wayne, Andrew Jackson and, of course, Winston Churchill.

    • cynical1 says

      May 24, 2016 at 1:06 am

      Exactly.

      A PC shiny arse public servant.

      Imagine that tosser in a foxhole with you.

      • Carolyne says

        May 24, 2016 at 10:30 am

        I’ve been watching old episodes of “Doc Martin” and people shout “Tosser” at him. I know it isn’t a compliment, but it isn’t a word we use. What does it mean?

        • andy from the cross says

          May 24, 2016 at 12:29 pm

          to ‘toss oneself off’ is a euphemism for masturbation.

    • Demsci says

      May 24, 2016 at 1:55 pm

      Doofus is right, Wellington, I had a good laugh about your post, because of doofus and the comment about his face.

      I do hope that Mark Rutte, our prime-minister, fares better, from your judgement. The VVD hold’s it’s own, while the Dutch Labour party has sunken deep (8 of 150!!!). Economically the VVD (the conservatives called Liberal in Holland, if you will) has sound economic sense, fortunately, at least to me. But “Islamofilia” also paralyses it at times.

      Hope you are well, you, this “mainstay” of Jihad Watch.

      I always read YOUR posts. I like to add; your historically and philosophically well founded posts. And I share with you clearly this suspicion, this contempt, about this pre-democratic, 7th century “ideology-religion Islam”.

      Take care.

      • Wellington says

        May 24, 2016 at 6:04 pm

        Always a pleasure to hear from you, Demsci. As I believe I have said before, I particularly value your in depth knowledge of what’s going on in The Netherlands. You too take good care.

  14. Vyx says

    May 23, 2016 at 6:53 pm

    For there to be a war, one side has to fight back against aggression.

    Don’t really see Europe fighting back.

    So there is and won’t be a war.

    However, indigenous Europeans will not win anything.

    • linnte says

      May 23, 2016 at 8:40 pm

      I think PEGIDA would disagree with you. There ARE small groups, and whole countries who know that they are at war. Hungary and others who are refusing refugees. And the angst of the people is spreading, slowly but surely. Maybe a few more IS tragedies will help.

      • gravenimage says

        May 23, 2016 at 11:00 pm

        Hear, hear!

        • Carolyne says

          May 24, 2016 at 10:34 am

          IMO every Muslim, no matter how peaceful they seem to be, if they are practicing Muslims, read and obey the Koran, must as a matter of faith be on the side of ISIS and be ready at any time to heed its call. That’s what many in the West don’t understand. They cannot be separated into peaceful and not peaceful. They are all potential terrorists.

  15. gravenimage says

    May 23, 2016 at 8:59 pm

    Belgium’s Prime Minister: “This is not a war between the West and Islam”
    ……………………..

    Too bad Muslims don’t agree…

  16. sidney penny says

    May 23, 2016 at 9:04 pm

    But I am confident that we will win.”…

    On what grounds?

    Good question Robert and here is another one,

    and how will we will?

  17. sidney penny says

    May 23, 2016 at 9:09 pm

    “This is not a war between the West and Islam. And we will do everything to stop these terrorists. This is a difficult fight. A fight that will take time,” he said, adding: “We will know setbacks and successes.

    While I am into question here is another one.

    How much time have we got Mr. Prime Minister?

    And is IS not Islam?

    and if it is, are you not fighting Islam?

  18. David, Thailand says

    May 23, 2016 at 9:32 pm

    Brilliant choice of words, because it truly isn’t a war between the West and Islam.

    The West cannot be at war with Islam since our leaders refuse to acknowledge that Islam is at war with us.

    This must be the greatest betrayal in history, of people by their own leaders.

    • mortimer says

      May 24, 2016 at 12:22 am

      Exactly. Monumental wooden-headedness.

    • Carolyne says

      May 24, 2016 at 10:40 am

      David, I agree. Never before in the history of mankind have the peoples’ leaders betrayed them to the enemy as our governments are doing today.

      • Sam says

        May 24, 2016 at 4:46 pm

        “David, I agree. Never before in the history of mankind have the peoples’ leaders betrayed them to the enemy as our governments are doing today”

        And never before in the history of mankind there has been so much ignorance by all peoples despite the availability of truth almost everywhere (like internet)

  19. Westman says

    May 24, 2016 at 2:57 am

    “But I am confident that we will win.”

    Define what you mean by “we” and “win” please, Mr. Michel. Does that mean that attacks by Islamic radicals will stop? Does that mean that Belgium will be safe from the 100 or so radical groups besides ISIS?

    If the EU falls apart because countries reclaim their sovereignty in order to save themselves from the stupidity of the EU rulers about Islam, will it still be winning?

    Brussels has fallen into a pit – stop passing out shovels, stop digging, and climb out before it’s too late. These are not your father’s migrants.

    • linnte says

      May 24, 2016 at 3:37 am

      That last sentence is pretty awesome!

  20. Andra says

    May 24, 2016 at 4:13 am

    You can´t defeat your enimy if you don´t name it. As Long als western polititcians ignore the fact that Islam is not the religion of peace they want it to be they will be unable to bring back peace to our countries.

  21. Richard Paulsen says

    May 24, 2016 at 4:30 am

    The worse leaders in Europe since WW2. The worse expansion of islam since the beginning of islam and islamic conquests.
    Quite an antithesis. Bad leadership in bad times.

  22. Cameron says

    May 24, 2016 at 6:43 am

    “Just because there isn’t a war, doesn’t mean there’s peace.”
    – I’ve been hearing this a lot lately…

  23. Tom W Harris says

    May 24, 2016 at 6:48 am

    Regarding Muslims, here’s an idea for PM Michel (or anyone else in a power position). Kick ’em out and keep ’em out – forever. Then we don’t need a war.

  24. Mark Davidson says

    May 24, 2016 at 8:03 am

    He is correct. Islam is at war with the North, South, East and the West!

  25. J Price says

    May 24, 2016 at 10:33 am

    Those that believe that islam is not at war with the west are feckless fools.

  26. firefox says

    May 24, 2016 at 11:33 am

    Dhimmi-tude for Dummies Graduate of 2016.

  27. Rich says

    May 24, 2016 at 12:19 pm

    Okay Mr. Belgian PM. Islam is at war with the entire world. There, I think that’s closer to the truth.

  28. Geppetto says

    May 24, 2016 at 2:50 pm

    It’s more a question of acceptance and commitment than just acknowledgement, a welcome 1st step for sure, but that must then be followed by a definitive strategy designed to defeat the threat, that which the west adamantly refuses to recognize much less confront. That strategy would most likely include “boots on the ground,” one that the west is avoiding like the plague.

    But is this really unusual? Generally speaking, the west is always reluctant to immerse itself in armed conflict while the forces that are forever completely immersed in extreme hatred for all that the west stands for are forever determined to destroy everything the west has been forced to fight and die for; most especially liberal western values, diversity, personal and religious freedom and a deep revulsion for the violence, destruction, personal suffering and death that is unfortunately made necessary by its perpetual adversaries.

    To this old observer and beneficiary of western cultural development it is evident that those who might bear some responsibility for the carnage that will surely ensue, should the obvious looming threat of armed conflict be recognized and publicly pronounced, are at best, extremely reluctant or more concerned about the political implications (George lied, people died) or at worst, completely incapable of perceiving other than their own intellectual fantasies. Further, any such pronouncement, at any time, after months and years of studiously avoiding and denying that any such threat might exist, as 9/11 recedes from memory, will undoubtedly not be welcome news among those whose fathers, sons, brothers, relatives, friends, etc. are called to arms. It’s basic human nature, no more, no less.

    And, there is a mountain of evidence, that declaring war against a religious ideology, in western societies dedicated to the freedom to worship as people see fit, adds a particularly difficult complication to the process. There are signs that this wall of denial is beginning to crumble but there is yet a long way to go.

  29. citycat says

    May 24, 2016 at 4:35 pm

    The peaceful breeding also is a great part of the war.

  30. citycat says

    May 24, 2016 at 5:19 pm

    Half the babies born today in Bradford UK are pakistan Muslims, plus whatever non-pakistan muslims are.
    Outbreed the infidel, simple, who need’s a war. Look within the countries.

  31. Richard Paulsen says

    May 24, 2016 at 8:00 pm

    The new president of Austria will try all efforts to come to terms with xenophobes.
    Such martinets leading Europe. Into the abyss.

  32. SD says

    May 25, 2016 at 3:17 am

    We westerners do not want to fight Wars out of religious reasons. We have already gone through this phase in history. We learnt from it and don’t want to repeat it. The Muslims on the other hand because of their backward culture and their Islamic Cult are very much sectarian and very much about enforcing God’s supported laws and needs, its not limited to but also utilizing violence as a means to achieve such enforcement. It is precisely because the Muslim enemies of the West are basing their fight also on religious ideology and teachings and firing up their supporters and Fighters with such ideology and teachings that makes this a war that is very much about religion. Surely if we are fighting people that base their fight on a political ideology for example National Socialism AKA Nazi ideology or communist ideology then we would have no problem to characterize it as a war between democracy and freedom vs Nazi ideology Etc.
    It doesn’t matter what we want, it doesn’t matter what our comfort zone is in this regard this is a war about religion and we should not hide that fact. If we do not acknowledge this then how are we to fight and win.

  33. rabrooks says

    May 25, 2016 at 7:06 am

    Those silly belgieq’s got rolled over twice, and never thought they were at war with the germans either time. (kinda)
    Just had how many killed in his own country?

    From every corner of the mudslime world, they are saying the same thing. “death to ——-“, “break the crosses”, “erase Israel”, we will conquer the west”, blah, blah……..

    If I suggest that we should start randomly killing muzzies here, like they do there, I’ll be in jail quick!

  34. EL says

    May 25, 2016 at 9:01 am

    If this pip-squeak is a Prime minister? We’re doomed!

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