Ibn Warraq, author of The Origins of the Koran and The Quest for the Historical Muhammad, along with many other crucially important books, read my new book The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS and had this to say:
For those who still think — and, alas, there remain many — that Islamic terrorism has emerged only in the last forty years or so, The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS, Robert Spencer’s carefully researched work on jihad from the beginning of Muhammad’s political and prophetical career to the acts of terrorism of September, 11, 2001, will be a salutary shock.
Robert Spencer has been telling, and warning, us of the activities of the jihadists at his website Jihad Watch since 2003. Every single day for fifteen years now, he has kept a vigilant eye on all the barbarisms of the Islamic terrorists, and is surely the best informed and almost the only truly qualified expert capable of analyzing the phenomenon of jihad throughout history. On so many sad occasions when he was not taken seriously enough, Spencer was forced to remind us, “I told you so.” It is time to listen to Robert Spencer.
It will not be at all easy to refute Spencer’s latest book, since he, for the first three Islamic centuries, relies almost entirely on the Arabic sources, that is Muslim historians and scholars, such as Ibn Ishaq, Al-Tabari, Ibn Sa’d, Bukhari, Tirmidhi, and Muslim, who paint a grim picture of the early Islamic conquests.
One of the chief merits of Spencer’s account of Muhammad’s career in this book’s first chapter is that he relies entirely on those earliest extant Arabic sources, and if the picture that emerges of the Prophet of Islam is far from flattering, Muslims, at least, cannot complain that it is a portrait painted by the enemy or infidels. Unfortunately, much of the subsequent bloody history of Islam that is recounted in this book can be seen to derive from the example set by its founder: his intolerance of non-Muslims, his anti-Jewish sentiments, his attitude to women, all are attested to in the Islamic sources.
Thanks to Spencer’s book, we can no longer pretend that Islamic fundamentalism is an aberrant form of Islam. The seeds of violence and intolerance are already there in seventh-century Arabia, and in the life of Muhammad.
For the later Middle Ages, Spencer has also diligently consulted the primary sources where possible, and has relied upon recognized modern scholars such as Ignaz Goldziher, Bernard Lewis, Bat Ye’or, and Steven Runciman, among others. Spanning centuries and continents, from the seventh to the twentieth century, from Spain to India, Spencer takes us on a tour of the global jihad that is Islamic history.
Along the way, he shatters many myths, such as the myth of the Golden Age of Spain, a putative period of ecumenical harmony, a kind of perpetual medieval Woodstock Summer of love. He also puts the Crusades into perspective, and reminds us that the Crusades were a belated response to years and years of jihad, and persecution of Christians. Spencer brings the story up to modern times, not forgetting the Armenian genocides perpetuated by the Turks between 1915 and 1923.
Robert Spencer’s work is essential reading for all of us, for all those who want to defend our values from the relentless jihad that has not ceased for fourteen centuries. We must heed Spencer’s final words if we are to succeed in saving Western Civilization:
“In the twenty-first century, the leaders of Europe, as well as many in North America, having brought almost certain doom on their countries no less unmistakable than that which befell Constantinople on May 29, 1453. Yet instead of taking responsibility for what they have done, they have stayed their course, and would have denounced the doomed Emperor Constantine XI, like his predecessor Manuel II, as “Islamophobic,” and his exhortation to defend Constantinople to the death as “militaristic” and “xenophobic.” In the twenty-first century, as the 1,400-year Islamic jihad against the free world continued to advance, the best allies the warriors of jihad had were the very people they had in their sights.”
Robert Spencer is indefatigable. He is keeping up the good fight long after many have already given up. I do not know what we would do without him. I appreciate all the intelligence and courage it takes to keep going despite the appeasement of the West.
The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS is the first and only comprehensive narrative history of the entire phenomenon of jihad, from Spain to India and many, many other places — with massive implications for public policy, both foreign and domestic. Order it here now. Demand has been much higher than anticipated and so Amazon has already run out of stock, but they will have more soon, so order now!

cornelius says
When I was a young man in the early 90s, I found myself reading between the lines of the MSM and becoming increasingly concerned about Islamic extremism. One day, I went to my local library and checked out a bunch of books on Islam, hoping to get some perspective. The authors of these books were names I was not yet familiar with….the likes of John Esposito and Karen Armstrong. I took the books home and quickly realized they were nothing but apologia. I returned them and kept looking….and finally came across Ibn Warraq’s ‘Why I Am Not a Muslim’. It opened my eyes and gave me a starting point that later brought me to Robert.Warraq is a giant as far as I’m concerned….in that rare company of other giants like Robert Spencer and Bat Ye’or.
Andy says
What Maxime Bernier said about Canada could go for all Western Judeo-Christian countries around the world. Better start to Wake up and look exactly what has made your country great before it’s too late.
“More diversity will not be our strength, It will destroy what has made us such a great country”.
infidel says
“I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the culture of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.” This is the togetherness multicultural India should aspire to…” This thought by a great Indian leader in history is SO SO SO APT for Canada and indeed the Greater West.
Carol the 1st says
Definition of CULTURE: the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, RELIGIOUS, or social group; also : the characteristic features of everyday existence (such as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time.
Sorry Infidel but I think your leader is a Pollyanna. It is not ENOUGH just to not be “blown off our feet”. Islam is an ambitious political/”religious” mindset that deserves to be isolated and IMO obliterated. It has core rot and extremely bad baggage and it applies itself very strenuously to USE, THREATEN, WARP, MISLEAD, DESTROY and/or MANIPULATE anything of spontaneous, natural “good” that lays within the “souls” of those who are so sadly unfortunate as to have inherited it as their “culture”.
When time may be of the essence you shouldn’t overdo tolerance for a ticking time bomb sitting atop an unrelenting enemies head. It is your responsibility I’d say to choose to save worthwhile cultures instead – ruthlessly if necessary.
Wellington says
Enthusiastically seconded, cornelius.
gravenimage says
Kudos to you, Cornelius. Like you, I had become more and more disturbed by Islam through the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s–with things like the constant attacks on Israel, with airplane hijackings, with the attack on the Achille Lauro–but like so many I didn’t really start to investigate Islam itself until after 9/11.
BC says
The aggressive nature of Islam can be seen in one easily observed and undeniable fact. In the non Muslim countries in which the Muslim choose to make their homes, often with generous support from the host nation, they build mosque after mosque with impunity, they are allowed to proselytise. However in the Islamic countries the building of new churches is forbidden and even existing ones are raised, proselytising
of Christianity is forbidden and severely punished. Even crosses are not allowed. Even when official policy dictates that different religions are respected, the ordinary Muslim people take it upon themselves to persecute Christians. Is any clearer evidence of Islamic supremacism needed?
mortimer says
BC, all jihad is *AGGRESSION* … even ‘passive’ aggression of the sort that is a do-nothing sabotage of a plan or broken commitments.
Islam’s jihad is designed to sabotage any system that is not Islam and replace it with discriminatory Sharia law.
Muslims are aware of jihad to varying degrees according to the degree of their personal study of Islam.
Most Muslims are not practicing MOST of Islam… they practice Islam-à-la-carte or ‘cafeteria’ Islam. Most Muslims are Muslims-in-name-only (MINOs).
tim gallagher says
I agree, BC. The tolerance is all one way. Western nations have developed a pleasant, tolerant way of life, which is a great way to live, except that it just won’t work when dealing with Islam. That’s why Islam has to be kept out of western, and, indeed, all non-Muslim countries. Islam is always going to be trying to impose its barbarism on all people. It truly is them or us. If Islam wins and is imposed on us we all will live a horrible life. I just wish everyone could see this by now. Instead, we have so many people who keep thinking that we can live together with Muslims and all get along well. Totally impossible. Warraq’s words about Robert’s book are excellent. I was intrigued when he says that Robert is “indefatigable”, which I totally agree with, then says that others have given up the fight. Do people here at Jihad Watch know any of the people who’ve given up? I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the fighters do give up, because it seems very hard to make progress, but I was interested in who Warraq was referring to. I could certainly imagine people just run out of energy for the fight. I’m glad Robert gets plenty of help from people like Christine, Hugh Fitzgerald, Joshua Winston, et al., here at Jihad Watch to help share the load. When Warraq says ” I don’t know what we’d do without him” in refernce Robert Spencer, I agree. To my mind, Robert Spencer has first place amongst the fighters against the Islamic enemies of our civilisation.
Carol the 1st says
Tim asked “Do people here at JW know any of the people who’ve given up?…I could imagine people just run out of energy for the fight.”
I suspect Islam and many polys know that two primary things are required:
1/ threaten one’s livelihood, loves, and values and let them have no where to turn.
2/ bide your time now and just wait patiently for those who know a better way of life to die off to be replaced by those who don’t know better and who’ve become acclimated to whatever garbage the controllers like to dole out.
tim gallagher says
I’m sure you are right, Carol the 1st. I hope the fighters against islam and against those people in the western countries who support Islam overcome all obstacles and keep up the fight. There do seem to be plenty of attempts to bully the fighters against Islam into giving up the fight. Here at Jihad Watch, Robert often mentions how the people in control of the social media call his fight against Islam “hate speech” and threaten to censor it. The main stream media also seem very biased towards the supporting and protecting Islam.
Terry Gain says
This is, in my opinion, easily the best book review of Mr. Spencer invaluable Opus. Thank you Ibn Warraq. I am sharing this on my Facebook Page.
gravenimage says
+1
mortimer says
I am reading my copy of HISTORY OF JIHAD and I find it bristling with historical fact and irresistible conclusions, namely, that jihad is a constant, perennial part of Islam. Anyone who expects jihad to be superannuated by Muslims is delusional.
Why should Muslims do away with jihad? Jihad always worked for Islam in the past.
Carol the 1st says
SUPERANNUATED: incapacitated or disqualified for active duty by advanced age.
Yes, that’s far more likely to be us if we keep still and don’t get more active and proactive.
Carol the 1st says
I’ll take the liberty of pasting a recent post by Aingel Strong, Mortimer, as you may have missed it and I find it interesting how the book she quotes seems to emphasize a certain very conscious warfare design afoot in a supposed ‘religion’. It makes you wonder how MANY hands other than Moe’s were consciously concocting that evil and predatory brew:
The Quranic Concept of War by Brigadier S K. Malik: Lahore Pakistan 1979; republished India 1992
Found at Page 143 under the heading “summary of Major Conclusions”.
“… The Quranic philosophy of war is fully integrated into the total Quranic ideology. The Ideology provides the environments and conditions for the operation and applicatopn of this philosophy. Given these conditions and environments, the philosophy is infinitely effective; without them it tends to lose much of its sharpness and might become altogether blunt…”
Aingel added: To put into perspective the importance of “The Quranic Concept of War”, it may be noted the Book could not have the Title “Quranic” unless it were deemed to reflect and represent the content of the Quran by Supreme Authority.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
Half way through it now. It’s his best book. Could be an historic book, as a book of history. Going back out onto the deck to turn some more pages, it’s a page turner.
revereridesagain says
Happy anniversary, everyone!
Spent part of the afternoon reading “The History of Jihad” and noticed that today is the anniversary of the end of the siege of Constantinople by Muslim forces whose commander, one Maslama, was dumb enough to believe Emperor Leo III that burning his troops’ own food supply would convince the inhabitants to surrender. Exactly 1,300 years ago, on August 15, 718, Maslama realized he’d been had, called it quits and went home.
gravenimage says
Muslims reportedly did stuff like this before, including the invaders of Spain supposedly burning their ships. Maslama was premature by several centuries–but, grimly, he was not ultimately wrong. Let’s turn back these Muslim thugs now.
revereridesagain says
I caught the ship-burning gesture a few pages earlier. Unfortunately they were successful in Spain centuries before they finally got their hooks into Constantinople. It is a depressing catalog of the prostration of civilized people before the onslaught of savages and unfortunately it is being repeated. I second your call to turn them back — NOW. We may not have a LATER.
gravenimage says
Grimly true.
No Muzzies Here says
Buy the book. Robert Spencer deserves the revenue from the sale of his books for alerting the world to the grave danger it’s in.
gravenimage says
Ibn Warraq: The History of Jihad is “essential for all who want to defend our values from the relentless jihad”
……………….
Excellent reminder that the horrors of Jihad are nothing new–they are, in fact, as old as Islam.
James Lincoln says
I hope that the brisk book sales make Robert Spencer incredibly rich!
It couldn’t happen to a better human being – a class act.
Thank you so much Mr. Spencer for all that you have done and continue to do.
eduardo odraude says
Beautifully written review, I felt. Have enjoyed Ibn Warraq’s work in the past as well.
infidel says
As a proud Hindu and an Indian, I will be forever indebted to Spencer for his book, esp his eye opening chapter on the murderous nonstop persecution of Hindus by Islam and which is still going on and which he has now brought out in front of the world outside India. Now the world outside knows our endless pain and anguish, There has not been a more classy civilization than Hindus who have borne this relentless persecution with honor, dignity, and even forgiveness (how much ever foolish it is). Thanks.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
From what I can tell the Moghul was the greatest mass murder in human history. Done in the name of Islam, in the way of Jihad. But somehow it’s a virtual secret. I’d estimate that less than one tenth of one percent of Americans know about it. Shhhh.
Vann Boseman says
Infidel,
I am sad to say that I have not read the book yet. But I share your indebtedness to Robert Spencer for writing this chapter as a fellow human being. In my own past research of Islam in India, it was difficult and confusing for me to keep track of all the slaughters and persecutions of the Hindus in India. It was confusing as well to keep track of the long line of Muslim military and political leaders through history. One of the ugliest things I’ve been told concerning this history is that the most brutal, cruel, and intolerant of those leaders are viewed by Muslims and Muslim historians as great advocates of Islam deserving honor and respect.
When I hear people refer to the Golden Age of Islam, the first thing I do is remember India and not consider Spain as much. Where Islam predominates in a region, all places within that region are Bogamogo (vomit out your heart). I believe there have been historical exceptions to this in India and other places, but I do not believe these exceptions are important in providing hope because it represents a weak adherence to Islam that has not been respected or honored among Muslims and Muslim historians. Islam is a blight upon the world.
On a side notion, I wonder about any history of the hookworm Necator Americanus in India. As a historian I wonder about the history of humans in the natural world and unintended consequences of actions. I wonder if Indians in the early 20th century tended to wear shoes more than people in parts of Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America.
Carol the 1st says
Vann B….I appreciate the info in your second paragraph as it helps lend more understanding of a certain schizophrenia coming out of India re muslims.
Looking up BOGAMOGO I get a PDF of “The Legacy of Arab-Islam in Africa” and the page speaks of how horrified David Livingstone was by the slave trade. The town of Bogamogo in present day Tanzania was a slave market and, as you say, the name means ‘VOMIT YOUR HEART OUT”. Excerpt: “…young men, women and children being arrayed, inspected and sold like animals UNTIL the INTERVENTION of European COLONIAL anti-slavery policies” (heads up White people!).
and a spelling correction BTW:
RAZED: a archaic : erase
b : to scrape, cut, or shave off
2 : to destroy to the ground : demolish raze an old building
That’s just the first phase and we know they have us next in line.
Vann Boseman says
Carol the 1st,
For me, there are books I should buy whether I can find a pdf on them or not. I actually did buy The Legacy of Arab-Islam in Africa. I will buy Spencer’s latest book and Theory and History by von Mises. They are both very important for me to have.
My late best friend’s biological brother is a resident of Tanzania. Bogamogo’s name was changed to something a little less harsh, I hoped that correspondence with his brother would reveal some of the history of that place that I didn’t know of. It did not. The Tanzanian government put out a little booklet on slavery that I do not believe has much credibility. I tend to believe those who see African slavery as something that both African governments and Islam wishes to cover up and/or ignore unless of course it involves demonizing the west, especially the US. Many African government leaders are up to their armpits with recent ancestors involved in the slave trade. I believe it is an issue that the African people should demand be addressed.
Carol the 1st says
Vann:
Human civilization is not something achieved against nature; it is rather the outcome of the working of the innate qualities of man. Ludwig von Mises
To defeat the aggressors is not enough to make peace durable. The main thing is to discard the ideology that generates war. Ludwig von Mises
gravenimage says
+1
Carol the 1st says
Thank you for sharing your feelings Infidel. I’m not into Ahimsa so much – Forgiveness is nice but Correction is better. Let’s hope India doesn’t have to fragment AGAIN (where’s the birth control when you need it?):
Hinduism! (The World’s Oldest Religion Explained)
Rufolino says
When will this new book be available in GERMAN, please ?
Rufolino says
When will the book be in German, please ?
BC says
There is no more obvious evidence of Islam’s objectives to anyone who can read; clear, irrefutable and incontrovertible, than Muslim behaviour in the non Muslim countries (which they choose to live in and in which they are mainly supported by the host country) and their behaviour in Islamic states. In Western countries they exploit ‘freedom of religion’ to the full, building mosques wherever they are allowed and often where they are resisted! Proselytising freely and uttering continuous threats against the culture of the host country. In Islamic states however Christianity is at best tolerated but more often suppressed, building of churches is not allowed and even existing churches are damaged or raised. Proselytising is strictly forbidden with often
dire punishments, even crosses and bibles are often forbidden. Christians are frequently persecuted even when the governments ostensibly permit their religion. Ordinary Muslims are quick to seize opportunities to harm Christians
Carol the 1st says
RAZED: a archaic : erase
b : to scrape, cut, or shave off
2 : to destroy to the ground : demolish raze an old building
eduardo odraude says
I’m on the second chapter of Robert Spencer’s new book. Beautifully written. Dramatic account, like a great novel, but everything footnoted and sourced in the main Islamic source texts. The story of the four “rightly guided” caliphs after Muhammad is powerful.