Raymond Ibrahim's Blog, page 12

Christians, Jihadists, and the Fate of Syria

What is the alternative to Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria? A simple if indirect way to find out is to consider which groups in Syria are especially for or against Assad—and why. Christian minorities, who, at 10% of the Syrian population, have the most...

The Historical Reality of the Muslim Conquests

Because it is now almost axiomatic for American school textbooks to whitewash all things Islamic (see here for example), it may be instructive to examine one of those aspects that are regularly distorted: the Muslim conquests. Few events of history are...

Tawriya: New Islamic Doctrine Permits 'Creative Lying'

Perhaps you have heard of taqiyya, the Muslim doctrine that allows lying in certain circumstances, primarily when Muslim minorities live under infidel authority. Now meet tawriya, a doctrine that allows lying in virtually all circumstances—including to...

Obama: 'Son of Islam'?

Many in the media are indignant with Reverend Franklin Graham, head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Invited on "Morning Joe" last Tuesday to discuss Christian persecution, the hosts turned the focus to interrogating Graham on whether he...

Uganda: Muslim Converts to Christianity Under Attack

With only a 12% Muslim minority, and an 84% Christian majority, Uganda may not seem a hotspot of Islamic activity. Yet, in recent weeks and months, story after story of attacks on Muslim converts to Christianity have emerged, with troubling implications...

A New Year of 'Dhimmitude' for Egypt's Copts

For Egypt's Christian Copts, the New Year began with threats that their churches would be attacked during Christmas mass (celebrated on January 7). Because many were eyeing the situation—several Coptic churches were previously attacked, including last...

Clinton Blames Jihad on Poverty

Bill Clinton recently demonstrated the tenacity of those liberal/leftist/materialist paradigms that have all but blinded the West to reality. According to the Associated Press: Former U.S. President [and current spouse of the U.S. Secretary of State]...

Why We Need Words Like 'Islamist'

Is the problem Islam or Islamism? Muslims or Islamists? These and related questions regularly foster debate (see the exchange between Robert Spencer and Andrew McCarthy for a recent example). The greatest obstacle on the road to consensus is what such...

Egypt's 'Gassed' Dogs

This picture has appeared on several Arabic websites. Based on the caption that accompanies it, these dogs appear to be victims of the teargas the Egyptian military has been using against protesters. The caption reads: "Stray dogs passed out all over...

Muslim Persecution of Christians: January 2012

The beginning of the New Year saw only an increase in the oppression of Christians under Islam, from Nigeria, where an all-out jihad has been declared in an effort to eradicate the Muslim north of all Christians, to Europe, where Muslim converts to...