Andrew Bostom contributes these considerations about some recent statements by the renowned Islamic scholar Bernard Lewis:
As noted earlier at Jihad Watch, Bernard Lewis in Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal rehashes some of the same points Robert Spencer made on July 27th regarding the significance of August 22, 2006, which, as Lewis notes (again), marks “…27th day of the month of Rajab of the year 1427… when many Muslims commemorate the night flight of the prophet Muhammad on the winged horse Buraq”.Unfortunately, the essay epitomizes two tendencies that have become distressingly common from Lewis: omission and equivocation. Despite his elegant statement of some of the problems stemming from Muslim eschatology, his analysis is marred by the complete absence of any discussion of the Jew-hatred which is central to that eschatology. Given the raw Jew-hatred permeating the contemporary Muslim world, Lewis squanders this teachable moment.
In stark contrast, George Vajda’s landmark research demonstrated how Muslim eschatology emphasizes the Jews' supreme hostility to Islam. Jews are described as adherents of the Dajjâl -— the Muslim equivalent of the Anti-Christ -— and as per another tradition, the Dajjâl is in fact Jewish. At his appearance, other traditions state that the Dajjâl will be accompanied by 70,000 Jews from Isfahan wrapped in their robes, and armed with polished sabers, their heads covered with a sort of veil. When the Dajjâl is defeated, his Jewish companions will be slaughtered -— everything will deliver them up except for the so-called gharkad tree. Thus, according to a canonical hadith (Sahih Muslim, Book 40, Number 6985, featured prominently in the Hamas Charter), if a Jew seeks refuge under a tree or a stone, these objects will be able to speak to tell a Muslim: “There is a Jew behind me; come and kill him!”As Vajda observes,
Not only are the Jews vanquished in the eschatological war, but they will serve as ransom for the Muslims in the fires of hell. The sins of certain Muslims will weigh on them like mountains, but on the day of resurrection, these sins will be lifted and laid upon the Jews...Lewis omits any discussion of these critically relevant anti-Jewish themes.
After an allusion to the modern cult of Islamic martyrdom, Lewis concludes:
How then can one confront such an enemy, with such a view of life and death? Some immediate precautions are obviously possible and necessary. In the long term, it would seem that the best, perhaps the only hope is to appeal to those Muslims, Iranians, Arabs and others who do not share these apocalyptic perceptions and aspirations, and feel as much threatened, indeed even more threatened, than we are. There must be many such, probably even a majority in the lands of Islam. Now is the time for them to save their countries, their societies and their religion from the madness of MAD (mutually assured destruction)."Some immediate precautions"?
Why not just state: Iran cannot be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, and this must be prevented by a pre-emptive strike at their nuclear facilities, if necessary?
"There must be many such, probably even a majority in the lands of Islam."
Even if this were true, what difference does it make if they, like the good Germans of Nazi Germany, do nothing -— a point Dr. Laurent Murawiec made without equivocation, here?
The omissions regarding eschatology fail to explain the Muslim masses’ crazed obsession with Jews. His wishful thinking about “many such peaceful Muslims” who supposedly abhor the jihadists, yet do nothing to stop them, could undermine the only viable short term solution: taking out Iran's nuclear facilities ala the Israeli attack on Osirak.
I watched Robert today on the Glenn Beck show, as usual he conducted himself in a gentlemanly and scholarly way.
Unfortunately, I wish that he wasn't so gentlemanly when Bernard Lewis was referred to as the great Islamic scholar. I wish Robert would have just said, well he is listened to and is an apologist who likes to omit key elements of Islam in his writings.
Aside from my personal feelings there, Robert did great, keep up the good work Robert!
Niv
I too thought that Mr Spencer did a great job in the little time that he had, and I've been pimping him like mad to Lou Dobbs, Tucker Carlson, Chris Matthews and Bill Oreilly (any bets that Mr Culture warrior Oreilly won't come calling? He has to get permission first from his master Prince Walid bin Talal).
While we are all familiar with the context of the Jew-hatred that dominates Muslim thinking now, can someone give me an idea (or point me in the direction of relevant information) why this Jew-hatred seems so central to a text – the Koran – written in the seventh century? What was the context of Jew-hatred for the nascent religion then? What did Jews allegedly do to so get up the nose of Mohammed and his followers?
FYI I was just watching Scarborough Country, that Florida Conservative ex Congressman that now has his on show on MSNBC. Pathetic, he was ridiculing (along with Pat Buchanan and others) the threat of Iran, believe it or not.
Seems that conservatives are wrapped up in supporting their Prez and the RNC, be they right or wrong, and in denial about the threat emanating from Iran...
I was aghast that Buchanan, Scarborough and his guests could denigrate Bernard Lewis warning about August 22.. Here's an article of interest from News Max ran Hints at Aug. 22 Doomsday for Israel
Cloudy,
Mohammed borrowed much of his theology from the Jews who lived in Mecca. When he told them all about his prophecies and how they were newer and better than their traditions they mocked him. The Jew's other sin was that they possessed that which Mohammed wanted when, later, he became the blood-soaked warlord of Medina.
TTFN
Pangloss
Muhammad was miffed because the Jews rejected him, ridiculed his childish version of the Torah and Talmud.
The man was deranged and held a severe grudge against anyone who rejected him, laughed at and scoffed at him.. hypersensitive, and a salient and unpleasant feature of Islam and all Muslims today.. they can't take rejection or ridicule.
He had a grudge against his own tribe the Quraysh, because they rejected him, so he fled to Yathrib (Medina) with a handful of morons (the Companions or sunnah), he got even with the people of his tribe by raiding the caravans and eventully through deceit conquered Mecca, and slaughtered those who had ridiculed him.
The Jewish tribes of Yathrib rejected his claims and his ridiculous version of the Torah, and refused to recognize his "prophethoodness", so he dealt with them by murdering them, demonizing them and then subsequently claiming that the Jews corrupted their own sacred literature (a claim that he also makes against the Christians), although I think that much of what passes for the Qur'an and sunnah is actually fiction made up by the Caliph's to justify their own behaviors.
Bottom line he hated the Jews for rejecting him, laughing at him and being able to ridicule and refute his childish version of the Torah.. his hatred was so vehement and potent that it has become enshrined in Islam as it dominates the Qur'an.
BTW, Islam necessitates the childish and simpleton facility of circular reasoning. the antithesis of sentience and progress.. to wit: The Qur'an is the word of Allah because it says so in the Qur'an is the word of Allah because it says so in the Qur'an.. I have mentioned that to muslims numerous times and each time they ignore it, because they must, if they acknowledge the circularity of reasoning in Islam..they would be apostates.
Lewis is the perfect icon of the intellectual collapse of the American academy. Worst of all, Lewis seems to have intellecutal honesty, and to have not collected on the largesse of PetroDollar bribes (Esposito).
Pathetic.
Bottom line he hated the Jews for rejecting him, laughing at him and being able to ridicule and refute his childish version of the Torah.
Concise precis, Nariz.
All our focus must be on the period between 610 and 632 AD. Cuz that's what they look at, and that's all that counts, cuz they are dictating their terms onto all of us, even onto America, nowadays
Dunno aboutyou, but the Sunnah and Sira make me sick. I'd rather puke on these books than see my sons live under their purview, which is the current proposition.
I agree. Threats should not be only moving in one direction, from them to us.
If anything, our leaders should state flat out, that islam exists upon our sufferance. And the moment when we perceive that jihad is implacable, unchangeable, unalterable, inevitable, then death itself shall descend upon them.
We need a demonstration, in the Mideast, in one of the unoccupied sections of their deserts. We need a vast thermonuclear cloud rising to the heavens, filmed by one and all.
And then we need to see "LOOK, PONDER WELL, and turn, turn at this your last chance, turn away from death, and choose life!" THAT might, just might, finally, FINALLY get their attention.
But even then.
Recall the parable of the rich man, who asked Christ to send someone from the hereafter to warn his brothers to mend their ways. And he was told that "even if one should return from the dead.... they would not listen...." I fear, I fear greatly, that Satan has such a grip upon their hearts and wills, that they are beyond recall. I fear they've crossed a threshold.
We shall see, we shall surely see. A nuclear cloud is going to rise in our future, shall it be over one of our cities, or shall it be over them? That's the question. And only such crystal clarity can such an unholy fate be averted.
And this thing with the Jews, it's absolutely unholy, absolutely Satanic. And those are the only descriptives that truly begin to comprehend the horror, the unmitigated, dark horror residing in the busom of islam.
Well, regardless of what lies ahead, we must do our duty, we will see the thing through, and see the drama out.
cloudysundary,
"can someone give me an idea (or point me in the direction of relevant information) why this Jew-hatred seems so central to a text – the Koran "
Mohammed's Islam was supposed to be the "true Israel", in righteous, divinely hallowed defiance of all the evil Jews who had betrayed their God Who, in Mohammed's theological piracy, was really Allah.
Thus, in the Islamic view, the Jews are inveterate betrayers of God, and Mohammed is the final true Jew (i.e., final true servant of the true God).
Islam is the true Israel in this view; and Jews are the betrayers of that true Israel. Why Mohammed would frame it that way must have something to do with his belief that the Jews and Christians of his day (also "true Jews") had perverted the Gnostic truth of the meaning of life, the meaning of history, and meaning of the Last Days that will deliver the deepest longings of Mankind.
Thus Mohammed inaugurated the parasitical piracy that has characterized Islam from the beginning until now -- feeding off of other civilizations for their power and meaning, rather than actually beginning a new one.
All Gnostics are parasitical pirates: Islam is the most massively successful Gnostic movement in history.
Nariz
I second APF - when you are not bashing the Right, you do sound quite intelligent and civil.
What are the chances that this airliner plot was to be, or to be part of, the august 22 event?
I saw the Scarborough segment on Lewis’ warning about Iran and concur with Nariz’ remarks. The ridicule and dismissal of the threat was sickening.
Rather than join the chorus of those harping on Lewis’ short-comings (which are serious but finite), he has gone further than he has in the past given his current warning of the impending apocalyptic violence emanating from Iran. My wife and I have noticed the sudden concern in the most unlikely of acquaintances (here in NYC) that, coming on the heels of the foiled London attack, now see Lewis’ message as a sober warning to be taken very seriously. For many who are completely ignorant, Lewis may be a bridge to a better understanding but at his age, he himself will never make it across. The rest of us must move on.
"While we are all familiar with the context of the Jew-hatred that dominates Muslim thinking now, can someone give me an idea (or point me in the direction of relevant information) why this Jew-hatred seems so central to a text – the Koran – written in the seventh century? What was the context of Jew-hatred for the nascent religion then? What did Jews allegedly do to so get up the nose of Mohammed and his followers?"
Posted by cloudysunday
This hatred for the Jews and other religions also led to the "No Pork" ruling in Islam. Muhammad was trying to establish a religious identity with Islam.
cloudysunday, I gather that Mohammad wanted to be excepted as a prophet by the Jews, and as he didn't have not even one of the signs of a prophet, he was rejected, then later ridiculed for his continuance..I gather he has his first revelation at about 6 or 9, where he wriggled on the ground frothing at the mouth, now days we would call it an epileptic fit..
he married a very rich woman and maybe when she died he had to aquire booty so as he could keep up the style of living that he had become accustomed to, thus his book,, he was a very clever man, he formed an army under the guise of a religion..that army persists today...I gather that the poor mans mother even rejected him so anyone who rejected his ideas were the enemy...perhaps he was ADD before it's time, there was no dad and no mum, thus he was brought up by his uncle..
cloudysunday,
Robert Spencer's new biography of Muhammad will be coming out in a month or two. Reading that will probably answer many of your questions.
If you google "compendium of Muslim texts" that will lead you to a website where you can read a triple translation of every quran verse and you can also read the canonical hadiths (hadiths are sort of like gospels in the Bible -- in other words, supposed eye-witness accounts of what Muhammad and his followers said and did. But the Islamic 'gospels' do not constitute a coherent storyline -- rather the hadiths seem to be a collection of fragments, often very short, and not all of them are fully intelligible, at least not to a beginner.)
There is also the earliest biography of Muhammad, written I think a couple of centuries after his death, and translated by Guilliame as The Life of Muhammad (not sure about the spelling of "Guilliame"). I believe the author or mediator of that early bio was Ibn Ishaq. It's very long. You can probably get it from the library.
Also, if you google "the skeptic's annotated Koran" or "skeptic annotated Quran" that will take you to a good internet Quran that is really well organized for a beginner.
I think the anti-Lewis obsession on this site is unbecoming.
The collapse of honesty in western university scholarship and its replacement by shrill left wing political advocacy, so far as I can see, is largely as a result of Edward Said's "Orientalism". This was a book that was designed as a personal attack on Lewis through attacking and ridiculing the sort of objective academic standards that he tried to follow.