Dennis Prager, nationally syndicated radio show host, author of nine books, most recently the number one non-fiction bestseller, The Rational Bible, and the founder of the website Prager University, read an advance copy of my new book The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS, and had this to say:
Robert Spencer’s book on the history of jihad is disturbing – so much so that that mainstream media and academia will either ignore it or label it “Islamophobic.” But that evades the only important question: is the book historically sound or not? If it is not, someone will have to refute the extraordinary amount of evidence Spencer cites. But if it historically sound, this book is as troubling as it is important. That is to say very troubling and very important.
Click here to preorder The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS, the only book of its kind, bringing you the entire history of jihad from its beginnings to the present day, with massive implications for both foreign and domestic policy.
Dum Spiro says
Maybe Robert can make a short Prager U youtube video as a quick introduction to this new book of his.
— Spero
Mo says
Now, there’s an idea!
Phantomfighter says
I agree. I have listened to Dennis Prager for 15 years. I have read a few of Robert Spencer’s books, and have gotten the jist of it all. Hopefully there can be a collaboration, and God Bless Prager U
David says
Like something David Wood does, great idea.
St. Manuel II Palailogos says
Dennis Prager is the last person I would expect to read this book and respond in such a manner. Looking forward to reading.
Wellington says
The “last person?” Why? Prager is way ahead of the curve and thus your negative assessment of him simply makes no sense. He has called out Muslims for their barbarism time and time again, something so many in the West do not do at all. Per my 5:30 P.M. post below, I still think Prager has something to learn about Islam but to describe him as “the last person I would expect to read this book…..” only confirms to me you know very little about this man.
St. Manuel II Palailogos says
I’ve watched hours and hours of him. I know quite a lot about him. His whole theme appears to be calling out “radical” Islam. And I didn’t expect someone who refuses to accept that it’s just normal everyday Islam to be a reader and reviewer of Robert Spencer’s books.
Wellington says
Yeah, but you said “the last person.” The kind of “last person” I imagine would read Robert Spencer, let’s see now, would be almost every Democrat, most every Muslim, heaps and heaps of academics, loads of MSM personnnel, et al. Yes, it would be a long list of people whom I would consider would be the “last person” in this respect before Dennis Prager and that is why I questioned you initially as I did.
gravenimage says
While I agree that there is no “radical Islam”, someone who regularly condemns “radical Islam” is much closer to the truth than the idiots who think that Islam is simply a “religion of peace”, and that anyone who thinks otherwise is an “Islamophobe”. Calling out violent Jihad is certainly a first step.
Wellington says
I listen to Dennis Prager’s radio talk show regularly and have gone many times to his Prager University 5 minute videos on sundry subjects and which are wonderful time and time again. Prager is an extremely astute human being. He speaks many languages and knows a lot about a lot of things. BUT, he still makes a distinction between “Islam” and “Islamism,” and thus in this one area remains deficient.
I have written to him a few times about this (never got a reply) but, to date, I still don’t think he fully comprehends that such a distinction is a phantom distinction. Nonetheless, I am encouraged by what he is quoted as saying here as provided by Robert Spencer. Perhaps he will finally understand that there is just Islam, and no “Islamism,” and that Islam is wretched to its very core.
I will close here by citing what Mark Twain had to say about the Islamic world. As some of you may know, Twain toured Europe and the Middle East in the late 1860’s and thus had much direct experience of, and exposure to, what was then various regions of the Ottoman Empire. He wrote about his peregrinations in his work, The Innocents Abroad (1869). About Jerusalem he said the following, which could easily be applied to what Twain thought about the Muslim world in general, to wit, “Rags, wretchedness, poverty, and dirt, those signs and symbols that indicate the presence of Muslim rule more surely than the crescent flag itself, abound.”
I would like to think that Dennis Prager and other smart people too like Daniel Pipes, who continue to think there is a good Islam lurking out there somewhere, would come across and reflect upon what Twain, about as shrewd a human being who ever lived, had to say about the Islamic world in one of his many masterpieces, The Innocents Abroad, as before mentioned. Let’s hope so.
CogitoErgoSum says
Twain was a master of the English language. The people who speak English should also be masters of their language and change the Arabic name of Islam into its proper English meaning …. SUBMISSION. Submission is the translation of Islam into English. We should stop calling it Islam and start calling it SUBMISSION. The name of the religion in English is SUBMISSION because it’s not about religion so much as it’s about SUBMISSION. A Christian may keep his religion, a Jew may keep his religion if the proper rules are followed and sufficient tribute is paid to the Muslims … who have been told by their god that they are above all others and are to be the overlords of this Earth. Their creed demands that all who live upon the Earth must submit to the authority of the Muslims as granted to them by their god, Allah. If you like your religion you can keep your religion as long as it’s one permitted by the Muslims and it is practiced in a manner dictated by a Muslim above you. So it’s not all about religion; it’s all about Submission, Submission, Submission. The name of the religion is Submission and you are to submit to the Religion of Submission even if you are not one of its members. I hope I’m making myself clear and using proper English …. and, oh yes, I would like to make it clear that I refuse to submit.
Wellington says
I second that fine suggestion of yours, CES.
Yes, there are religions such as Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Sikhism, Taoism and Submission.
Yep, sometimes the accurate word really does matter—as here.
Raja says
CogitoErgoSum, You have hit the right nail on the head. Although I have admired the Brits for their character and discipline I have been wondering how they could call all “religions” as religion when in reality Islam is no religion at all, whereas Christianity is a path. In fact, Christianity finds no mention in the bible. The church and the state are clearly divided in the bible-new testament.
Islam is a legal system that is seeking to perfect submission for mankind to itself, which is bad news for mankind. .Only Satan can be hyperactive to see this happen.
So you have two English terms that are a stumbling block / detrimental to the ignorant, willful or otherwise or may I say-for the serenity of the world.
mortimer says
Dum Spiro wrote: “Submission is the translation of Islam.”
Furthermore, no one is as submitted as a slave.
Islam is thus a euphemism for ‘slavery’.
boakai ngombu says
SUBMITOPHOBIA
i’m intentionally repeat some stuff, and, with your knowledge, Cogito, will work this (or maybe something more catchy) into a formula or two.
DV says
Superbly on target, Wellington. Raymond Ibrahim also has a new book (Sword and Scimitar) coming out soon that I hope will serve as a kind of companion piece to Robert’s book and vice versa instead of just being different versions of each other.
gravenimage says
Thanks for the head’s up for Ibrahim’s new book, DV.
RichardL says
There is a use for the words islamism and islamist. Especially the latter can separate active Muslims from cultural Muslims. Patrick Sookhdeo’s fantastic Global Jihad makes that argument. Best book on the matter, I think. But I haven’t read Robert’s book yet.
mortimer says
Wellington, wants no difference between Islam and Islamism. Terminology is important and there is a place for the word ‘Islamism’, in the sense of the ‘political’ applications of Islam in government and law.
‘Islamism’ is all those things that restrict and subjugate the kafir under Sharia law, such as multi-party free elections, freedom of the press, blasphemy laws or restrictions on alcohol (e.g. good beer), dancing, music, gender-mixed social events, etc.
mortimer says
The Muslim Brotherhood is a quintessential example of Islamism.
Wellington says
Yes, you are correct, mortimer, that I think differentiating between “Islam” and “Islamism” is bogus. As Erodgan said, there is only Islam. These distinctions between “radical Islam” and “Islam” or “Islamism” and “Islam” obfuscate the truth that Islam is also a totalitarian political ideology which has a legal system meant for everyone and not just Muslims and those so-called moderate Muslims who don’t fully go along with this are bad Muslims, or as Robert Spencer has described them, “lazy Muslims.” So, here we have a rare disagreement. Hope you are doing well.
mortimer says
Thank you, Wellington, for your kind wish. The word ‘Islamism’ is a useful opener to explain Islam to the unread and ignorant and to those who resist learning about Islam. They are too often unaware of ‘political Islam’ and deny (in their ignorance) that is a valid expression of Islam… so ‘Islamism’ is a word that can open the door to their understanding. We start the explanation ‘where they’re at’, rather than where we would like them to be. We must patiently explain ‘political Islam’, so they get to a full understanding of Islam’s intrinsic, hidden political agenda.
Fr. Henri Boulad, SJ of Alexandria (Egypt) patiently explains this …
… ‘Islamism is not a caricature, nor a counterfeit, nor a heresy, nor a fringe or atypical phenomenon versus classical, orthodox, Sunnite Islam.
To the contrary, I think Islamism is naked Islam, Islam without a mask and without paint, Islam perfectly consistent and true to itself, an Islam that has the courage and lucidity to go all the way to its ultimate conclusions and final implications.
Islamism is Islam in all its logic and in all its rigour. Islamism is present in Islam as the chick is present in the egg, as the fruit is present in the flower and as the tree is present in the seed.
But what is Islamism?
Islamism is political Islam, the bearer of a project for a model society and whose aim is to establish a theocratic state based on Sharia, the only legitimate law—since it is divine—since it was revealed and enshrined in the Koran and Sunna—it’s a law that applies to everything.
Here is an all-inclusive and all-encompassing project, one that is total, totalizing and totalitarian.’ (-Henri Boulad)
We need to explain Islam as Fr. Boulad does … Islam introduces itself to the kufaar as just another religion, whereas in reality, Islam is actually the Holy Arab Empire, a political world empire having a complete, seamless union with the mosque.
The word ‘Islamism’ is useful when talking to people who are not acquainted with this authentic, intrinsic DUALISM in Islam. By introducing the political ideology through ‘Islamism’ to the UNREAD, UNSTUDIED and LEARNING-RESISTANT Western virtue-signallers, we can ‘warm them up’ to understanding the politically TOTALIZING ideology of Islam which doesn’t separate religion from politics, but totally unites them at all moments.
‘Islamism’ is the political ideology of Islam which Western Pollyannas refuse to see … so the term ‘Islamism’ makes no sense to a super-devout and well-informed Muslim (certainly well-informed Muslims are the minority!)
gravenimage says
Dennis Prager on Robert Spencer’s The History of Jihad: “Very troubling and very important”
……………………
Excellent to hear!
mgoldberg says
Its tough for theologians to grasp the brute reality of Islam, Jihad and Sharia. I found this hard to understand as these men had, have world class types of educations but they have been innoculated against any form of hard dollars and cents in depth analysis when it comes to the inversion of right and wrong, good and evil.
That is what we are dealing with here, with Islam. The idea that another ‘great’ faith might in fact be teaching evil under the guise of the good, might be literally denouncing the good for being good is incomprehensible to them.
That’s why there is still the predominance of Islamism vs Islam by most of the intellectuals. They simply cannot allow themselves to call Islam, and it’s dualistic theology, it’s forever commitment to submission everywhere, for all time, and lying and deceiving about all of that, for what it is.
Think of the level of idiocy we’ve reached with these daily stories on Jihadwatch, and how much ignorance it takes to allow this inversion of right and wrong to be so misinterpreted in our world.
But the tide is what it is and Dennis Prager will no doubt check and double check Robert’s Book, and you can bet he’ll have him on this year and ask him all the troubling questions that the major media don’t ask and it will be amongst those turning points.
mgoldberg says
Just as an aside, about 10 yrs ago I was reading along with Robert’s books, the book by George Wiegel, ‘Faith, Reason, and the war against Jihadism’ and wondering when there would be a horde of catholics supporting the anti jihad work but it was virtually blank. The iron curtain of dismissal of simple facts was in play because no one was allowed to sift and winnow and opine about the facts, if they were too uncomfortable. So here we are- and there are others who’ve been hopefully drawn to look at the blunt reality of such as Robert’s texts, and others who’ve warned us by relating and telling the history that was once known but has been purposefully forgotten under threat now of ostracization.
Norger says
“The iron curtain of dismissal of simple facts was in play because no one was allowed to sift and winnow and opine about the facts, if they were too uncomfortable.”
Well said. An apt description of the the way in which the MSM and most of our political leaders ignore the reality of what Islam in fact teaches. The truth about Islam is so uncomfortable we must pretend it does not exist.
mortimer says
Norger wrote: ‘the iron curtain of facts’.
It is a good description of the present censorship on the internet. We could call it the
‘electronic curtain’ or ‘internet curtain’ or ‘e-curtain of censorship’.
Facebook and NetNanny, etc., are like the Soviets who jammed Voice of America.
dannyboy9 says
Dennis Prager and Mark Levin reach out to those that are set on reformation of Islam from here in the U.S.
Hugh Hewitt claims all you need to know about Islam is in a book called The Looming Tower.
As you can see, there is little these three provide in the way of Islam based on where they prefer to receive an education.
There is no reformation of Islam especially from the United States, the book mentioned deals only with finances current day coming from Saudi Arabia.
At issue is the behavior of Muslims who follow two most important Muslims, Allah/Muhammad, you will notice reformers speak very little on the two.
Our guidance in understanding Islam is the behavior of Islam world wide, conquering is the goal to establish what they refer to as the Religion of Peace, meaning Peace comes to Islam once infidels are silenced either by the word or by the sword.
Dennis, Mark and Hugh are the reason we see Dr. Zuhdi Jasser on our news outlets after a terrorist attack, he explains those attacks do not represent his Islam, a Islam based solely on the Mecca version outdated by the Medina version which Robert Spencer writes about, our problem is that media, our problem is even today when we hear from those in Washington during hearings is Islam is a Religion of Peace.
Act for America and the Clarion Project have fatal flaws as well, both have moderate Muslims in their organizations, they both comment we must reach out to our Muslim communities to help us fight radical Islam or Not all Muslims are terrorist.
Once again Mr. Spencer deals with this in a respectful manner somewhat weak in my opinion but at least he attempts to not having lived as a Christian Child in the Middle East, you see these Christians would not understand radical/moderate or any other notion, they only know Allah/Muhammad and who Muslims emulate.
granddaddy says
If Dennis Prager says it’s an important book, then it’s probably a good idea to read it.
Raja says
Welcome, Mr.Prager on board. Every individual is important and this one seems to be a “big catch”.
There cannot be a pussyfooting approach to Islamic terror as the “moderates” go hiding at the drop of the hat.
Mr. Spencer’s efforts are commendable in educating the people in spite of blackouts from social media and mainstream media. Educating the left might be a horrendous job as they are all confused.
Sam says
Prager knows Islam and Islamic cultures. As a Jew he also understands the fake “Poor Palestinians BS” I also heard him say that Robert is an honorable person. Prager is one of the finest thinkers or our time. His endorsement of Robert is a big thing in my opinion.
My hero Robert needs more support from all infidels, famous or not.
Go Robert, we need you. Keep safe.
Chan says
Guys, just found this http://www.vulture.com/2018/06/caliphate-new-york-times-podcast-review.html
Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY) says
“Dennis Prager … read an advance copy of my new book The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS”.
Okay Robert, but did you remember to send an advance copy to CAIR? Just now I visited
https://www.cair.com/
and found not even one endorsement of your book. Instead, we see a throng of nine demonstrators protesting the family separation of Tommy Robinson from his wife and children. In the background is a sign saying “FOR TOM”. Let’s hope CAIR persuades the UK government to free Tommy.
infidel says
Now expect Prager to be BLACKLISTED by the media and HOUNDED by CAIR and their LEFT-LIB cronies. Suddenly, Prager may find many doors shutting down on him.. those that used to open b4..
Ps do not forget Dr Bill Warner’s contribution too in this fight… Both Robert and Bill DESERVE the NOBEL in History ..
mortimer says
Agree with ‘infidel’. Certain cultural heroes like Prager, Bill Warner and Robert Spencer deserve to have civilian decorations for their defense of the freedom of expression.
WPM says
Prager, Bill Warner , Robert Spencer , have lead the change in the Americas , Tommy Robertson and many others have lead the charge in the “old world” with greater cost and risk all are champions in my eyes.
Tom S. says
Tommy Robinson. Free Tommy!
gravenimage says
+1
Tom S. says
It will be interesting to see if members of the counter-jihad will be welcome at CPAC in 2019. Dennis Prager and Prager U usually have a large presence there.Robert Spencer, Pamela Geller, Bridget Gabriel (Act for America) show crash the party with a booth downstairs if CPAC doesn’t let them have a side room. It is time for another “Uninvited” at an adjacent hotel with Tommy Robinson as a guest speaker.
gravenimage says
Yes.