Barack Obama has made many speeches throughout his presidency, some of which are more remembered than others. One that will surely go down in history was delivered two days after the Orlando massacre.
“For a while now, the main contribution of some of my friends on the other side of the aisle have made in the fight against ISIL is to criticize this administration and me for not using the phrase ‘radical Islam,’ the President said. “That’s the key, they tell us -- we can’t beat ISIL unless we call them ‘radical Islamists.’”
Obama went on to claim that “(t)here has not been a moment in my seven and a half years as President where we have not been able to pursue a strategy because we didn’t use the label ‘radical Islam.’ Not once has an advisor of mine said, man, if we really use that phrase, we’re going to turn this whole thing around. Not once.”
A few moments later, he reached the heart of his argument: “So there’s no magic to the phrase ‘radical Islam.’ It’s a political talking point; it’s not a strategy. And the reason I am careful about how I describe this threat has nothing to do with political correctness and everything to do with actually defeating extremism. Groups like ISIL and al Qaeda want to make this war a war between Islam and America, or between Islam and the West.
“They want to claim that they are the true leaders of over a billion Muslims around the world who reject their crazy notions. They want us to validate them by implying that they speak for those billion-plus people; that they speak for Islam. That’s their propaganda. That’s how they recruit. And if we fall into the trap of painting all Muslims with a broad brush and imply that we are at war with an entire religion -- then we’re doing the terrorists’ work for them.”
While ISIL (or ISIS, if you prefer) undoubtedly could use first-world opposition as a recruiting tool, the same goes for same-sex marriage, legalized abortion, women driving cars, civil divorce, and other hallmarks of contemporary Western civilization. Why? Because ISIS is opposed to anything and everything that counters its goal of an international caliphate. As should go without mention, Western macro-society is inherently at odds with such a thing.
Taking Obama’s argument to its logical conclusion, Westerners should refrain from any action which ruffles ISIS’s feathers. Calling the situation as-is means terrorists could use our honesty against us. ISIS declaring war on all who deny its governing authority, and this being stipulated long before Orlando, stands ignored. Bottom line: Obama’s train of thought is rooted not in fact, but fantasy, willful ignorance, or deceit. No rational mind should even entertain his perspective.
Like it or not, ISIS is patently Islamic. It is Muslim society in its purest form; a total rejection of the Dark Ages, let alone modernity. The entire point of ISIS’s jihad is to create a global community whose values comport with Arabia like it was amid Islam’s early glory days. This culture was characteristically violent, with weapons the preferred tools for missionary work.
The Muslim faith “from its very birth has used the edge of the sword as a means to convert or conquer those with different religious convictions,” Rev. Carey Cash told London’s The Times in 2009. Cash is not some fundamentalist preacher from the sticks. He is the President’s pastor, presiding from Camp David.
“Sadly, grace is often absent in Islam, which is based upon binding religious law, requiring strenuous adherence to every tenet of the ‘Five Pillars of Allah’...A religion that emerges from the soil of strict adherence to law as a means of gaining God’s favour will always tend toward extreme selfsacrifice,” Cash mentioned during the same interview.
If afforded the opportunity, would Obama allege his own minister an indirect supporter of ISIS?
Speaking the truth about militant Islam, its relation to ISIS, and what these have in store for Western civilization is honorable, not reckless. It is permitted under the laws of human dignity and the United States. Obama should be ashamed and embarrassed of himself.
Doubt he is, though.
Joseph Cotto is a historical and social journalist, and writes about politics, economics and social issues. Email him at joseph.f.cotto@gmail.com