The Ideology of Islam

The Ideology of Islam
By Lee Webb
CBN News
October 20, 2006
CBNNews.com -- When the pope questions Islam, or cartoons criticize the prophet Muhammed, millions of Muslims around the world threaten death to anyone who insults their religion.
But some are wondering where the outrage is when Muslims murder innocent men, women and children.
Five years after the attacks of Sept.11, America continues to face a challenging enemy.
"One which is totally invisible, which is submerged within the civilian fabric of society which wears t-shirts, denim jeans, baseball caps," said M.J. Gohel who is a terrorism analyst.
But it is infected by an ideology of violent global jihad. Today, radical Muslim terrorists have renewed their war against Jews, Christians, the United States and other non-Muslim nations.
"They wish to destroy the democratic and secular world," said Gohel. "They want to impose Islamic caliphates, Islamic super states on the entire world."
And in its place, impose a seventh century totalitarian ideology that would control all religious, social and political life on earth. In such a world, all debate or criticism about Islam would seize to exist.
Some argue that such a world exists already. Since Sept. 11, anyone who dares to criticize Islam or its agenda and history, faces the wrath of potentially millions of Muslims.
Case in point: Pope Benedict's citation of a 14th century emperor who called Islam "evil and inhuman" and the cartoon drawings negatively depicting the prophet Mohammed. Both drew violent reactions from Muslims worldwide.
To some, it appears Muslims are always ready and waiting to be outraged. But many ask: where's the outrage at the violence committed by Muslims?
Muslims killing Muslims in Iraq and Darfur, a Catholic nun is gunned down in Somalia and an Iraqi priest is kidnapped and beheaded in Baghdad after the pope's challenging remarks.
Muslims in Indonesia cut off the heads of three teenaged girls on their way to a Christian school.
In Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, just to name a few countries, Christians are regularly persecuted by Muslims for their faith.
In London, Madrid, Bali and Amman, Islamic terrorists kill dozens of innocent victims in suicide operations.
In all these incidents, there's no outrage or apology from the Muslim world -- just silence.
Karen Hughes, the undersecretary of state, says "this is not right." In a letter published in USA Today titled, Where's the Outrage? Hughes writes that, "a much louder chorus of voices needs to join in condemning it. Terrorism threatens all of us. It targets the very foundation of a free society."
But those who are engaged in radical Islam's war against the west see themselves as following the examples of the prophet Mohammed. And according to them, anyone who insults Islam or the prophet should be put to death.
Robert Spencer is very knowledgeable about the prophet Mohammed.
Spencer takes on the most sacred figure in Muslim history. His latest book, The Truth about Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion, looks at what Islam's founder actually did and taught.