Still, I won’t blame all Muslims for that attack or for one congresswoman’s stupid remark about it. I firmly believe that to do so would dishonor my decent friends who died that day.
“I won’t blame all Muslims for that attack [9/11],” he tells us. But who has blamed “all Muslims” for the 9/11 attack? No one. That is a charge made by apologists for Islam, wishing to present sober islamocritics as incapable of distinguishing among Muslims. There are many Jihadis, and there are far more supporters of violent Jihad who have not themselves participated, but fortunately, they are not “all [the] Muslims.” The question is: are those Muslims who do not participate in violent Jihad refraining because they have a moral objection, they don’t believe in violence, or because they have other more effective ways of conducting Jihad (as Jihad of the pen, speech, or Jihad of wealth, or demographic Jihad), or because they believe that Muslim terrorism is in current circumstances in the West unwise, and counterproductive?
That leaves me with the question posed at the outset. What is the responsibility of that congresswoman and other Muslims in today’s world of terror?
It’s this: They need to step up. They need to man up. They need to Allah up. The many decent and devout ones need to distance themselves from — nay, they need to condemn, ostracize and, if necessary, destroy — the few psychopaths.
“The few psychopaths”? The “few psychopaths” who have conducted 35,000 terror attacks around the world since 9/11? For 1,400 years Muslims have been conducting violent Jihad against non-Muslims. It was not a “few psychopaths,” but perfectly mainstream Muslims, following the dictates of the Qur’an, who managed to conquer many lands and subjugate many peoples, throughout the Middle East, all across North Africa, and then Spain, and even plunged deep into France, where their invasion was finally halted by Charles Martel at Tours in 732 A.D. Muslim armies conquered Sassanian Persia, islamizing a country that had been entirely Zoroastrian, and after many attempts over the centuries, Muslim armies finally conquered both the Byzantine Empire and India. They sowed terror wherever they went. During the centuries of Mughal rule in India, according to the historian K. S. Lal, between 70 and 80 million Hindus were killed. Were all of these Muslims who spread Islam by violence and terror “psychopaths,” or were they orthodox Muslims following the murderous dictates of the Qur’an? You know the answer to that. And Beaton would, too, if he would only take the time to study the Qur’an.
In short, the responsibility of Muslims is the same as the responsibility of Jews, Christians and all other people of faith and civilized secularists. In the battle against violent bigotry, there’s no middle ground. You’re either with us or against us.
Be with us. Be our brothers and sisters in our battle for humanity. We want you.
The “responsibility” of Muslims is greater than that of “Jews, Christians, and all other people of faith” because the worldwide terrorism we see today is almost entirely that carried out by Muslims against non-Muslims. Think of Europe, where Muslims have carried out major attacks in Madrid, Barcelona, Paris (many times), Toulouse, Nice, Magnanville, St. Etienne de Rouvray, Brussels, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, London (many times), Manchester, Berlin, Hamburg, Wurzburg, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Malmö, Helsinki, Turku, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Beslan. In Africa, there have been repeated Muslim attacks on non-Muslims in Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Kenya, Tanzania. In Asia, Muslim terrorists have struck at Christians in Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, at Hindus in Mumbai, in Delhi, in New Delhi, in Hyderabad, in Calcutta and, most recently, at several Christian targets in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Or think of the terror attacks just in the United States, in New York (many times), Boston, Washington, Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Seattle, Fort Hood, Little Rock, Orlando, San Bernardino, Chattanooga?
Muslim terrorism is not the product of psychopaths, but of devout Muslims all over the world who are following dutifully what the Qur’an commands.
If that’s not reason enough to be with us, then be with us just to be on the winning side. Because we will indeed win, I promise you.
Does Beaton know what he is asking of Muslims? Apparently unfamiliar with the Islamic texts, he does not realize that he is telling them to ignore the commands to wage Jihad that are found throughout the Qur’an. He is asking them to ignore the example, too, of Muhammad himself, who claimed he was “made victorious through terror.” He is asking Muslims not to be Muslims, but who is going to tell him that? He will have to come to that understanding on his own. Mainstream Muslims will never stop heeding those immutable texts. And when he tells the world’s Muslims that they should “be with us just to be on the winning side” because “we will indeed win, I promise you,” he is issuing a kind of triumphalist threat that will not be well received by Muslims. They will be offended by Beaton’s prediction of a victory by the world’s Infidels, for they know that Allah is on their side; Allah is the “best schemer,” and he will not let them down.
Perhaps Beaton will surprise everyone; perhaps he will read and study the Qur’an, and some of the Hadith, and write another, very different, article about Muslim terrorists, this one based not on fantasy, but on the unpleasant reality of those immutable texts. He could do it in the form of an address to his “Muslim friends,” asking them how they think non-Muslims such as himself react when they read such Qur’anic verses as 2:191-193, 3:151, 4:89, 8:12, 8:60, 9:5, 9:29, 47:4, and 98:6. And then he might ask them, in a more-in-sorrow tone, something like this:
“How do you, the moderate Muslims of whom there must be many [not repeating that factitious “fact” about 99.9% of the world’s Muslims being good guys], propose to deal with these texts, that preach hatred and contempt for, exalt violence towards, command the killing of, and the sowing of terror among, all non-Muslims? What is the responsibility of Islam, of Muslims? Is it really enough for some Muslims to denounce this or that terrorist attack by fellow Muslims? Don’t we have to address the source of so much bloodshed? The Islamic texts have to be dealt with, if there is ever to be a way out of this morass — or is there no way out, as long as you continue to believe that the Qur’an is the uncreated, immutable word of God? We Need To Talk.”

Michael Copeland says
For Mr. Beaton, as for so many people throughout the West, there is a message:
Learning Curve Needed.
Walter Sieruk says
As of this exact day that this message is keyboarded Today, 5/1/19 , its now been eight years since the extermination of the Muslim terrorist chief, Osama bin Laden by the Navy SEAL’s .
So it’s good riddance to bad rubbish.
Furthermore, since it’s now been eight years since the extermination of the heinous Islamic villain, Osama bin Laden, by those brave and heroic Navy SEAL’s. Then after bin Laden’s elimination he was buried at sea. There had been by Muslim clerics, such as the imams ,who had the gall they complain the bin laden did not revived and proper Islamic burial because he was buried in the ocean and all Muslim according to Islamic tradition. For Muslims are buried under the ground and not at sea. To that outlandish statement, made by the Muslim clerics may be answered in in two complementary ways. First, the sea burial that bin Laden received was a lot more dignified and respectful then the type of “burial” that many of the victims of murderous affront had that occurred on September 11, 2001.. Many of the people who were murdered on 9/11 only had a few bones and teeth left. In contrast the body of bin laden was buried mostly intact. Second ,after 9/11 many Muslim apologists for Islam ,in America ,many times had made the claim that Osama bin Laden was not real Muslim and that he just “Hijacked the peaceful religion of Islam “ for “politics.” If that’s actually the case and not some kind of cover-up to hide the truth from the American public then all those Muslim clerics really had nothing to complain about if that claim is true that bin Laden was not a “real Muslim.”
James Lincoln says
Walter Sieruk,
Your reference to the “extermination” of Osama bin Laden was purposeful – and correct.
I, surprisingly, had never really thought about your point regarding the Muslim apologists. If you turn that point around, if the Muslim clerics thought that Osama bin Laden was Islamic enough to warrant a proper Muslim burial, then his murderous acts were in keeping with Islam.
The Muslim apologists cannot have it both ways.
CRUSADER says
A reason why I wear 5.11 gear
and 501 jeans….in commemoration.
Hooyah!
Walter Sieruk says
First ,as of today, 5/1/19 its been eight years since the elimination of Osama bin Laden . Back on September 11, 2001 there can be no doubt that Osama bin Laden was grinning on that day of September 11, 2001 when he received news of that murderous affront on humankind and America, being such an evil and vile character that he was. Bin Laden when he found out that his demonic scheme worked all he could do was sit around a grin. That Islamic fiend bin Laden that no sympathy or empathy all for all the people who died the awful way in America. For he was actually glad about that murderous jihad calamity that occurred that day of 9/11. To such a callousness of that character as Bin Laden the Bible teaches “He who is glad calamity will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 17:5. For that’s just what happened. For as they say “What goes around comes around.” So when his deadly violence came back on him in his compound on the outskirts of Abbottabad he was no longer grinning. For on the day the heroic Navy SEAL’s exterminated him, the report was that he looked confused and scared. Likewise the Bible teaches “For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” Galatians 6;7. Bin Laden sowed violence and death so therefore he reaped violence and death. The very words of Jesus thus are proven be to be true. For Jesus taught the “He who takes up the sword shall perish by the sword.” Matthew 26:52. For Bin laden took up the firearm and he died by the firearm Osama bin Laden is now suffering in the fire of hell. May the name of Osama bin Laden rot in history. As the Bible teaches “The name of the wicked shall rot.” Proverbs 10:7.
Kepha says
And, it seems, that at first that fiend Osama Bin Laden rejoices at how “only Muslims could be so brave”, and then, when the daisy cutters start falling around him, begins whining “It was the JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOZ! It was MOSSAAAAAAAAAAAD!!!”
gravenimage says
Hugh Fitzgerald: In An Age of Terror, What Is The Responsibility of Glenn K. Beaton? (Part Four)
…………………..
Beaton seems to have no clue that orthodox Islam preaches violent Jihad, and that the “perfect man” was a Jihadist. Muslims cannot truly denounce Jihad without rejecting Islam itself. This is why so pious Muslims either dance around it, say nothing at all, or simply embrace Jihad terror openly.
James Lincoln says
gravenimage,
You stated, correctly:
“Muslims cannot truly denounce Jihad without rejecting Islam itself.”
A succinct – yet profound – statement.
Thank you, I will remember it.
gravenimage says
Thank you, James.
Chand says
So Muslims should renounce their religion if they are to be peace loving citizens.
What if they don’t? What is the solution then?
Among Muslims there is a spectrum of believers and the degree of their belief and faith, ranging from the die hard fundamentalist to the Muslim in name only.
Jihad too is conducted in various ways, like Hugh says, from ‘pen, speech……..wealth, demographics’.
In an analogous way, non Muslims too have to accept Islam in some form in today’s world. Islamic influence can range from the constant threat of jihadi attacks and the relentless pursuit and elimination of jihadis everywhere to the outright implementation of strict Shaira in Muslim areas and countries, to loudspeakers blaring out prayer calls five times a day to hijabs, niqabs, burqas, to men in skull caps and beards to guys giving out Koran booklets and leaflets in the streets to a mosque coming up here and there to signs of ‘halal meat available here’ to ‘read the Koran’ bumper stickers, to more political representation in institutions by Muslims, to religious schools and madarsas cropping up, etc, etc, in a spectral range.
Creeping jihad or Islamization is difficult to arrest. Islam still has the legal and cultural sanctity of being a religion.
WCM says
Your final sentence is the crux of the problem for Western Civilization–those of us who understand what Islam truly is must continue to educate those who do not or willfully ignore the Truth. There are far too many who believe it’s only a religion. Islam must be eradicated, much like Communism must be taken out, and National Socialism was.
There’s a lot of work to do.
Demsci says
Very good rebuttals to Glen K. Beaton’s article, Hugh. And you end with “We need to talk”.
Yes, it looks like we non-Muslims should talk a lot and study about what we talk. And that there is a solution to the problems Islam poses when there is consensus, at least one of 51 % of parliaments or more. So we try to reason rationally with these types.
But if they have the power, most of them will not seriously and honestly respond, is my impression and experience. They will constantly be the ones Run from discussion (saying oh, is that the time? Or Changing the subject), ignore the best arguments, clear and abundant facts, the real contents of sacred texts (whom they will refuse to study) etc. They will not be bound by rationality and reciprocity. They will just shove us aside. Sometimes badmouthing us as bigots, another one of their tactics.
But I think that power politics, in a democratic way, should be taken into account. Voting for and giving power to populist, conservative, Islam-wise politicians. Supporting news outlets with the same political inclination.
In a democratic society both sides of the aisle need each other. And if our side is powerful and makes it clear that the other side can either choose to go on with political correctness and shielding and supporting Islam or cooperate with us but that they cannot do both.
Force the leftists and their dupes and copycats to listen, by treating them in the same way as they have treated us when we complained about Islam,
when they themselves complain about the issues where they have interest(s) in, where they have fears, like global warming. We can ignore them too, we can ignore their rational arguments and their facts too, to their chagrin.
Demsci says
Some of us, in politics or journalism, could make the connection between our concerns about Islam and the leftists own concerns. And write our own articles on their concerns and dismissive them as arrogantly as they dismiss ours.
Let the Glenn Beatons of the world become frustrated the way they frustrate us somehow. Find their weak spots and exploit them. See how they like it being treated so arrogantly and dismissive as they do us.
CRUSADER says
As the inestimable David Horowitz might say,
“Turn the Left’s wickedness upon themselves! Out – Alinsky them!”
“I’ve been saved in order to teach Conservatives how to street-fight with gloves off….”