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Robert Spencer in FP: ‘Islamophobia’ Expert: Christianity ‘An Oppressive Political System Bent on Discrimination’

Jun 27, 2019 10:13 am By Robert Spencer

Imagine wasting your life being an expert on “Islamophobia.” My latest in FrontPage:

He could have become something worthwhile like a clerk at 7-Eleven or a sanitation worker, but instead, Todd Green is “associate professor of religion at Luther College and a former advisor on Islamophobia at the U.S. State Department.” And now, in a new article for the Muslim online publication AltMuslimah, he is helpfully sounding the alarm about the dangers of a violent, aggressive, authoritarian religious faith: Christianity.

Imagine wasting your life being an expert on “Islamophobia,” a propaganda term coined to intimidate people into thinking it wrong to oppose jihad terror. In his article, provocatively entitled “When Christianity is not a religion,” he details some cases of what he claims is “Islamophobia” and concludes:

This framing of Islam as more of a nefarious political ideology than a religion is also a staple in the repertoire of the Islamophobia industry. Anti-Muslim hate speakers such as Robert Spencer insist that Islam is not “just” a religion but “a political system that is authoritarian, supremacist, discriminatory, expansionist, violent, and aggressive.”

So apparently Green thinks I am an “anti-Muslim hate speaker” for opposing jihad terrorist violence and Sharia oppression of women and others. Were foes of the Nazis “anti-German hate speakers”? Todd Green might have thought so. In earlier ages, he would likely have been penning weighty pseudo-academic tomes about how opposing the Nazis makes you a bigot who hates all Germans. He and other “Islamophobia” “experts” make their living slandering and defaming those who oppose jihad terror, which will only have the effect of enabling more jihad terror. How Todd Green can live with himself, as the body count steadily rises, is beyond me.

The irony behind efforts to question Islam’s status as a religion is that it’s quite easy to turn the tables and ask the same question of Christianity: Is Christianity a religion? Or is it an oppressive political system bent on discrimination and domination, prejudice and persecution?…

Todd Green is supposed to be an academic, and therefore ostensibly dedicated to intellectual inquiry and to the acceptance or rejection of ideas on their merits. Notice here that he offers not a single shred of evidence to establish that Islam is not “a political system that is authoritarian, supremacist, discriminatory, expansionist, violent, and aggressive.” In Todd Green’s world, he doesn’t have to prove this false. He just has to present it, and his hapless readers will take it as self-evidently false, because it violates their mythology, the propaganda they have been fed for so many years now by the likes of Todd Green.

The only thing remotely resembling an argument this august academic presents is that “it’s quite easy to turn the tables and ask the same question of Christianity.” The only answer to that is “So what?” Green, evidently unaware of basic logic, is here committing the tu-quoque fallacy: pointing to something else and saying it is just as bad, which does nothing to establish the point. Christianity may be the most authoritarian, repressive system ever devised, and that wouldn’t tell us the first thing about Islam.

And of course Green never mentions other facts that torpedo his argument: to take just one example, he notes that the Bible doesn’t condemn slavery outright, but is silent about the fact that the abolition of slavery in Britain and the U.S. was spearheaded by Christian clerics and was based on the Christian idea of the dignity of every human person before God; no similar movement ever arose in Islam, which calls unbelievers “the most vile of created beings” (Qur’an 98:6) and has no problem enslaving them (Muslim countries abolished slavery only under Western pressure, and it still persists in North Africa and Saudi Arabia, even if officially illegal).

This clown is teaching young people. No wonder our colleges and universities are turning out hateful Antifa thugs, as full of self-righteousness as they are of ignorance, by the pound. That a sloppy and reckless pseudo-academic such as Todd Green would have a position at any American college, and be invited to disseminate his nonsense at other colleges and universities all over the country, is a telling indication of how our academic institutions have degenerated into Leftist propaganda factories.

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Filed Under: "Islamophobia", academia, Robert Spencer Tagged With: Todd Green


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Comments

  1. somehistory says

    Jun 27, 2019 at 10:31 am

    Christianity is not political at all. Jesus Christ gave commands and Laws for His followers and those who wished to become His followers. Those Laws and commands apply to Christians and Christians are aware that this is the case. These laws do not change.
    When the people wanted to make Jesus King, He said, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

    Christians don’t try to force anyone to follow those Laws and commands, and neither do Christians attempt to “punish” those who refuse to follow those Laws and commands. Christians did not set up any Laws or rules for how they are to live, but rely on those set down in the Bible. Christians do not try to change these laws to suit themselves or others. Christians leave all punishment to Jesus and His Father as commanded.

    Politics is for those who wish to rule or govern themselves and others who may live in their community or country. Laws can be changed, discarded, and new ones written. Anyone who does not obey the laws of nations are subject to the penalties that the men and women who wrote the laws determined are applicable. These punishments may include death.

    There is a “world” of difference in Christianity and political systems subject to the whims of men.

    And there is a huge chasm between the unlawful evil of islam and the Holy teachings of Christ and the Laws of God.

    • CRUSADER says

      Jun 27, 2019 at 3:21 pm

      Islam distorts Christianity.
      Islam has deceived the world.

  2. ntesdorf says

    Jun 27, 2019 at 10:33 am

    For Islam,he is a ‘useful idiot’ and a qualified idiot as well. The clear cause of Islamophobia is the 1,400 years of Muslim violence directed against Jews, Christians, Atheists, Pagans, Sikhs, Hindus and anyone else who is not a Muslim. Even the Shiites do not get off Scott-free as the Sunnis love to blow them up too. Given a lull in Jihad, even some of the Sunnis will have to tread carefully.

    • Terry Gain says

      Jun 27, 2019 at 11:38 am

      ntesdorf

      The fact that the 1400 year history of violence is sanctioned by the ideology cinches the case against Islam.

      Christianity is the polar opposite of Islam. The message is love your neighbour, turn the other cheek and pray for your enemies. Wow. Some “political l system bent on discrimination.”

  3. Norger says

    Jun 27, 2019 at 1:11 pm

    “So what” is exactly the right response. Whether the same questions can be asked about Christianity isn’t “ironic;” it’s irrelevant to the issue at hand. “Expert” in “Islamophobia;” what utter nonsense.

  4. jarmanray says

    Jun 27, 2019 at 1:16 pm

    Thank God that I never came across this POS while working at the State Department but I remember the week of indoctrination into Islam before being posted to Embassy in Bagdad. If one had never read about Islam before the attending, that person would have thought that it was a wonderful religion consisting of very kind and loving people but after being shelled at the Bagdad airport soon after arriving, it did not take long to understand that not all of the muslims were so kind. I remember asking colleagues if they still thought Islam was peaceful (my close friend Sean Smith being one) to which many would answer that Muqtada al-Sadr was an aberration. The bottom line is that all too many State Dept. employees are anti-Christian and especially, anti-Semitic and I hope that Pompeo will have been able to clean house by the time he leaves.

    • CRUSADER says

      Jun 27, 2019 at 3:20 pm

      Muqtada al-Sadr and his co-conspirators are not aberrations, deviants, nor distortions,
      they actually are tips of the Islamic Spear!

    • Kepha says

      Jun 27, 2019 at 5:16 pm

      I had a short and inglorious diplomatic career myself, jarmanray. Before being shipped out to Thailand, I was given a course in Southeast Asia at what was called the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) back then.

      It was around 1990, and we were still scurrying about wondering why, in Iran, an obscure Muslim cleric named Khomeini did an end-run around the odds-on favorites in the Tudeh during the Iranian Revolution, and worrying about “fundamentalism”, as if Jerry Falwell and the Iranian mullahs were kissing cousins. In any case, out expert on Southeast Asia assured us that “Monsoon Islam” was a kinder and gentler thing than “Desert Islam” because the former was led by Sufis, and Sufis dialogued with Quakers yada yada yada. Not a hint about the pacification of Mindanao by our forces back at the beginning of the 20th century, or how Sufis were behind a number of revolts against Russia and China, and troubles elsewhere.

      Later, while in China, I read a “think piece” from Intelligence and Research assuring us that there was no danger of “fundamentalism” in China, since China’s Muslims were Sunni rather than Shiah. Never mind our posts in China were reporting on terrorism in Xinjiang (a Chinese source told us, when he found we didn’t need a local interpreter, that China was fighting an actual guerrilla insurgency out there), no-go zones of Uighur migrants in Guangzhou, and agitation among Hui in Qinghai (they burned down a police station and Communist Party HQ, pointedly ignoring their hereditary ethnic Tibetan enemies or American “experts” who were sub rosa Christian missionaries). These are among the things which make me think that they don’t call dear old State “Foggy Bottom” for nothing.

      I also had a very shocking conversation with the Malaysian Consul in Guangzhou at the time. He had studied in the States, and was known as an outspoken advocate of keeping the Cold War Alliance intact, and of his own country’s then-antiCommunist “neutrality”. He noted that the USA was all worried about “fundamentalism”, and asked, “Since I take no alcohol or pork, pray five times daily, and hope to make the Hajj, does that make me the enemy?” It turned out his working definition of “fundamentalist” meant people who take a traditional religion seriously, and Christian ones had left him with a positive impression when he was in the States. Now, it could have been that the conversation I heard may have been a matter of “let’s take up where we left off when Sobieski chased us away from Vienna.” But, on the other, I think it might show that our supposed best and brightest at State are as prone to let the ignoramuses in our mainstream media set the terms of our discourse, and ignore what they might actually be seeing with their own eyes.

      BTW, back then, a Westerner strolling through Guangzhou’s Uyghur migrant colony was in no danger, and could get a lot of information just talking with people.

    • gravenimage says

      Jun 28, 2019 at 12:00 am

      Appalling and dangerous whitewash of Islam, jarmanray.

  5. CRUSADER says

    Jun 27, 2019 at 3:18 pm

    The irony of course is that the Lutherans (under MLK) made a truce with the Catholics in order to forestall loosing too much energy in fighting each other so that their reserves could be called upon to fight the intrinsic infidel intrusion of Islam’s incursion into Europe!

    • Kepha says

      Jun 28, 2019 at 11:09 am

      MLK was not around in the 16th and 17th centuries. I think you mean the original Martin Luther, who was dead by the time of the Peace Of Augsburg. The Peace of Augsburg was 1555; Luther died in 1546.

  6. CRUSADER says

    Jun 27, 2019 at 3:25 pm

    “Tu Quoque” Fallacy or Appeal to Hypocrisy

  7. Angemon says

    Jun 27, 2019 at 4:10 pm

    This framing of Islam as more of a nefarious political ideology than a religion is also a staple in the repertoire of the Islamophobia industry.

    And yet, I don’t see Mr. Green offering an explanation on why that’s not the case – other than “ISLAMOPHOBIA!!!!!”, that is…

    • Norger says

      Jun 27, 2019 at 8:44 pm

      Because that would require actual substantive analysis and a whole lot of disingenuous talk. Much easier to simply dismiss Spencer et al as “Islamophobes.”

    • gravenimage says

      Jun 28, 2019 at 12:03 am

      True, Angemon.

    • Orson Olson says

      Jun 28, 2019 at 6:45 am

      Wow. What a supercilious piece of work – such a useful idiot, too! When philosopher Antony Flew discovered Islam in England and read about it’s totalistic aims in 1993, and warned us that the World Trade Center would be hit a second time…he was merely being Islamophobic! sancta simplicitus. If only Green had been around to educate the great atheist that it was the Christian terrorists we had to anticipate…. ;(

  8. gravenimage says

    Jun 27, 2019 at 11:56 pm

    Robert Spencer in FP: ‘Islamophobia’ Expert: Christianity ‘An Oppressive Political System Bent on Discrimination’
    …………………….

    What grotesque projection from Todd Green.

    • Orson Olson says

      Jun 28, 2019 at 6:56 am

      What is the best analog fir Green! A professional apologist for the self-hating role? WWII names are too particular and who, today, remembers CPUSA candidate for president Gus Hall? There must be suitable candidates from the communist rogues gallery….

  9. Jimdandi says

    Jun 28, 2019 at 10:49 am

    Under Islam, Muslims are to kill the unbelievers in order to gain Paradise. In Christianity, Jesus Christ died in order for believers to gain Paradise or heaven. The only commands in Scripture re government involvement are to pray for those in authority and to obey the laws of the nation we live in insofar as those laws do not oppose God’s laws. Quite a difference in the two systems, IMHO.

  10. Linde Barrera says

    Jun 28, 2019 at 1:35 pm

    I just called Luther College in Decorah, Iowa (northeast section of the state) at 563-387-2000 and left a message with the Dean. I stated that I read from Jihad Watch by Robert Spencer, an expert on Islam, about Todd Green being a professor of religion at Luther College making disparaging remarks about Christianity. I also said that everyone should know there is doctrine and there is human behavior. Finally, I asked who was paying Todd Green to say what he said. I gave my name and number and asked for a return call to get my question answered.

    I wonder if they will return my call with an honest reply. I will let you all know.

    • CRUSADER says

      Jun 29, 2019 at 2:43 am

      Please do.

  11. Trouble says

    Jun 29, 2019 at 5:09 am

    Gaslighting, deflecting and projecting. Its all they have to defend the indefensible.
    It’s well about time blasphemy laws for Christianity were brought back. This is the sought of person that contributes to divisions and hatred against any non moslems.
    Perhaps that is precisely what he is paid to do. This sought of academia from the Saul alinsky playbook has to stop.
    How does this “academic” explain that it is christians not Moslems that are the most persecuted and murdered worldwide even in the Middle East the birthplace of Christianity and not one so called leader has done anything about that except label everybody as islamophobes!

  12. FYI says

    Jun 30, 2019 at 11:24 am

    Truth be told:

    Todd is Odd.Very odd indeed.

    How Academic standards seem to have dropped over the years.

    Mr Spencer is light years ahead of these silly professors.

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