PrintMarch 10, 2011
Dear Rep. King: Forget 'Radical' -- Islam is the Culprit
Republican Congressman Peter King has strengthened his security in the wake of "hostile phone calls" and threats from overseas, as he is getting ready to chair a hearing on Islamic radicalization in the United States today.
The Congressman's hearing on this important issue, though much overdue, is perhaps the first step towards recognizing that Islam is the culprit, not radical Islam. Islam by its mere existence is radical. "There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that's it," said Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and he's absolutely right.
Decades ago Marshall McLuhan observed, "The medium is the message." As the print and electronic media penetrate more and more every aspect of life, their influence increases greatly in shaping views and the behavior of the public. The power of the media is a mixed blessing. On one hand, it can serve to expose injustices, wrongdoings, and flaws. On the other hand, it is able to propagate misinformation and outright disinformation.
Manipulation and control of the media is of critical importance to the rule of totalitarian states. Free societies, although less subject to laundered information, are still at considerable risk of being selectively informed or misinformed outright. The overlords of the media can deceive the public more easily when political correctness is used as a subterfuge for the promotion of certain ideas.
Manipulation and control of the media is of critical importance to the rule of totalitarian states. Free societies, although less subject to laundered information, are still at considerable risk of being selectively informed or misinformed outright. The overlords of the media can deceive the public more easily when political correctness is used as a subterfuge for the promotion of certain ideas.
A case in point is the media's portrayal of Islam, articulated by politicians and pundits -- the talking heads on television and radio, as well as the analysts who write for newspapers and magazines. Time and again we hear and read that Islam is a religion of peace, in spite of the fact that Islam has been a religion of violence from its inception to the present. This mantra, "Islam is a religion of peace" is repeated so often that it has become an indisputable statement of fact in the minds of many.
Even a cursory examination of Islam's history and Islamic texts conclusively proves the exact opposite. Islam was, and continues to be, a movement of unbridled violence.
Former President George W. Bush along with President Obama on several occasions have repeated the mantra and attributed the horrific violence committed under the banner of Islam to a small band of extremists. Both Presidents' assertion is either based on ignorance of the facts about Islam or their attempt at political correctness. Perhaps President Bush's reticence to speak about the true nature of Islam was due to his desire to avoid inflaming the already charged feelings by many about Islam and President Obama's appeasing the Muslim world is another story. In any event, truth is sacrificed and the public continues to cling to the false notion that Islam is a peaceful religion. People who dare to disclose the true nature of Islam run the risk of being castigated as bigots and hatemongers.
Meanwhile the courageous Congressman Peter King said: 'I'm not going to give in to political correctness.' Surrounded by a noticeably heavier security presence, Congressman King told CBS 2: "I'm getting a lot of hostile phone calls now, but the main threats I'm getting are from overseas." What more one can expect from "the religion peace?"
The pundits, the analysts and the politicians are doing a great disservice to the public, each segment for its own expedient reasons, by parroting the mantra regarding the peaceful nature of Islam. As a matter of fact, the so-called small band of Islamic extremists is the true face of Islam. Admittedly, from time to time and place to place, Muslims have shown a degree of tolerance for non-Muslims. This tolerance dates back to the very early years of Muhammad himself. Early on Muhammad was meek and proclaimed, "For you, your religion, and for me, my religion." This assertion lasted but a few years until Muhammad's movement gathered strength and Islam became the only alternative to death or heavy taxation. The imposition of 'jizya' was a clever ploy for filling the Islamic coffer to support its armies and to finance its further conquests.
The liberal media and pundits engage in willful misinformation and deception when it suits them. Terms such as "Political Islam," or "Radical Islam," for instance, are contributions of this group. These terms do not even exist in the native parlance of Islam, simply because they are redundant. Islam, by its very nature and according to its charter -- the Quran -- is a radical political movement. It is the liberal media and politicians who sanitize Islam and misguide the populace by saying that "real Islam" constitutes the main body of the religion; and, that this main body is non-political and moderate.
Regrettably, a large segment of the population goes along with these nonsensical euphemisms depicting Islam because it prefers to believe them. It is less threatening to believe that only a hijacked small segment of Islam is radical or politically driven and that the main body of Islam is indeed moderate and non-political.
We must recognize that Islam is political to the core. In Islam the mosque and State are one and the same -- the mosque is the State. This arrangement goes back to the days of Muhammad himself. Islam is also radical in the extreme. Even "moderate" Islam is radical in its beliefs as well as its deeds. Muslims believe that all non-Muslims, bar none, are hellfire bound and well deserve being maltreated compared to believers.
While I salute Congressman Peter King for having the courage to discuss the issue of Islamic radicalization in the U.S, I warn my fellow Americans: remain a spectator at your own peril. It is imperative that you take a stand and do your part in pointing out that Islam is the culprit and do all you can to prevent the Islamic fire from devouring our civilized way of life and our republic.
Imani is the author of the book "Obama Meets Ahmadinejad".
Imani is the author of the book "Obama Meets Ahmadinejad".
