In December 2016 I wrote a piece entitled “Sam Harris and the collapse of the counter-jihad Left,” about how Sam Harris and his close friend and collaborator Maajid Nawaz speak well about some of the problems with jihad violence and Sharia oppression of women, gays, and others, but object to serious and concrete steps to doing anything about this threat.
Here is more confirmation of that, as well as of the Left’s increasing opposition to the freedom of speech. Sam Harris wants Twitter to ban President Trump for supposedly issuing “credible threats of war” against Iran. Trump uses Twitter to speak directly to the American people, without the tendentious filtering of the Leftist media, and this drives Leftists crazy. For decades, the establishment media had a virtually monopoly on the public discourse, and told Americans what they should believe about issues and individuals; now that monopoly is crumbling, and the Left’s fear and hysteria over losing its hegemony is palpable.
As Trump’s tweet, it’s noteworthy that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been issuing credible threats of war against the United States for years, and Sam Harris has said nothing. As I show in my book The Complete Infidel’s Guide to Iran, for years, Iranian leaders have engaged in extremely bellicose rhetoric against the U.S. On February 11, 2014, the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Iranian Chief of Staff Hassan Firouzabadi boasted: “Iran is prepared for the decisive war against the U.S. and the Zionist regime….Iran has been making plans, conducting maneuvers, and preparing its forces for this battle for years now.”
Such threats weren’t limited to Revolution Day. In a Friday sermon on February 21, 2014, the head of Iran’s influential twelve-member Guardian Council of the Constitution Friday worship, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati preached this: “The Imam Khomeini said that the U.S. is the Great Satan, and we expect the officials” of the Iranian government “to recognize the enemy. The U.S. is the Great Satan, yesterday and today… While the enemy carries out ugly actions and says evil things, the Iranian nation has shown fervor and, with its enthusiastic turnout [a week and a half before, for the February 11 Revolution Day celebrations], made it known that will not tolerate humiliation.”
Jannati thundered: “The first option on our table is ‘Death to America.’ The entire people’s slogan is ‘Death to America’… Another option on our table is the defense of Palestine; other messages from the Iranian people to their officials are not to fear the enemy and not to fear death.” The Americans, he added, “already want us to capitulate on the nuclear issue – but on what basis are they interfering in Iran’s affairs? If we let them, the Americans will destroy Islam and the Revolution, because they have no honor and no humanity… See how they left the helpless people of Iraq. They carry out massacres in Palestine, and support takfiris who slaughter people.” (Takfir is the practice of declaring a Muslim who is considered to hold a heretical form of Islam to be a non-believer. Shi’ites often refer to Sunni jihadis as takfiris, because they do not regard Shi’ites as true Muslims.)
In May 2014, senior Iranian commander Massoud Jazayeri warned that if the U.S. attacked Iran, not only would the result be “the annihilation of the Israeli regime,” but war in the U.S. itself. The Americans, Jazayeri said, “know that aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran would mean annihilation of Tel Aviv and spread of war into the United States.”
Fadavi added in an interview at that time: “Today the Americans and the entire world know that one of our operational goals is destroying US Navy Forces.” A specific target would be aircraft carriers, since they “provide US airpower in combat; therefore it is natural that we want to sink them…destroying, annihilating, and sinking US boats has and will be in our plans.”
Then in September 2014, Fadavi asserted that Iran already had hegemony in the Persian Gulf: “The US is obedient and passive in the Persian Gulf and we impose our sovereignty right in the Persian Gulf very powerfully….We observe confrontations and, as a matter of fact, debates between Iran and the foreign vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz on a daily basis and they always comply.”
In May 2015, the IRGC’s Salami actually said that Iran wanted war with the United States: “We have prepared ourselves for the most dangerous scenarios and this is no big deal and is simple to digest for US; we welcome war with the US as we do believe that it will be the scene for our success to display the real potentials of our power.”
In light of all that and much more like it, President Trump is not issuing “credible threats of war,” he is responding to them. And he is responding by demonstrating that the Obama era of appeasement of the Islamic Republic is over. But apparently Sam Harris and his ilk would rather have continuing appeasement of this brutal, bellicose, rogue regime that has oppressed its own people for decades, rather than a strong stance for freedom.
Can Sam Harris at this point really be said to be opposed to the global jihad in any genuine sense?
St. Manuel II Palailogos says
Sam Harris has been a hack for a while. A smart hack, but a hack nevertheless.
livingengine says
Just look at how stupid he is. He can not think clearly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t3mTkFUS3k
Elisha says
Smart? Pfft! He is an atheist fool who CANNOT account for morality and reason without going outside of his worldview.
gordon miller says
Yes, Sam Harris will criticize the religion of Islam as an academic, but has little to say about what actually to do to thwart the Islamic jihad we face here and elsewhere. But don’t forget he has almost nothing good to say about Christianity or Judaism either. He seems to favor Jainism, humorously, in his speeches, and he is a brilliant polemicist.
An avowed leftist, he lost me when he made, I believe, some unfair, gratuitous remarks about President Trump. I think he’s out of his element when he strays too far away from discourse on religion.
housemusic1@frontier.com says
Sam Harris despises Trump….but is anti Islam ideology
Z says
“Credible threats of war against Iran?” What about credible threats of war against us?
gravenimage says
+1
blitz2b says
Sam Harris, one of the four horsemen of militant atheism is arrogant enough to think he knows it all.
PABLO says
You can always count on Sam the embarrassment Harris to come up with abject stupidity.
cornelius says
I watched Sam on Dave Rubin’s podcast. He made reference to the Bill Mahar run-in with Ben Affleck. He said it took him over a year to rebuild his reputation after the controversy. His demeanor as he said this was one of emotional exhaustion. It seems Sam desperately wants to be accepted back onto the reservation.
Mockingjay says
Yeah – you could be quite right.
Mockingjay says
– So Sam, why is it exactly that mr. Rohani´s tweet, – to which Trump was only
R E S P O N D I N G – did not catch your attention FIRST?
Rohani was threatening with `THE MOTHER (LODE) OF ALL WARS, Sam.
– Don´t you think it´s kind of unnerving for a terrorist state like Iran to use that kind of language? Or do you think it acceptable for them to talk like that?
Do you think `cool reason` is a better way to talk to people who themselves only know the language of threats?
Then you really don´t understand a THING about muslims, Sam.
Muslims do not respond to `cool reason`.
I´m from Europe Sam. We know far better what muslims really are like here since we´ve lived amongst them longer, and they are here in far greater (relative) numbers than they are in the US.
– Staying cool and aloof is NOT the way to deal with muslim threats, Sam.
They will trample all over you.
Being reasonable against blind hate will kill you.
Come take a look in Europe.
Walter Sieruk says
Sam Harris doesn’t seem to get it. For the real threats of violence originated with that mullah /president of Iran. President Trump was just making himself clear that he, as the head of State, meaning the Untied States will not tolerate threats of violence against America or the American people by the tyrant of that Islamic rogue state of Iran. Furthermore , Rouhani is a fool if he really feels that he can be successful in his Islamic agenda by attempting threats of intimidation against the USA. Moreover, President Trump is right and righteous when he warned that mullah, Rouhani , who is the president that Islamic tyranny of Iran that Rouhani should “NEVER ,EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN.”
The arrogant gall of Rouhani to even speak and make such threats out of his scheming Islamic violent and malicious desire and Shi’ite imagination. This also, very much applies to his partner Ayatollah Khamenei and well as other mullahs and ayatollahs in power in Iran. Further any other Islamic officials who are the stooges of those wicked Muslim clerics should likewise beware of launching any kind of attack against he USA.
Such a vicious mindset of heinous arrogance of Rouhani, Khamenei and the other hateful and spiteful Islamic clerics in this “mullah regime” of Iran is reflected in the words from the Bible describing Tyrannical villains in power of an oppressive regime. For Psalm 73:6—9 read “Therefore pride is their necklace:: they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil ;their evil imaginations have no limits. They scoff and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.” [N.I.V.]
clap says
“Today the Americans and the entire world know that one of our operational goals is destroying US Navy Forces.” A specific target would be aircraft carriers, since they “provide US airpower in combat; therefore it is natural that we want to sink them…destroying, annihilating, and sinking US boats has and will be in our plans.”
Japan did that once. They got nuked twice in return.
Tayloch says
Brilliant comment, clap! Absolutely spot on.
Keys says
By “mother lode of all wars” he means nuclear + chemical + biological + electronic + .
Consider this possibility, Mohammadan Fadavi:
Sink a carrier and be nuked at every military site you have, and if you survive, live in a deep mountain shaft for the rest of your life.
SAE says
Little time left (no pun intended). All Michigan voters…please pass info on:
https://www.theunitedwest.org/2018/07/24/philip-haneys-paul-revere-ride-to-warn-michigan-voters-about-abdulrahman-mohamed-el-sayed/
Ren says
I went from respect to now disgust of Sam Harris.
gravenimage says
Sam Harris tries to get Trump’s Twitter account banned over Iran tweet
…………………
How *dare* anyone stand up against Iran’s threats? Bad, bad dhimmi…
ENRAGED says
Going into war with Iran will be a massive mistake.
How much did Going into war with Iraq and Afghanistan help with the fight against global Jihad? Going into war with Iran will cost quadruple of the last two wars.
Everyone including Iranians know they don’t have a chance in a fight with the USA, It’s all just cheap talk, the same Sadam and his cronies used to do.
I believe President Trump is using psychological warfare but Many of people on the left ”including Sam ” fear that he lacks an impulse control and might start a war with Iran, But overall Sam is a good person who understands Islam and jihad. Anti-jihad movement doesn’t have the luxury to lose strong voices in this fight
TheOldOligarch says
It wasn’t the wars that cost all the money, it was the attempts to turn both countries into something other than the backwards medieval shitocracies that they are. So long as there is no naive do gooding in the aftermath I don’t see why a swift war to crush Iran would be all that costly for the US. You don’t HAVE to to stay around after defeating them militarily if you don’t want to you know.
ENRAGED says
Iran has a strong influence in the Gulf region and there is sizable Shia population there, an attack on Iran will mean disruption of the oil industry, worldwide oil shortage, and big financial cost, Also Hezbollah surely will wage war against Israel if Iran got attacked …all this means more destabilization which will create breeding ground for more jihadist groups .
War for Regime changes almost never works, Iraq and Libya are good examples.
Westman says
Actually war with Iran is inevitable for a host of reasons. Saudi Arabia keeping them out of Mecca is a good starter. Attacking Israel by financing Hamas anf Hezbollah will be another. Iran’s military mixing with the Syrian military near Israel’s border could easily lead to a mistake that causes war. And, another grabbing of a US boat in the Gulf will now have real consequences.
Iran is Islamic simply because it was conquered by Arabs who forced it on them. Iranians are Persians, not Arabs, and they consider themselves at the top of the pecking order in the ME. It is no accident that their brand of Islam is incompatible with the Sunnis and limits intermarriage. This is much like the state of Japan before WWII.
Iran is the only Muslim nation that would be likely to abandon Islam if resolutely defeated. Much as the Emperor of Japan was lowered from his God status, Allah, not willing, would be lowered from his in Iran. If the citizens can’t cast off their current government, it would be beneficial, in the long run, for Iran to suffer a humiliating defeat and for Europe to learn that it’s time to face the realities of both subsidized economics and being responsible for their own defense.
Lebel says
I admit that I have grudging respect for RS on these kinds of issues. He could be strategic and try to expand his network of allies but he tends to be rathen uncompromising on certain issues. In other words it would be really easy to overlook this and try to coopt Sam into RS’s movement and there would be massive advantages for RS. Same thing for that Maajid idiot.
granddaddy says
I think Trump is finally starting to realize the real threat Iran poses to the free world. Negotiating with Iran is pointless; Arafat proved that. And ignoring them does no good, they just take it as weakness. Their god tells them to hate us and be at war with us forever. And that’s just what they do. What else is Trump (our President and leader of the country) supposed to do? Do we want to all be Muslims? Sam Harris might be a credible philosopher, I don’t know, but he seems to want to just ignore the problem. And that has never worked.
R says
Sam Harris is one of the dumbest “smart” people I’ve ever seen.
Mike says
Sam , a narcissic personality.
duh swami says
I don’t remember voting for Sam Harris…was he on the ballot?
Richard Hart says
I’ve implored Sam Harris to invite Robert Spencer on to his podcast, a number of times, to no avail. Sam waxes eloquently about the importance of free speech, but he’s seemingly terrified of the fallout from a conversation with Jihad Watch.
I know that Sam Harris is regularly smeared by the likes of Reza Aslan and Glen Greenwald, as an Islamophobic, racist, bigot, but it seems to be lost on him that the bad press Jihad Watch receives, comes from similar sources.
It’s such a shame that Sam Harris can’t find the courage to have that conversation, because I think it would prove far more productive than a million talks with the likes of Maryam Namazi, or Omer Aziz.
The Thinkery says
I myself am an Atheist who has read all but one of Sams books. Sam Harris used to be a bright light on the perils of Islamic Jihad, but that light went out some time ago.
I can only surmise that Sam and his family were threatned to shut up about Islam, and he has subsequently chosen another path for their overall safety.
I wrote to Sam, to express my concerns that he now suffers from PTEB (Post Traumatic Embitterment Disorder) over the Trump presidency, but as expected he has not addressed the medical issue.
The Sam that I once admired was not at all shy about verbally kicking Muhammad and the religion he invented right in the teeth. He was an unstoppable force for good, but that Sam is no more.
The new Sam Harris has completely backed away from enlightening the less informed on Islam, and has switched to an Anti-Trump stance. This helps solve Sams cognitive dissonance over Islam. Trump is against Islam, and Sam is against Trump for that reason.
He was a Hillary supporter even though Hillary was an Islamo-apologist, and now if you listen to the totality of his Podcasts you will notice that his PTED is plainly on display.
He has sadly turned his Waking Up Podcast into the ‘Anti-Trump Show’.
Please seek psycological help Sam, and come back into the light.
Richard Hart says
If you’re searching for a reason to explain Sam’s change of narrative, look no further than Maajid Nawaz.
I’d love to see a debate between Robert Spencer and Maajid Nawaz, on the reality of Islamic reform, but it won’t happen.
And it won’t happen, because Maajid Nawaz knows that once he engages with Robert, the Quilliam Foundation and it’s plastic reform act is finished.
UNCLE VLADDI says
I can’t believe Sam “Zoolander” Harris bills him self as a “philosopher” when his screeds are nothing but “metaphors” (evasive lies) – oh, wait: he’s a liberal, so in their circles, it counts as such LOL!