There are times in turbulent history of humanity when brave men are born. They are like voices in the deserts, lights shining in the darkness and beacons of reason in a world racked by ignorance, or even self-destructing folly. They are sent by destiny to fight against the trends of the moment, the politically correct, to sail against the social winds, to warn their brethrens, their people of their own folly, of their turning blind eyes to the reality, of negating their very own fundamental duty. It has happened throughout history, whether in the time of Rome, of Greece, of ancient India or even recently during the rise of Nazis.
Often these men fight a lonely, difficult battle; they are not really recognized in their lifetimes, except by a few like-minded souls and they have to struggle throughout their existence for going against the main trend, political or otherwise. But it is the price they have to pay for their uncompromising honesty and their being faithful to the call of the Truth.
When these valorous but lonely men pass away, sometimes even many years after their deaths, they are at last recognized and justice is done to them. What was politically incorrect, suddenly becomes accepted, for these men were always ahead of their times. France’s General De Gaulle, who warned of the danger of the Nazis and fought nearly a lonely battle when the whole of France had surrendered, was one such man. Today, he is a hero but seven decades ago, the majority of his brothers and sisters were against him and he was treated as if an outcast.
Today, in contemporary democratic world those who are fighting the radical Islam are being unduly branded as “extremists”. These fighters against the barbarians are truly the lonely cowboys of modern freethinking world – and not just United States. These men are very few and Robert Spencer is one among them.
Mr. Spencer is director of Jihad Watch (www.jihadwatch.org), a program of the David Horowitz Freedom Centre, and the author of over ten books including the New York Times bestsellers The Truth About Muhammad and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam. He along with Pamela Geller, as coauthor, has penned The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration’s War on America. The book is due to be released by July 2010.
Folks Magazine’s founder and editor-in-chief U. Mahesh Prabhu interviewed him recently. Some excerpts:
U. Mahesh Prabhu (UMP): Jihad Watch is consistently followed by people the world over. The main reason, many believe, for its popularity is owing to its contents. How did/do you manage to get the contents? How hard do you work for it?
Robert Spencer (RS): Jihad Watch is much more than a full-time job. I spend many hours every day looking for pieces to post. The new stories are sometimes easy to find, but then it takes time to add the appropriate commentary to give them proper context.
UMP: How do you fund your works? Do you have any single beneficiary?
RS: Jihad Watch is a program of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, and is funded through donations mostly from concerned free citizens.
UMP: Fighting radical Islam is no child’s game. It takes a lot of courage, persistence and thought. How did you manage to get all these qualities?
RS: I hope I have them! How does anyone have qualities or not have them? The answer is in a lifetime of experiences.
UMP: There is something called as “Stealth Jihad” your site often refers to it. Can you describe it in few words?
RS: Stealth jihad is the attempt through non-violent means to achieve the same goal as that of the violent jihadists: the imposition of Sharia upon non-Muslim states.
UMP: Fighting Islamists in USA seems easier than in India. Do you buy that point?
RS: Not necessarily. In both countries the problem of jihad has been drastically misdiagnosed by the authorities, leading to numerous policy errors.
UMP: With multimillion petrodollars the Arab Shaikhs have been funding these pro-Islamist organizations for a long time now. Given their financial muscle and infrastructure do you think their antagonists stand any chance?
RS: Yes. We certainly stand a chance. We have the truth on our side.
UMP: How many Muslims in the world, do you think, are “moderate Muslims”?
RS: It depends on how one defines “moderate.” If by it you mean those who are not engaged in violent jihad, then the number is huge. If you mean those who actively disapprove of violent jihad and Islamic supremacism in general, and are working against the jihad imperative, the number is minuscule. If you mean those Muslims who simply aren’t concerned with such matters, the number is considerable.
UMP: You have eloquently spoken by the global consequences of Jihad. We learn from your works that Jihadists are well connected in their pursuits. But how well are their opponents connected? If no, how do you think there could be a global front to fight Jihad in all its forms? Do you have any plans in this regard?
RS: The connection between jihad groups is both ideological and organizational, to varying degrees depending on the group. There should be a global front to fight jihad in all its forms, but with most authorities ignorant, often willfully so, of the full nature and magnitude of jihad activity, such a global front is unlikely.
UMP: Many believe that Muslims will take over the democratic world by inflating their population. How serious do you think this idea is?
RS: It is very serious. The more Muslim populations grow in non-Muslim countries, the more assertive they become in calls for the majority population to adhere to elements of Sharia.
UMP: Which is more dangerous – Terrorism Jihad or Stealth Jihad?
RS: They are two fronts of the same war and two aspects of the same initiative, so it is impossible to distinguish between them in this way.
UMP: Israel is often referred as an “outpost of Democracy in the middle east”. With a modest size and population how far do you think this country – surround by hostile Arab nations – can survive?
RS: As long as it makes no further land concessions and remains strong militarily, it can survive indefinitely.
