My latest in PJ Media:
Establishment academic Walter Russell Mead, writing about the killing of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the Wall Street Journal Monday, declared: “Movements like ISIS don’t spring from nowhere. It took centuries of decline, serial humiliations at the hands of arrogant European imperial powers, and decades of failed postcolonial governance to produce the toxic mixture of bigotry.”
Really? ISIS (and presumably other Islamic jihad terror groups) arise from “serial humiliations at the hands of arrogant European imperial powers, and decades of failed postcolonial governance”? No chance that “movements like ISIS’ might have sprung from Islamic texts such as these?
“And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from where they drove you out; persecution is worse than slaughter. But fight them not by the Holy Mosque until they should fight you there; then, if they fight you, kill them — such is the recompense of unbelievers, but if they give over, surely Allah is all-forgiving, all-compassionate. Fight them until there is no persecution and the religion is Allah’s; then if they give over, there shall be no enmity save for evildoers.” (Qur’an 2:191-193)
“We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve for what they have associated with Allah of which He had not sent down authority. And their refuge will be the Fire, and wretched is the residence of the wrongdoers” (Qur’an 3:151).
“They wish that you should disbelieve as they disbelieve, and then you would be equal; therefore do not take friends from among them, until they emigrate in the way of Allah; then, if they turn their backs, seize them and kill them wherever you find them; do not take for yourselves any one of them as friend or helper.” (Qur’an 4:89)….
Walter Russell Mead would likely reply that the Bible is full of violent passages, too, which is irrelevant to the question of what creates Islamic jihad terror groups, and would insist that there have been many periods during which Muslims were peaceful and evidently did not take the passages above literally. That, too, is false: there have been 14 centuries of uninterrupted jihad warfare, as you can see in The History of Jihad.
There is much more. Read the rest here.
jewdog says
There is no way anything less than anti-Western self-flagellation will suffice in today’s sick academic environment.
gravenimage says
Grimly true, Jewdog.
Melisa says
Not true. Also you added your own words to the verse.
Maemae says
Read the Quran and you will find out how ignorant this statement is. Jihad has been going on before Europe was even a place.
somehistory says
From where do these fools spring? Is it not possible for someone such as this guy…and thousands of others just like him…to see that what they are saying and writing is stupid?
satan conjured up islam in the desert and spoke in the filthy ear of the mass-murdering, raper of children and instructed him to do as he wanted to do, and threaten others with death if they didn’t follow his rotten, evil example. So, the demon-inspired creature did as he was instructed.
People are talking about him today because those who follow his rotten, evil example, have learned to follow it well…murdering and raping and destroying their way across the globe…for satan the devil.
roberta says
You act like there is a dog turd on every corner just waiting to defend evil.
Ahhhhh never mind.
somehistory says
You’ve seen me act?
BTW, your comment makes absolutely no sense. So, I will “never mind.”
mortimer says
Somehistory asked from whence these fools spring. Mead may be politically motivated and simply wants to deny that President Trump’s accomplishments have any value. Mead’s comments appear to be ad hoc and spontaneous and not based on a deep study of the ‘ESSENTIALS’ of Islam (usul ud-deen). I believe many academics are straight-out bribed by Arabian oil sheikhs in the form of grants to their universities and departments. They are sent on missions to defend the image of Islam after Muslim terrorists have tarnished it. Mead blames the victims of Islamic terrorism for causing the terrorism. This is like blaming a woman for being raped. Mead does not know the ‘essential’ motive of the jihadist … it is not a mystery if you have studied it.
Muslims are embarrassed by the capture and death of the world’s leading Islamic terrorist … and they should be. They are unable to defend the crimes of ISIS against humanity, so they send someone to slander those who criticize ISIS and they blame the victims of ISIS, Al Qaeda, the Taliban, Hamas, Hezbollah and many other terror groups, rather than admit that Islam has a canonical teaching of terrorism.
It is not so much that we don’t know their motives because the terrorists have in recent decades published dozens of books and hundreds of sermons about their motives. It’s all clearly on the record. In addition, Western intelligence agencies have found explanatory memoranda and various secret reports of terrorist groups explaining their motives.
Mead has not simply not done the reading, so he gets an automatic FAIL grade.
somehistory says
“Mead may be politically motivated and simply wants to deny that President Trump’s accomplishments have any value.”
Probably you are correct in this…or he’s getting paid to say it, or both.
gravenimage says
He might just hate America and the West in general. There are many like him.
roberta says
Must be true. The fat sweaty looking guy says so.
It must be fun to be a knowitallprik, there seems to be an endless line of them waiting to give opinions.
VRWC says
Mead is not entirely wrong here, but what he leaves out is what preceded the colonization of islamic lands, and that is 1,400 years of war against Christian civilization… it didn’t just start on 9/11, or 1967, or 1947…
Warmac9999 says
An ignoramus like this gets lots of people killed. Apparently, Islam didn’t exist until the 18th century.
mortimer says
The ‘post-colonial grievance’ theory put forward by Walter Mead is another way of saying ‘NOTHING TO DO WITH ISLAM’ … but how would Mead know, if he has not read the Sira, Bukhari, the Koran, the canonical commentaries, manuals of Sharia law and the social and political history of the Islamic era? It would simply not be possible for him to know and reach a scholarly conclusion. His comments are obviously ad hoc.
I do not think Walter Read has done the required reading upon which to base a conclusion about the motive of Islam … it would take him 10 to 15 years to study Islam’s voluminous literature to the point that he had a clear grasp over it.
Mead obviously hasn’t a clue what motivates Muslims. He is substituting his GUESSES for real depth. His conclusions are knee-jerk and shallow.
I doubt Mead has ever heard the term “AL WALAA WAL BARAA”, let alone studied it. “AL WALAA WAL BARAA” is the only motive that a jihadist needs … it is the motive of Allah.
http://westindanger.com/wb/walaa-baraa.html
Aussie Infidel says
Mortimer, Agreed that it would take a long time to “reach a scholarly conclusion … and have a clear grasp over it”. But Mead could make a start by reading Chapter 9 of the Quran – one of the last chapters supposedly revealed to Muhammad – and which by default, abrogates anything contrary that preceded it.
If Mead doesn’t have a Quran, he can read it here: https://quran.com/. A short list would include 9:5, 9:14,9:15, 9:29, 9:36-44, 9:73, 9:111 and 9:123. So there is no excuse for his continuing ignorance.
Like many academics I know here in Australia, Mead probably also has been subjected to Islamic dawa at his own university by fellow (Muslim) academics in the ‘Schools of Excellence in Middle Eastern Studies’ set up by the Saudis and Qataris. And the ubiquitous code of political correctness in such institutions, prevents any criticism of their presentations.
Rufolino says
Absolutely, Mortimer. Thanks.
Michael Copeland says
Does Mead have anything to say about arrogant Muslim imperial powers, like the Ottoman Empire?
CogitoErgoSum says
Well, I guess that is why the Muslims were driven out of Spain — because those arrogant Europeans wanted to colonize — Europe.
Wellington says
What this man doesn’t know about Islam is obviously a voluminous amount.
He’s well educated, has written several books and is spouting dangerous nonsense. Yep, another useful idiot.
Infidel says
So why wasn’t ISIS founded 70 years ago or earlier, when European imperial powers were still in the region? Why did it wait until 2014 to declare a caliphate?
gravenimage says
Wall Street Journal: Islamic State sprang from “humiliations at the hands of arrogant European imperial powers”
………………….
And that’s why they had to seize land from two Muslim nations, impose brutal Shari’ah law, use local Yezidi and Christian girls as sex slaves, have children cut the throats of “traitors”, burn a Syrian pilot to death in a cage, and crucify their own children for snacking during Ramadan…sarc/off
Aussie Infidel says
Centuries of decline, humiliation at the hands of arrogant European imperial powers, and decades of failed postcolonial governance have no doubt contributed to the rise of ISIS. However they were simply the final links in a long chain of events which led to Baghdadi’s rise to power. The primary reason for the animosity of all devout Muslims toward non-Muslims – and the imperative to wage jihad against them – is the “toxic mixture of bigotry” in the Islamic holy scriptures as spelled out by Robert. Has Mead not read these fundamental tenets of Islam? Or has he simply been brain washed into believing that Islam is a ‘religion of peace’? I find it ironic that academics like Mead – who are otherwise intelligent people – could be so naive.
Paul J says
He also conveniently forgets that muslims were colonizing countries centuries before Europe was even a united continent. Check out the movie Africa; Blood and Guts( a French film from the ’60s) to see what happens to former “colonized” countries after the big bad Europeans left the “natives” to their own devices. South Africa, Rhodesia and Kenya being prime examples of the savagery that dwells in the heart of the black man. They didn’t need lessons from the white man on how to be brutal to each other. Throw in islam and that brutality is beyond the pale.
Rarely says
“…savagery that dwells in the heart of the black man…” So “black men” are intrinsically savage?
Do you hear what you are saying?
gravenimage says
This is not about race. Islam is no an ethnicity.
Rarely says
He was referring to “black men” as having savagery in the heart, presumably brought out by islam. A very racist comment.
gravenimage says
I know, Rarely. This is what I was addressing. Hatred and savagery have nothing to do with race.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
“Movements like ISIS don’t spring from nowhere. It took centuries of decline, serial humiliations at the hands of arrogant European imperial powers, and decades of failed postcolonial governance to produce the toxic mixture of bigotry.”
It springs from the Holy Ko-Ran, Walt you dumbass.
As a longtime WSJ subscriber, I’ve always known to ignore its biases, which are always careful. One is open borders/sovereignty/rule of law. A new one is that tariffs to stop Communist Chinese abuse of our economy. An old bias, that s high production value paper like the Journal shares with everybody is that there is such a thing as a Unicorn in this world, and its called “radical Islam”.
Westman says
Another interpretation is: “ISIS sprang up because Islam was percieved to be, and IS, a failure.”
Muslims aren’t humiliated by success. When life turns out different than the Quran predicts and Muslims find themselves at the top of the ladder on the wrong wall, it is humiliating. ISIS tries to recover some mystical glory, but the cell phone images of the West make it clear that Islam can never catch up. Islam has nothing of benefit to the West – there is no migration to embrace it. Nor is the West weak enough to be dragged back to the 7th century.
x says
Nobody seems to get it. Our colonialism kept the dogs of islam at bay. In the 70’s women were walking around in Kabul in miniskirts and nobody said a word, because they knew that we were strong. Now that they see we are weak, they attack like a pack of dogs.
sidney penny says
walking around in Kabul in miniskirts
In Iran too
roberta says
islam is such a powerful cancer that if any at all is left in a society it will metastasize. I was in Turkey back around 1984-5 and I cant really remember miniskirts, but on the other hand, not all women were dressed head to toe in the black garbage bags.
What I remember best is how few people were attending the mosques. Ive seen these same mosques in fairly recent photos, and they are packed with worshipers, all the way out to the parking lots.
As islam takes these places down the tube, they seem to think that more islam and more persecution of infidels is the cure. When that does not work, rinse and repeat endlessly.
Kinda odd how islam and socialism have that ”definition of insanity” thing in common.
Rarely says
X Says.
Exactly HOW did “our being strong” have anything to do with liberal dress in Afghanistan and Iran?
Total non sequitur.
x says
Because we were strong they respected our culture and even emulated it.
Rarely says
So they liked western clothes styles. There are lots of great western clothing designers (mostly in Europe). It had absolutely nothing to do with our “strength”. It had a lot to do with the freedom to dress like you want (within certain parameters, of course).
x says
Rarely
It had everything to do with our strength. They had to reject the laws of Islam to dress like that. They would not do that if we were weak, because they would fear retribution….which is exactly what would happen today if a woman in Kabul would dress in a miniskirt.
Why do you not understand something that is so simple?
Adam says
Walt is just another in a long line of turd stains who all of a sudden realize, they don’t matter. They used to be something, they thought, going to the latest what have ya’s. Rubbing elbows with other like minded turd stains.
But time and situations have passed these clowns by and they are unable to grasp what the world has become.
Que Robert and the blind guides lesson.
Westman says
And no hijabs in Egypt.
Westman says
This posted in the wrong place, should be under Sydney Penny, above.
Lydia Church says
Whatever happens, somehow it’s always the white man’s fault for one thing or another, according to them!
sidney penny says
“So why not mention Islam’s teachings of violence as at least a contributing factor to the rise of ISIS? The Islamic roots of Islamic jihad terrorism are one reality that virtually no one at any point on the political spectrum wishes to address. Mead and other analysts like him, with unconscious paternalism, act as if Muslims were mere passive reactors to what non-Muslims do, and so assume that when Muslims behave violently, the fault must lie with something that non-Muslims did.”
There is an argument ( mainly by Muslims ) the Islamic jihad terrorism has nothing to do with Islam.
So when you use”Islamic roots of Islamic jihad terrorism” you are presupposing that it has to do with Islam without provide the basis of using the words Islamic and jihad.
The basis is the use is that movements like ISIS have sprung from Islamic texts and use the same to commit terror and violence.
OREN WYSOCKI says
This is the wall street journal. In case you wonder how much defense those secular right wing organizations were going to put up against the leftist islamic alliance. It was the symbolic head of capitalist conservative right wing america. They have agreed to censor 1400 years of muslim aggression, and frame the non muslim american and european people as guilty for being responsible for muslim discrimination, oppression and war crimes. The american people are so immersed in their hatred for white people that they will not even care about opening the door to people who will attack them later, as long as they help attack white people now. In G-d I trust.
Harryagain says
ISIS appeared when the West put down Saddam Hussein and Gadaffi who were doing fine work keeping them in check.
gravenimage says
Not really.
Do you *really* think that the horror of Lockerbie was keeping Jihad in check? That was itself a Jihad terror attack. Of course, it may be even worse today.
Joe says
Russel Mead is more of an authority on the Islam than the Muslims are? The terrorists tell you how they are following Islam in general and the Koran in particular. They cite the verses.
The WSJ is not worth a penny. It is amazing that they are able to still sell it.
AP says
Poor Mr Russell Mead, I just wish he knew what he is talking about. So Dumb.
No Muzzies Here says
The movement known as Islamic State sprang from the teachings of the Quran. Years of inaction during the Obama administration allowed the movement to gain strength and to become a cruelly violent and repressive regime, supported by a toxic mixture of Islam and bigotry.
jca reid says
This twat doesn’t know what he’s talking about! The Arabs have been in charge of their own affairs for 50years, or more! If that is the case the West had better return to these countries & REMOVE: rail lines, airports, close down the hospitals, NO modern medicines, ALL IT/Communications Systems, motor vehicles, modern shipping, the lot! It is simply pathetic, blaming others for their own shortcomings. The Koran tells them, well actually orders them to rob, rape & murder non-Muslims & others deemed “not” Muslim enough. Since weaponry is very easy to come by they can apply these Koranic Orders without much forethought. Then again, they shouldn’t be using AK-47’s etc. as the BIG “M” would deem them ‘Haram’. These Apologist w*nkers make me want to puke!!
gravenimage says
+1
End PC says
“serial humiliations at the hands of arrogant European imperial powers”
What? You mean all those Islamophobes that the Religion of peace” warriors were trying for centuries to conquer, plunder, take sex slaves from and subjugate? ISIS just wanted to do the same, starting in the Mideast, and Mead wants you to know how people were so mean to them.
Rarely says
It would be convenient if we were able to blame all the middle east’s problems on islam. But there is little doubt that outside powers (colonial or not) have badly mismanaged their involvement in the middle east and have contributed in a major way to the problems that the area brings to the World today.
Angemon says
Well, I’m sure that what he calls ” serial humiliations at the hands of arrogant European imperial powers, and decades of failed postcolonial governance” (BTW, that muslims can’t govern themselves is in no way fault of Western powers) would include plenty of non-muslims. Where are the Buddhist, or Shintoist, or etc., equivalent of ISIS?… And, of course, this clown’s justification for ISIS ignores what ISIS says:
https://institute.global/insight/co-existence/their-own-words-why-isis-hates-west
ironically, the article also stated:
James C. says
The entire article appears in issue 15, pages 30-33, of Dabiq, and can be found here: http://clarionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/islamic-state-magazine-dabiq-fifteen-breaking-the-cross.pdf
ISIS hates us, simply for not being Muslims. As the article makes abundantly clear,
James C. says
Faith in Christ is rather different:
14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.
16By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
https://biblehub.com/bsb/1_john/3.htm
“18There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love. 19We love because He first loved us.
20If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.”
https://biblehub.com/bsb/1_john/4.htm
For those who claim to follow Christ, hatred of others is not option.
Rarely says
So, if I understand you correctly, only a very small percentage of “Christians” practice Christianity. Keep hammering away at the hypocrites but, whatever you do, don’t hate them (or muslims either, for that matter). I do believe that we all get a free pass to hate Hitler and Stalin…but only a little bit.
Paddy O'Connor says
Better not argue with him…Don’t even let him into the house….The fleas and bed bugs will hop off him all over the place. Flee the bugger!
James C. says
…is not an option.