This AP study is one in an apparently endless stream of mainstream media articles intended to show us that the Islamic State has nothing to do with Islam, and that the real Islam is peaceful and benign, so we need have no concern about the elites’ suicidal Muslim immigration policies. It is, as one might expect, vague and anecdotal. Apparently much of AP’s assumptions rest on jihadis’ own self-evaluation of how much they knew about Islam, as well as their refusal to expound on Islamic theology in court. That they might rate themselves low, and not feel competent as non-clerics to explain Islam, does not mean that they knew little about it, much less that the Islamic State has nothing to do with Islam.
AP ignores, for example, the central importance that the Islamic State places upon the Qur’an. Its beheadings (47:4), sex slavery (4:3, 4:24, 23:1-6, 33:50, 70:30), subjugation of Christians (9:29), global imperative (8:39) and more are all based upon the Qur’an. In its communiques, it quotes it copiously: in threats to blow up the White House and conquer Rome and Spain; in explaining its priorities in the nations it is targeting in jihad; in preaching to Christians after collecting the jizya (a Qur’an-based tax, cf. Qur’an 9:29); in justifying the execution of accused spies; and in its various videos.
It has also awarded $10,000 prizes and sex slaves in Qur’an memorization contests. One of its underground lairs was found littered with weapons and copies of the Qur’an. Children in the Islamic State study the Qur’an and get weapons training.
As for misrepresenting the Qur’an, one Malaysian Muslim said that the Qur’an led him to join the Islamic State. A Muslima in the U.S. promoted the Islamic State by quoting the Qur’an. An Islamic State propagandist’s parents said of him: “Our son is a devout Muslim. He had learnt the Quran by heart.” A Muslim politician from Jordan said that the Islamic State’s “doctrine stems from the Qur’an and Sunnah.”
Then there is the evergreen anecdote that two jihadis ordered The Koran for Dummies and Islam for Dummies from Amazon, a factoid that has been seized upon before by apologists for Islam, including Mehdi Hasan and Karen Armstrong, as evidence that Muslims going to Syria and Iraq to join the jihad don’t really know anything about Islam, and are motivated by other factors. However, no one but they really know why they ordered the books. Maybe they felt as if they needed to know more about Islam, now that they were committing everything to it — but that doesn’t mean they didn’t know anything to start with. Maybe they wanted to learn how to explain it all better, or were planning to give the books to their irreligious relatives, or any number of other possibilities. But any half-truth or outright lie will do for the likes of AP, Hasan or Armstrong when it comes to exonerating Islam from all responsibility for crimes committed in accord with its texts and teachings.
AP even invokes Tariq Ramadan to emphasize that Islam forbids the killing of innocents. It doesn’t ask Ramadan to explain the Islamic perspective that considers no non-Muslims to be innocent, or the Islamic State’s view that they are fighting against people who are not innocent because they have rejected the authority of the ISIS caliphate. AP doesn’t tell you how the slick pseudo-moderate Ramadan, the grandson of Muslim Brotherhood founder Hasan al-Banna, is skillful at manipulating credulous Infidels into thinking that he is the very model of the modern moderate Muslim when actually he has never called for any genuine reform or rejection of any Sharia provision, including jihad warfare against Infidels.
“‘Islam for Dummies’: IS recruits have poor grasp of faith,” by Aya Batrawy, Paisley Dodds and Lori Hinnant, Associated Press, August 15, 2016:
PARIS (AP) — The jihadi employment form asked the recruits, on a scale of 1 to 3, to rate their knowledge of Islam. And the Islamic State applicants, herded into a hangar somewhere at the Syria-Turkey border, turned out to be overwhelmingly ignorant.
The extremist group could hardly have hoped for better.
At the height of Islamic State’s drive for foot soldiers in 2013 and 2014, typical recruits included the group of Frenchmen who went bar-hopping with their recruiter back home, the recent European convert who now hesitantly describes himself as gay, and two Britons who ordered “The Koran for Dummies” and “Islam for Dummies” from Amazon to prepare for jihad abroad. Their intake process complete, they were grouped in safe houses as a stream of Islamic State imams came in to indoctrinate them, according to court testimony and interviews by The Associated Press….
An AP analysis of thousands of leaked Islamic State documents reveals most of its recruits from its earliest days came with only the most basic knowledge of Islam. A little more than 3,000 of these documents included the recruits’ knowledge of Shariah, the system that interprets into law verses from the Quran and “hadith” — the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad.According to the documents, which were acquired by the Syrian opposition site Zaman al-Wasl and shared with the AP, 70 percent of recruits were listed as having just “basic” knowledge of Shariah — the lowest possible choice. Around 24 percent were categorized as having an “intermediate” knowledge, with just 5 percent considered advanced students of Islam. Five recruits were listed as having memorized the Quran.
The findings address one of the most troubling questions about IS recruitment in the United States and Europe: Are disaffected people who understand Shariah more prone to radicalization? Or are those with little knowledge of Islam more susceptible to the group’s radical ideas that promote violence?
The documents suggest the latter. The group preys on this religious ignorance, allowing extremists to impose a brand of Islam constructed to suit its goal of maximum territorial expansion and carnage as soon as recruits come under its sway….
“My religious beliefs had nothing to do with my departure,” Karim Mohammad-Aggad told the court, before being sentenced to nine years in prison. “Islam was used to trap me like a wolf,” he said.IS data shows Karim and his brother Foued were among eight in the Strasbourg group listed as having “basic” knowledge of Sharia.
Expressing a common sentiment shared by many Europeans of North African descent, Mohammed-Aggad told the court he felt like an immigrant in Algeria and “a dirty Arab” in France. After just a few months in Syria, he said he left IS because he was treated by the extremists as an “apostate” — someone who had renounced his religion.
When pressed by the judge on his knowledge of Shariah and how the IS group implements it, Mohammad-Aggad, a former gas station attendant, appeared dumbfounded, saying repeatedly: “I don’t have the knowledge to answer the question.”
One of his co-defendants, Radouane Taher, was also pressed by the judge on whether beheadings carried out by the IS group conformed to Islamic law.
He couldn’t say for sure, answering: “I don’t have the credentials.”
That’s where Amazon comes in.
The trial of longtime friends Mohammed Ahmed and Yusuf Sarwar, from the British city of Birmingham, revealed the 22-year-olds had ordered “The Koran for Dummies” and “Islam for Dummies” books in preparation for their trip to join extremists in Syria. They were arrested on their return to Britain and convicted in 2014 of terrorism offenses….
Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan said a close look at the IS group’s top commanders shows that many had no religious credentials but, instead, they once held senior positions under Saddam Hussein’s secular Baathist government.
Ramadan teaches Islamic Studies at Oxford and has written numerous books on Islam and the integration of Muslims in Europe. He says Muslim scholars must demonstrate that what IS teaches is wrong.
“The people who are doing this are not experiencing martyrdom, they are criminals. They are killing innocent people. Nothing in Islam, nothing ever can justify the killing of innocent people, never, ever.”…

Walter Sieruk says
A very important question: “Is the Quran the Word of God or is it a fabrication of a man. Thus, is the Quran the truth or a fiction and a hoax ?” The jihadists, asISIS use many verses from the Quran as the main source of justification for their violence, mayhem and murders. As found in For example, 4:89. 5:33. 9:5,111,123. 47:4. The answer is clearly given on pages 145 through 157 in THE ISLAMIC INVASION by Robert Morey in which he wrote a section on the Quran with its self-contradictions. Just two of the many he cited are the following “The Quran differs on whether a day is a thousand years or fifty thousand years in God’s sight’ and “Who was first to believe? Abraham or Moses [Sura 6:14 versus 7:143]? The above is inconsistent and illogical. Further, Morey wrote about “The fact that Judaism and Christianity broke up into different sects was used in the Quran to prove that they are not of God [Suras 30:20-32. 42:13, 14]. Yet Islam has broken up into many warring sects and therefore cannot be true if the Quran is right.” Moreover, Morey in his book shows many more contradictions and absurdities in the Quran, there are and how Muhammad incorporated extra Biblical and Jewish folklore along with pre-Islamic Arabian myth and parts of Zoroastrian and Hindu stories into the Quran. Furthermore, the Muslims claim that “the Quran is the direct, literal word of God unmodified in any way by the Prophet who uttered them at the bidding of God.” Nevertheless, in the book UNVEILING ISLAM by Ergun Mehmet and Eethi Caner has shown that the Quran was modified in the following account on pages 45. “Muhammad felt the need to improve on the words of Allah, since he changed Allah’s wisdom for his own on several occasions. A hadith tells of the nonchalant emendations of Muhammad:’ On a number of occasions he [a scribe] had, with the Prophet’s consent changed the closing words of verses. For example, when the prophet had said ‘God is mighty and wise ‘ Adbollah b. Abi Sarh suggested writing down ‘Knowing and wise’ and the Prophet answered that there was no objection. Having observed a succession of changes of this type, Adbollah renounced Islam on the grounds that revelations, if from God could not be changed at the prompting of a scribe such as himself. After his apostasy he went to Mecca and joined the Qorayshites.’ Other writers reveal that later Muhammad and his people did go war with the Qorayshites and he personally killed Abdollah. Obviously Abdollah knew too much and Muhammad wanted Abdollah’s knowledge to die with him.” In conclusion, the Quran is not only a fiction, it’s also a hoax.
duh swami says
A very important question: “Is the Quran the Word of God or is it a fabrication of a man.
Haha,,,that’s a trick question…right?
Robert says
From my finite wisdom and understanding that Mohamed was given his instructions by the Archangel Gabriel (or was it Michael?) which leads me to believe that 2 Cor. 11;4 was being implemented, (And no wonder! for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.) I think this answers all questions relating to the Quran.
duh swami says
Was Gabriel telling Mahound the truth? Or did Gabby make it all up…Where is Gabriel now?
gravenimage says
I think Mo was making it up…
Adrian says
The AP writers state:
“The findings address one of the most troubling questions about IS recruitment in the United States and Europe: … Are those with little knowledge of Islam more susceptible to the group’s radical ideas that promote violence?”
Another conclusion is that the “ignorant” recruits wind up boning up on Islam and its core violence because THAT IS PRECISELY WHAT ISLAM IS… and THAT IS PRECISELY WHY THEY WERE ATTRACTED IN THE FIRST PLACE…
Walter Sieruk says
A claim by Islamic scholars as well as jihadists is that no one can produce something as beautiful as the Quran in the way the words are arranged and thus it can only be of God. This claim should be answered.
First, all someone has to do is examine some of the great works of literature to fine much written beauty. Such as the Greek epic poet Homer with his Iliad and Odyssey and then Virgil who produced the Aeneid has beauty. Even one of the non-Bible books in the Apocrypha called The Song of Three Children is also very beautiful. Thus just because someone sees a work that is written in great beauty doesn’t mean it’s inspired by God.
Second, the scholar Edward Gibbon wrote after an examination of the Quran that it is an “incoherent jumble of fable and precept and declamation which seldom excites a sentiment or an idea, sometimes craws in the dust and is sometimes lost in the clouds…” The writer Thomas Carlyle wrote the Quran is “A wearisome jumble, crude, incondite [with] endless iterations [and] longwindedness…” Likewise, the philosopher David Hume was NOT favorably impressed after reading the Quran.
[Source of the three scholars mentioned – Secrets of The Koran: Revealing Insight Into Islam’s Holy Book .56,66, by Don Richardson]
Furthermore, the following should be taken into consideration.
Of course the Muslim who reads the Quran will see great beauty in the way the words are arranged. This is, in part, because of the power of suggestion after being told so many times that the Quran is so beautifully written. That’s an old brainwashing method, repeating and being told that same thing again and again. Since he or she is always being told the same lie will end up believing that lie. In addition to that, the Imams try to discourage their people from reading other works, such as the Bible, so then they don’t have much or anything to compare or contrast the Quran with. Of course there are some Muslim’s that do read other works, but they are exceptions and they read other things only after they were already brainwashed by the Imams. In short, the Muslims can’t read the Quran objectively because their Imams have programmed them to have a strong bias towards it.
gravenimage says
There are crappy pop songs that are more beautiful than the hideous Qur’an–one need not even go to fine poetry or classical music. But as noted, this argument cannot be won, since Muslims find this arid viciousness of the Qur’an “beautiful”, and no one can dissuade them…
Ciudadano says
“no one can produce something as beautiful as the Quran in the way the words are arranged and thus it can only be of God. ”
Even if the premise of that proposition were true, which is highly debatable given the subjectivity of the issue, how come the conclusion follows the premise. To me that proposition is just a non sequitur. The supposed beauty of the coran can be attributed to any other supernatural entity. Maybe the same entity that tricked muhamed once to include some verses that later were discarded from the coran. There is an infamus and beatiful angel well kwnown for tempting humans with beautiful things.
Leving supernatural considerations aside, how can a book with so many gross errors come from God?
Walter Sieruk says
The fiendish and heinous jihadists of ISIS t based their violent and murderous behavior on the instruction of violence and killing that is found in the Koran Sura 2:191. 4:89; 5:33. 9:5, 111,123. 47:4. For a more full understanding of the actual nature of the Koran a person need to look back in time before the coming of Muhammad and then the Koran. Back to the First Century AD which was the time of early Christian church. For the Early Christian Church had and now in modern times the Christian church still has the Gospel of Christ, First Corinthians 15:1-4. Much later, in time, came Muhammad and he gave much information, that many believe to be divine, some of which is said to have been obtained from an angle from heaven. This information was written down on different objects and things Those written words in different objects was then compiled together and then eventually went into the composition of what is now called the Koran, As some also call it the Qur’an. The Koran is actually, that is in reality, another gospel, apart and greatly different from the Gospel of the Christian Church. Such a thing was predicted in the Bible. For the Bible does warn about those who will come and offer to people another gospel other than the one shown above, First Corinthians 15:1-4. For it is warned about any other “gospel” in the Bible. For it is written in the Bible “Though we or an angle from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so I say now again, if any man preaches any other gospel unto you than ye have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8, 9. [K.J.V.] Therefore, the Koran is the result of the deception of a false prophet, Mathew 7:15., who may have come in contact with a fallen angle, a demon, So the imams and mullahs who preach it a truth to other are accused of and by God.
dwight hogg says
The hatred and violence engendered by Islam is a tsunami engulfing the world – it is beyond incredible all the political correct commentary trying to shut down any and all criticism of Islam and what is being done in the name of Islam. Organizations like CAIR are desperate to hide the truth – but Muslims are taught that lying to infidels is acceptable and in fact a religious requirement. The blatant evil of regimes like Iran and Saudi Arabia could not be less obvious to anyone who simply chooses to see. The same people made excuses for Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and Castro – all genocidal murders and torturers. And now we have Islam.
duh swami says
Everyone knows that Islam is peaceful…but no one can prove it…
don vito says
AP exhibits as much knowledge of reporting, as islam does the truth. AP most likely got a headsup from Soros and Media Matters. AP, a bitch of islam, an assassin of western culture, society, people, and thought.
Angemon says
Since most applicants rate themselves as having a “basic” knowledge of sharia, ISIS has nothing to do with islam. Genius deduction!!!
Ciudadano says
The point the article tries to make, if there is any, is irrelevant and ridiculous.
Probably the Isis recruits’ knowledge of Islam just reflects the normal distribution of knowledge of the general Muslim population. The fact is most people aren’t experts on their own religion.
The relevant fact is that Muslims, and only muslims, from many countries and backgrounds, join ISIS, moved by religious feelings, and that terrorist organization considers it important the religious training of their recruits. They even have imans to indoctrinate new recruits.
Even if the tesis of the article were true, what kind of religion is Islam that a basic knowledge of if makes people prone to religious violence?
But another alarming fact is that, according to the article, 5% of Isis recruits seem to be advanced students of Islam, and that didn’t stop them from joining Isis!!! That fact alone contradicts the tesis of the article. That is a big percentage compared to normal distribution of religious knowledge of a population.
“pressed by the judge on whether beheadings carried out by the IS group conformed to Islamic law”
That is absurd. Now Isis are not Islamic because they don’t follow the proper procedure to behead someone. Isn’t it alarming to any one that there is a religion that prescribes beheading of people???? “What difference does it make” if they follow the right procedure or an express one?
Peter says
The leader of ISIS has a PhD in Islamic Studies; the mainstream media has an education in political correctness and delusional wishful thinking.
linnte says
I almost expect PBUH after each naming of Muhammad in this article. Guess that says it all.
gravenimage says
AP claims ISIS recruits have little knowledge of Islam, ignores ISIS’ adherence to Qur’an
…………………………..
Doesn’t the fact that ISIS is *actually screening recruits for knowledge of Islam* give AP a clue that this is important to the Islamic State? What a bunch of tools…
LR says
Oh, come on AP, you wasted your time on this?
As ciudad noted, it is irrelevant whether recruits know anything about Islam or not, since they are following orders. The key question would be, what does Al Baghdadi know about Islam, since he is the esteemed leader of IS.
Jack Diamond says
Tariq Ramadan to the contrary, here is what happens to a recruit AFTER he joins ISIS:
“Sharia training varies from one member to another, depending on the group’s assessment of his value or loyalty. New recruits join training that ranges from two weeks, one month, 45 days, six months up to one year. Inside the camps, students receive a mix of military, political and sharia orientation, usually given by around five instructors. During training, recruits can be dispatched to checkpoints but not to the frontlines. After they graduate, they will remain under supervision and can be expelled or punished in case of noncompliance – including being lashed if they express reservations. In some cases, new members who struggle with the brutality of the group’s acts will be sent back to receive more training to “strengthen” their faith.
“You first get the basics about religion,” said Abu Moussa, an Isis-affiliated religious cleric in eastern Syria but originally from Aleppo. “They cleanse you from religious innovations and Ba’athist ideas. Issuing fatwas is restricted to clerics and nobody can kill without a fatwa unless in the battlefield. You also study Arabic and learn how to speak in standard Arabic if you don’t know.”
Clerics in charge of religious training at Isis, known as sharii, are mostly academically qualified and have longstanding experience within the organisation’s ranks. Isis also relies on young clerics who have recently joined its ranks to compensate for the shortage of imams to cover the approximately 20 mosques in every town that falls under its control.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/25/inside-isis-training-camps
The article could have told you this, Tariq Ramadan could have told you this. They chose not to.
duh swami says
The AP obfuscates and lies in favor of Allah… When was the last time the MSM reported anything truthful or useful about Islam?
mortimer says
Question for AP…please explain the following:
The Koran’s 164 Jihad Verses: K 002:178-179, 190-191, 193-194, 216-218, 244; 003:121-126, 140-143, 146, 152-158, 165-167,169, 172-173, 195; 004:071-072, 074-077, 084, 089-091, 094-095,100-104; 005:033, 035, 082; 008:001, 005, 007, 009-010, 012, 015-017, 039-048,057-060, 065-075; 009:005, 012-014, 016, 019-020, 024-026, 029,036, 038-039, 041, 044, 052, 073, 081, 083,086, 088, 092, 111, 120, 122-123; 016:110; 022:039, 058, 078; 024:053, 055; 025:052; 029:006, 069; 033:015, 018, 020, 023, 025-027, 050; 042:039; 047:004, 020, 035; 048:015-024; 049:015; 059:002, 005-008, 014; 060:009; 061:004, 011, 013; 063:004; 064:014; 066:009; 073:020; 076:008
Rational says
It would serve everyone reading the content of this website to speak to an actual Muslim and possibly read the words of a theological expert rather than simply copying and painting in vetted and out of context comments from other anti Muslim pundits. (by the way being anti Muslim site being un-American)
The article below is a good example of the work real Muslims are doing every day to combat extreamism.
http://www.npr.org/2016/03/10/469788154/why-the-lessons-of-muhammad-really-really-matter-today
Rational says
Sorry for the typos above
Jack Diamond says
“row row row your boat gently down exstream…”
The article about ISIS camps was written by an actual Muslim.
The 164 jihad verses in the Qur’an were written by an actual Muslim.
Explain how quoting Muslims is “anti-Muslim”, not to mention “un-American”?
Angemon says
Rational posted:
“It would serve everyone reading the content of this website to speak to an actual Muslim ”
What makes you think no one here has?
“and possibly read the words of a theological expert rather than simply copying and painting in vetted and out of context comments from other anti Muslim pundits.”
Like having a muslim or a muslim apologist partially quoting 5:32 to “prove” islam is a religion of peace?
“(by the way being anti Muslim site being un-American)”
Ah ah. No. Being anti-muslim can never be anti-American because being a devout muslim is mutually exclusive with being American.
“The article below is a good example of the work real Muslims are doing every day to combat extreamism.”
That article is filled with lies and half truths. It’s dawah, plain and simple.
gravenimage says
“Rational” wrote:
It would serve everyone reading the content of this website to speak to an actual Muslim and possibly read the words of a theological expert rather than simply copying and painting (sic) in vetted (sic) and out of context comments from other anti Muslim pundits. (by the way being anti Muslim site (sic) being un-American)
………………………………..
Where to start?
Firstly, many of us here have spoken to Muslims–for instance, I had the very knowledgeable Muslims of WhyIslam? confirm that women are second-class citizens under Shari’ah, and that Christians are fair game as targets of violence since they have “lied about Isa”.
Then, none of the Qur’anic verses cited by Mortimer, above, are “in vetted”–these are all verses of Jihad. Anyone with a Qur’an–or access to the internet–can easily look them up.
Then, the idea that being anti-Islam–not anti-Muslim–is un-American is simply grotesque.
Islam enshrines unequal treatment under the law; restrictions of freedom of speech and freedom of religion; the oppression of women, Infidels, and other religious minorities; the sacralization of pedophilia, rape, slavery, and sex slavery, and the brutality of Shari’ah law–how are *any* of these things American?
More:
The article below is a good example of the work real Muslims are doing every day to combat extreamism (sic).
http://www.npr.org/2016/03/10/469788154/why-the-lessons-of-muhammad-really-really-matter-today
………………………………..
The article “Rational” links to is titled, “Fighting Extremism With Knowledge: Learning The Lessons Of Muhammad”.
Never mind that Jihadists act *exactly* on the model of the “Prophet” Muhammed–piracy, mass rape, marrying children, suicide attacks against Infidels, and mass murder.
But none of this is mentioned by Sheikh Hassan Lachheb–instead, we learn that he liked dates, used henna, and used to blow on his hands. These are, of course, all irrelevancies.
The age of his wives at betrothal–clearly an oblique reference to poor little Aisha, whom the “Prophet” married at six and raped at nine–is quickly passed over so that we can learn more about his personal grooming.
Who care if Muhammed was a vicious pedophile? Hey, he urged his companions to keep their fingernails clean…sarc/off
Actually, there is a very disturbing Hadith about little Aisha and the “Prophet’s” toilet habits. He made his child bride scrub the semen stains off his robes before he prayed.
The reference to the Jews of Medina could not be more perverse, since after the Hijira of Muslims there, he soon drove out, enslaved, or mass-murdered all of the Jews there.
How does any of this “combat extreamism”? Clearly, it does not.
In fact, Sheikh Hassan Lachheb has said that apathy or lack of interest in Islam is the biggest problem among Muslims–apparently Jihad terror is not that big a concern.
And what about Dalia Mogahed, the other Muslim cited in the article? She has said that it is wrong to even ask Muslims to condemn terrorism.