Max Abrahms, who describes himself as “#Terrorism Theorist / Northeastern Prof / Council on Foreign Relations / Center for Cyber & Homeland Security,” is the quintessential establishment foreign policy analyst, a hack fronting policies that have failed again and again and again, and that Abrahms, and the establishment in general, don’t even realize have failed.
Yesterday he joined the general establishment pile-on against Donald Trump, belatedly, since his colleagues, friends and allies have been noting this “undeniable” point for weeks and months before Max arrived on the scene, breathless with discovery:
When Trump first proposed his temporary moratorium on Muslim immigration, I was amazed to see otherwise clear thinking writers publishing articles with titles such as, “Don’t Ban Muslims, Just Ban Islamists.” This is is less surprising coming from as muddled and limited a thinker as Max Abrahms, but that he would express this view underscores that it has become the establishment line against Trump’s proposal, no doubt prevailing at the Council on Foreign Relations and at Northeastern University.
The problem is that while it sounds sensible to ban “Islamists” only, or “jihadis” only, rather than all Muslims, or at least those coming from rogue terror states, what none of those who have criticized Trump for this proposal have ever recognized is that it is impossible to distinguish Islamists and jihadis from among peaceful Muslims. This is especially true since the Islamic State has instructed jihadis not to appear overtly religious, but instead to be clean-shaven, wear Western dress, and appear to be exactly the “moderate Muslim” that is the object of all the West’s hopes. And so it’s easy to dismiss Trump as a bigot for suggesting this, but no one has ever offered an alternative suggestion for how to prevent jihadis from entering the country.
If Max Abrahms had a modicum of wit and understanding of the problem of which he purports to be a “theorist,” he would realize that it is not Donald Trump, but Islamic jihadis themselves, who have made sure that there is no distinction between “the vast, vast majority of Muslims who are law-abiding” and “Muslim terrorists.” Trump is not refusing to recognize that there are Muslims who are law-abiding, but acknowledging that it is impossible to identify the jihadis who are among them. Max Abrahms would rather see Americans die in jihad attacks than take politically incorrect steps to try to prevent those deaths.

Peter says
International polls consistently demonstrate that two-thirds of Muslims worldwide want to live under Islamic law or Shariah, which is inherently hostile, indeed predatory, towards non-Muslims. Most Muslims may be law-abiding, but that doesn’t mean much if most of them support or condone the imposition of Islamic law on humanity. Given that Muhammad was himself a (self-declared) terrorist and is the role model or archetype of good Muslim behavior, Islam is the problem, not ostensible misinterpreters, perverters, misunderstanders or “extremists” of the pre-modern “true faith.”
mortimer says
Agree. Over 2/3 of Muslims want discriminatory Sharia and a caliphate. That sounds exactly like ISIS.
Abrahms simply makes up his own polls. This is dishonest and disreputable.
Buraq says
There is a saying: “Practise makes perfect.” But it seems that the more you practise Islam, the more imperfect you become.
That’s what clowns like Max Abrahms don’t get! It’s only those who don’t practise Allah’s eternal commands to kill the unbeliever who can make a useful contribution to society.
Budvarakbar says
They all read the same Koran – which gives all the same commandments, sacraments and “LAWS” —
I heard once that the Spanish Inquisition was largely started due to the propensity of some of the population to be aiding and abetting the re-invasion of the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors!
silvergreycat says
Budvarakbar,
*…I heard once that the Spanish Inquisition was largely started due to the propensity of some of the population to be aiding and abetting the re-invasion of the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors!* See also… https://www.britannica.com/topic/Spanish-Inquisition
IQ al Rassooli says
Max Abrahms like ALL the brain dead so called ‘experts’ and ‘academicians’ on Islam who have not got a clue about the subject and they show their total lack of both integrity, honesty and intellect while writing such asinine articles as his
Not ALL Germans were NAZIS. Not ALL Russians and Chinese were Communists. Pray tell us Max, how could you have differentiated between the Nazis or Communists and those who were not?
On the other hand, EVERY single Muslim is a potential Mass Murderer because as Muslims, he/she must abide by Sharia. Since Sharia is the NEMESIS of ALL known human freedoms, and indoctrinates Muslims to be ENEMIES of ALL none Muslims (currently none Muslims called Kuffar/ Infidels are 80% of humanity), please Max tell us how there can ever be MODERATE Muslims?
Max, there are over 100 verses in Muhammad’s Quran alone ( I am ignoring the thousands in Hadith) that INCITE Muslims to a) Forcibly convert none Muslims b) have all none Muslims submit to Sharia c) failing these two, EXTERMINATE all
Max, you are a very very STUPID Infidel whose head would be severed in an instant by Muslims. In your case I have absolutely no doubt that you would convert to Islam to save your unworthy life
IQ al Rassooli
Kafir & Proud!
Michael Copeland says
The “vast, vast majority of Muslims” may well be law-abiding, but they do not define Islam. Nor can they influence it or change it.
Yes, the vast majority of muslims are not at present carrying out the commands to kill non-muslims. This makes no difference to the fact that the commands are there, in Islam’s source texts. The source texts alone define Islam: there is no contribution from the vast majority of muslims.
“The Quran directly commands us to commit terrorism, so why are we afraid of it?”
Ragab Hilal Hamida, Egyptian MP, in the Egyptian Parliament, January 2006.
(http://www.libertygb.org.uk/news/ideology-killing)
Muslims are REQUIRED to believe what they are INSTRUCTED.
There is no lee way.
“The Ummah possesses no power except to acknowledge and obey”,
ruled Dr Salah al Sawy of the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America.
Koran 33:36 is his source:
“It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger to have any option about their decision.”
Muslims who say they believe anything else are deemed to have left Islam.
Koran 33:36 continues:
” if any one disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.”
“Wrong Path” identifies apostates, those who have left the path, “Sharia”, of Islam. They get to be vigilante-killed. The killing carries no penalty “since it is killing someone who deserves to die”.
The vast majority of baseball players do not define baseball. Baseball is defined by its rule book.
EYESOPEN says
Very well stated Michael. You are 100% correct. Somebody should tell Max that the bad guys don’t wear name tags – or put them on once they decide they are going to become “devout”.
Norger says
Those are some powerfully illustrative quotes.
Angemon says
Virtue signaling of the most abject kind.
ich says
I love that !
Virtue signaling is so spot on
gravenimage says
Exactly.
common sense says
Yup they can’t even see their own failings, ALL of them until you get to Hungary Russia and Poland. Max sounds strangely just like an ignorant 3rd world Muslim or juiced up Jihadist. Bizarre!
Badbob says
He’s a big fat liar and he knows it everybody knows it Trump has made a distinction very clearly
King Tut says
the Jews created the Council on Foreign Relations in 1920 to control what governments do.
efoc says
Thanks for that enlightening info, King S**t.
King Tut says
anytime. glad to be of service.
efoc says
You are of service in showing how badly anti-Semitism is as a form of mental illness. You require professional help.
gravenimage says
Vicious antisemite “King Tut” wrote:
the Jews created the Council on Foreign Relations in 1920 to control what governments do.
……………………..
And yet, the Jews had such “iron control” over world governments that they were unable to stop the Holocaust twenty years later…
And never mind that of the main founders of the Council on Foreign Relations only Walter Lippmann was Jewish–Woodrow Wilson, Edward M. House and Elihu Root certainly were not.
Why does “King Tut” even bother posting his claptrap here?
There is no doubt that Max Abrahms is being a fool here, but it has nothing to do with his being Jewish. Many Gentiles are just as foolish.
Guest says
Who cares about what this idiot thinks
take off those Belief Blinders says
ironically, Max inadvertently identifies the precise difficulty: how does one distinguish a peaceful muslim from a fundamentalist practicing muslim? very, very difficult, if not impossible, to vet.
and, king tut is dead, and morsi is out of power… go away king turd.
Jeremiah says
Islam is a peculiar religion in which philanthropy is suppressed. In practice it has been a formula for conquest in which physical and spiritual rewards are offered to those who have a common vision, however loose that vision is. Part of the rewards is the cruelty that can be practiced at the expense of all living creatures who depend on our protection. In that sense it is pure cowardice under the guise of piety. In some cases that piety is thin, often hypocritical.
Contrary to other religions, there is no promotion of guilt. Outrageous cruelty is encouraged rather than suppressed. Churchill noticed that Islam was different than other philosophies when he was in (what would later be) Pakistan and then gave that more attention in the Sudan.
As Wilders has stated many times, there is no good Islam, there are perhaps a few Muslims who have not yet read the Koran and are unsure of their position. While they are unsure they are hesitant to help us in any significant way.
Islam is perpetuated through hypnotic ritual and the guidance of Imams at mosques. It is dependent on the mind-boggling duplicity of the Koran, which has no literary or intellectual value. It’s only value is to justify the basic instinct of cruelty and to overcome kindness by making it an entitlement that comes from Allah as a reward for cruelty.
The solution is to destroy all mosques worldwide and to prohibit the teaching of the Koran. If this is not done, they misery will continue until Islam cannot be dislodged. Islam’s goal is to destroy the world and they are well on their way to accomplish that. Who will see the truth?
EYESOPEN says
I agree Jeremiah. In Wafa Sultan’s book, A God Who Hates, she described an occasion when she was walking (somewhere, I don’t remember now) and she came upon three young boys who could not have been more than 8 or 9 years old. They had caught a bird; and one of them was ripping the feathers out of the poor bird WHILE IT WAS ALIVE, while the other two were gleefully watching the hateful spectacle.
She asked them why they would do such a horrible thing to a defenseless creature. Instead of being struck with shame at the horror and pain they were inflicting on the poor creature, all they could do was to berate her for being out of the house alone without a male relative; and why didn’t she shut up and just go back home.
THIS is the type of Satanic cruelty that is taught to or encouraged in young muzlims (sic – on purpose) boys in particular. The fact that, in Iran, there are those who go about destroying dogs by injecting them with acid, while the poor animals die in agony is another horrific example of this evil. Not to mention what the evil barbarians do to humans that we have all heard about. Yes. All of this is is plain evil, and is a perfect example of Satan’s work upon the Earth.
gravenimage says
Jeremiah and EYESOPEN, you are both quit right about the horrible cruelty of Islam.
gravenimage says
CFR “terrorism theorist” Max Abrahms hits Trump for not distinguishing “law-abiding” Muslims from terrorists
……………………
Isn’t the whole point that we can’t–or can’t yet, as Trump would have it–distinguish between the two?
The fact is that *all* pious Muslims adhere to the tenets of Islam, which include Jihad–so we can *never* be sure if–or when–any individual Muslim will decide to wage Jihad.
Nor is this as cut and dried as this “terrorism theorist” appears to believe–even many Muslims who are not waging Jihad still support it, and many Muslims fund Jihad. And many would not report a Jihad plot if they knew of it.
And even more than this–how many Muslims support the final aim of Jihad–to turn our civilized lands into Shari’ah states? As it is, a majority of Muslims in the United States support this.
Robert Crawford says
We’ll make that distinction when they do.
gravenimage says
Pithy and spot-on, Robert.
mortimer says
Islam is an inherently subversive ideology. Mr. Khan is showing how subversive Muslims can be. He is merely following standard jihad ideology by bringing Muslims to the US to settle and create a nucleus of jihadists. He earns a living from hijra which is a precursor of jihad.
A number of Islamic doctrines conceal Islam’s civilizational conquest. Jihad is the method of conquest. Muhammad stated that it is the moral duty of devout Muslims to engage in the jihad of the sword, the jihad of the pen (war propaganda) or the jihad of money (financing violent jihad). Mohammad said that ‘War is deceit’. Muslims conceal jihad in many ways.
mortimer says
It would be interesting to see just how many of Mr. Khan’s immigrants are related to jihadist activities. That would prove that Trump has a point in reviewing the entire policy of Muslim immigration.
Khan may be bringing jihadists to the US, thus proving that Trump’s concern is well founded.
Rob says
http://www.vdare.com/articles/muslim-soldiers-who-kill-their-comrades-will-their-victims-parents-get-to-speak-at-any-conventions
Norger says
But my guess is that this story gets zero traction with the MSM.
EXFed58 says
The problem with “Law Abiding” followers of the Islamic “Faith” is that they follow Sharia “Law” which requires murderous barbaric behavior, is antithetical to The Constitution…and is prima facie Sedition and Treason.
خَليفة says
I repeat myself…
Inside every Muslim is an uncivilized barbarian waiting to come out.
Pong says
Mr. Zero barked at Trump and has his 5 min of glory. Noticed him patronizing Trump?
How else this eampty suit could get attention from the media. Yes, it is stupid party.
Ian says
Is there such a thing as a peaceful moslem/
joe klitzing says
Joe K
Her is why there is no such thing as moderate islam, history.
pdxnag says
Less pious Muslims are less likely to follow the Islamic command to engage in sedition and thus pose less of a risk, except their kids could go full Islam if they are told they are “Muslim” and read Islamic texts faithfully. There is no such thing as dual citizenship between a citizen of the Islamic Ummah and citizenship in any free nation.
ich says
HOW DO WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN??!!!
Lets see a real debate on Islam .
Vile ISIS scholar vs shady Khan or any other liberal apologist.
Add Robert in the mix of course !!!!
Derrick Abdul-Hakim says
Robert,
I’m going to be niggly here since no one else will. There’s an ambiguity in your assertion that “it is impossible to distinguish Islamists and jihadis from among peaceful Muslims.” Your claim equivocates between:
(i) It is epistemically impossible to distinguish between Islamists/jihadis and peaceful Muslims.
and
(ii) It is practically impossible to distinguish between Islamists/jihadis and peaceful Muslims.
Clearly (i) doesn’t collapse into (ii), nor does (ii) collapse into (i). For whatever its worth, I don’t buy (i). So what if it’s epistemically impossible to draw a distinction between Islamists and peaceful Muslims? It’s not epistemically possible to draw a distinction between an ordinary law-abiding non-Muslim American citizen and a potentially law enforcement-hunting non-Muslim American citizen, is it? In fact, law enforcement agents are in greater danger than any ordinary American citizen no matter how many Muslims enter the U.S. from foreign or terror heavy territories. (i) seems too high a standard.
Perhaps you mean something like (ii)? (ii) seems dubious to me. What’s your evidence for that? Moreover, if there’s no practical way to distinguish between Islamists and peaceful Muslims I don’t see what would be accomplished with a “temporary” Muslim ban. If it’s impossible to practically draw a distinction between two classes of people it’s foolhardy to think there’s some conceivable way you can, to borrow a line from Trump, “figure out what the hell is going on.”
That Trump has yet to distinguish between (i) and (ii) is why so many believe he’s providing aid and comfort to those who simply don’t Muslims in the country.
IQ al Rassooli says
Derrick
It is OBVIOUS that you may know about terminologies but it is also OBVIOUS that you have not got an iota of clue regarding Islam & Muslims
So please do not pit your wits against Robert Spencer!
Let me EDUCATE you:
There are and can NEVER be MODERATE and or PEACEFUL Muslims. These caricatures reside in the figment of imagination of clueless people in Politics, Academia, Media and Clergy
Muslims are Muslims just as Nazis were Nazis and Communists are Communists. NO SHADES.
Hence there is Nothing to DISTINGUISH between Muslims. Each and every Muslim is the ENEMY of every human being who is NOT a Muslim (currently Infidels/ Kuffar are 80% of humanity) and every Muslim is therefore a potential Mass Murderer because Muhammad’s Quran mandates how they should be
Just try to prove me WRONG!
IQ al Rassooli
Kafir & Proud!
patriotliz says
It makes sense to ban anyone who follows the Koran which commands jihad and killing of infidels in order to be a true believer. Those so-called peaceful Muslims are peaceful until…. they are not. We can’t distinguish among devout and non-devout followers of Mohammed because “It’s the IDEOLOGY, Stupid.” WE SHOULD BE AT WAR WITH ISLAM. Islamic states ban/persecute Christianity and other religions so WHY give Islamic ideology an inch of tolerance?
Mazo says
Abrahms is one of the biggest haters of Clinton and constantly bashes Clinton, rarely commenting on Trump. He attacks Syrian rebels as terrorist and he calls for supporting Assad. Most of his tweets are ranting against the “establishment”. A look at his twitter timeline will tell anyone this.
gravenimage says
More distractions from Mazo. Robert Spencer was commenting on the foolishness of Abrahms’ comments here, not the reviewing his entire career.
gravenimage says
That should have been, “not reviewing his entire career”. Incomplete edit.
UNCLE VLADDI says
The only reason the “vast, vast majority of muslims are law-abiding” is that they still live amongst other muslims, and the “law” they abbide by is called “sharia” which is actually a form of crime.
Any “terror theorist” like this guy is no more than a dangerous complicit apologist and enabler for the global murder-gang. He is a delusive liar and public fraud. Such fraud as his is an attempt to endanger and destroy the United States, and as such should be regarded as sedition. He should be charged for it.
larry morris says
there is no such thing as a good muslim they lie to non believers if one trusts one you are a dumb ass they wait until they have the numbers hink then start there crap i should say im sorry but this is a fight to the death and people better think about being nice to some one that wants to cut off your head
Manuele says
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A GOOD, LAW ABIDING MUSLIM. I SAY THAT THE DAY YOU SO CALL GOOD, LAW ABIDING MUSLIM BURN THE KORAN DISREGARD MOHAMMAD’S TEACHING IS THE DAY YOU ALL START THINKING FROM YOUR OWN FUCKEN STUPID BRAINS.