Islam has created jihad and remains defined by jihad. It is the only major religious doctrine in human history with a developed doctrine, theology and legal system of mandatory violence against non-believers. This fact makes Islam the earliest political ideology that adopted terrorism as a systemic tool of policy, not as a temporary and unwelcome expedient.
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Serge Trifkovic is a former BBC commentator and US News and World Report reporter. He is currently the foreign desk editor Chronicles Of Culture. His last book The Sword Of The Prophet (also from ROP), has sold more than 50,000 copies and has been a main selection of the Conservative Book Club. Defeating Jihad is the sequel.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
70 of 72 people found the following review helpful
Serge Trifkovic is fast becoming a leading authority on Islamic militancy and how to respond to it. His The Sword of the Prophet (2002) was an important look at militant Islam. In this sequel volume to that incisive work, Trifkovic continues his hard-hitting analysis coupled with a sober realism about the struggle we are in.
This volume is broken into five parts: a brief review of Islam, its founder, its beliefs and practices, with special reference to Jihad; a lengthy examination of the crisis in Europe; an assessment of conditions in America; the global situation; and a series of proposed solutions.
Taken together these five sections offer a comprehensive and informed overview of the nature of Islamic Jihad and the response of the West. The book offers, in short, a workable understanding of, and plan for, an effective response to the war on terrorism.
And the author is quite right to begin by assessing the threat. A good deal of the problem lies in the fact that many Western intellectualoids refuse to even admit that there is a problem, or are much more inclined to blame the West for the current crisis.
For example, the "9-11 Commission", the US Government report on terrorism, does note that Islamist terrorism is the main worry, but then goes on to argue that the reformist wing within Islam needs to be encouraged while the fundamentalist wing needs to be resisted.
But Trifkovic argues that this distinction between a real, peaceful Islam and an a violent Islamic aberration is false. Jihad and terrorism, argues the author, are intrinsically imbedded in the Koran, hadith, and Sharia. The jihadists are fully acting in accord with their faith. Thus the real question is not, Are there moderate Muslims? Yes there are. But the question to really ask is, Is Islam itself moderate and peaceful? Trifkovic thinks not. Thus talk of reforming Islam becomes a questionable, if unobtainable, goal.
It is this understanding of the real nature of Islam that explains so much about the current crisis in Europe and the incredibly weak and short-sighted Western response. Europa is quickly becoming Eurabia because most Westerners do not understand the real nature of Islam. Peace in Islam can ultimately come when all of the Dar-al-Harb (world of unbelievers) is converted - one way or another - into the Dar-al-Islam (the world of Islam). Thus Islam is in a permanent state of war with the Western infidels until it finally reigns throughout the globe.
While the European response has been woefully inadequate, the American response has not been much better. Basically a policy of appeasement at home and saber-rattling abroad is in place. Fear of offending American Muslims has resulted in a superficial response at home. Foolish notions of tolerance, diversity and multiculturalism have failed to deal with the Islamic threat. Moreover, the West fails to understand that Muslims are unable or unwilling to properly assimilate and integrate into the West. Instead, Muslim conclaves are springing up all over the West, with the inevitable tensions which follow.
And US foreign policy has been confusing at best. Washington seeks to placate and cozy up to various Muslim states, often with counterproductive outcomes. Trifkovic doubts that the democratization of the Middle East is possible. Just as it was delusional to believe in détente with the former Soviet threat, so the idea of exporting democracy to the Islamic world is fraught with danger.
Like the Marxist world before it, the Islamic world is totalistic and implacably hostile to co-existence with the West. And for democracy to be exportable presupposes a framework of ideas that are amenable to it. Islam is fundamentally anti-democratic. The rule of Sharia law alone is the Islamic ideal - democracy is simply heretical.
Trifkovic offers a number of proposals to at least contain the Islamic threat in the West. He favours racial and ethnic profiling as a sensible and necessary feature of our security. He believes mosques should be monitored, sermons examined, and all preaching be conducted in the host-nation's language.
He believes that Islamic activists should be denied citizenship, or that it be rescinded if already given. He urges Western nations to follow the lead of Switzerland which has one of the toughest naturalization policies in the world. You cannot even apply for citizenship in Switaerland unless you have first lived there for 12 years, paid your taxes, and have no criminal record.
Other get-tough measures are proposed. But the author concludes with a more important requirement. The West needs to know itself. What does it believe? What are its values? What does it stand for? And it needs to realize that the historic, core Western values are ultimately not compatible with the Islamic worldview. Say Trifkovic, "Islamic beliefs, ideas and intentions as such pose a threat to our civilization and our way of life".
Thus the author reminds us that the first step in dealing with the war of terrorism is to recognize the fundamental differences between Western ideals and Islamic ideals. And then we need to ask ourselves, which are worth preserving and defending? Which are worth fighting and resisting? Unless the West can accurately and carefully answer those questions, it will not be well prepared to cope with the terrorist threat - nor with any other major threat for that matter.
This volume is broken into five parts: a brief review of Islam, its founder, its beliefs and practices, with special reference to Jihad; a lengthy examination of the crisis in Europe; an assessment of conditions in America; the global situation; and a series of proposed solutions.
Taken together these five sections offer a comprehensive and informed overview of the nature of Islamic Jihad and the response of the West. The book offers, in short, a workable understanding of, and plan for, an effective response to the war on terrorism.
And the author is quite right to begin by assessing the threat. A good deal of the problem lies in the fact that many Western intellectualoids refuse to even admit that there is a problem, or are much more inclined to blame the West for the current crisis.
For example, the "9-11 Commission", the US Government report on terrorism, does note that Islamist terrorism is the main worry, but then goes on to argue that the reformist wing within Islam needs to be encouraged while the fundamentalist wing needs to be resisted.
But Trifkovic argues that this distinction between a real, peaceful Islam and an a violent Islamic aberration is false. Jihad and terrorism, argues the author, are intrinsically imbedded in the Koran, hadith, and Sharia. The jihadists are fully acting in accord with their faith. Thus the real question is not, Are there moderate Muslims? Yes there are. But the question to really ask is, Is Islam itself moderate and peaceful? Trifkovic thinks not. Thus talk of reforming Islam becomes a questionable, if unobtainable, goal.
It is this understanding of the real nature of Islam that explains so much about the current crisis in Europe and the incredibly weak and short-sighted Western response. Europa is quickly becoming Eurabia because most Westerners do not understand the real nature of Islam. Peace in Islam can ultimately come when all of the Dar-al-Harb (world of unbelievers) is converted - one way or another - into the Dar-al-Islam (the world of Islam). Thus Islam is in a permanent state of war with the Western infidels until it finally reigns throughout the globe.
While the European response has been woefully inadequate, the American response has not been much better. Basically a policy of appeasement at home and saber-rattling abroad is in place. Fear of offending American Muslims has resulted in a superficial response at home. Foolish notions of tolerance, diversity and multiculturalism have failed to deal with the Islamic threat. Moreover, the West fails to understand that Muslims are unable or unwilling to properly assimilate and integrate into the West. Instead, Muslim conclaves are springing up all over the West, with the inevitable tensions which follow.
And US foreign policy has been confusing at best. Washington seeks to placate and cozy up to various Muslim states, often with counterproductive outcomes. Trifkovic doubts that the democratization of the Middle East is possible. Just as it was delusional to believe in détente with the former Soviet threat, so the idea of exporting democracy to the Islamic world is fraught with danger.
Like the Marxist world before it, the Islamic world is totalistic and implacably hostile to co-existence with the West. And for democracy to be exportable presupposes a framework of ideas that are amenable to it. Islam is fundamentally anti-democratic. The rule of Sharia law alone is the Islamic ideal - democracy is simply heretical.
Trifkovic offers a number of proposals to at least contain the Islamic threat in the West. He favours racial and ethnic profiling as a sensible and necessary feature of our security. He believes mosques should be monitored, sermons examined, and all preaching be conducted in the host-nation's language.
He believes that Islamic activists should be denied citizenship, or that it be rescinded if already given. He urges Western nations to follow the lead of Switzerland which has one of the toughest naturalization policies in the world. You cannot even apply for citizenship in Switaerland unless you have first lived there for 12 years, paid your taxes, and have no criminal record.
Other get-tough measures are proposed. But the author concludes with a more important requirement. The West needs to know itself. What does it believe? What are its values? What does it stand for? And it needs to realize that the historic, core Western values are ultimately not compatible with the Islamic worldview. Say Trifkovic, "Islamic beliefs, ideas and intentions as such pose a threat to our civilization and our way of life".
Thus the author reminds us that the first step in dealing with the war of terrorism is to recognize the fundamental differences between Western ideals and Islamic ideals. And then we need to ask ourselves, which are worth preserving and defending? Which are worth fighting and resisting? Unless the West can accurately and carefully answer those questions, it will not be well prepared to cope with the terrorist threat - nor with any other major threat for that matter.
34 of 36 people found the following review helpful
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I would consider Serge Trifkovic's "The Sword and the Prophet" along with Ibn Warraq's "Why I Am Not A Muslim" and Bat Ye'or's "Islam and Dhimmitude" in the category of those rare books capable of lifting the fog on a subject and changing your mind definitively.
"Defeating Jihad" is as precise and concise as "The Sword and the Prophet" was. .Of the two dozen books on Islam I have read , I have not come across a more clear history on Muhammad's life and legacy.
The gist of the Koran are two sets of emphasized injunctions: (a) belief in Allah, and (b) violent antagonism towards non-Muslims.
This is the reason Muslim extremists are willing to kill and to die for their cause; it is also the reason decent Muslims have problems in condemning terrorism: they do not want to be seen by their co-religionists as opposing the Koranic injunctions.
The crux of the problem the West thus faces is: on the one hand it believes in tolerance and in the inherent worth of all religions; on the other hand the Koranic injunctions on violence (coupled with believing Muslims' unconditional faith in every letter of the Koran) and certain pronouncements of the Prophet Muhammad (as recorded in the Hadiths - for example his requirement that Muslims be executed for apostasy) are not merely a religious issue for Muslims but a social and political matter of vital relevance for non-Muslims.
The way out of this bind that Trifkovic proposes is the following: Just as for decades immigrants were obliged by US law to sign in their application papers that they are not members of the Communist Party (not by way of gratuitous political discrimination but because Communists parties world-wide in their charters called for the violent overthrow of democratically elected "capitalist" governments), so also in likewise manner Muslims should be monitored for their adherence to those political principles of violence that stem from - and indeed are stipulated in - the Koran and pronouncements of Muhammad the Prophet. "The precondition is to accept that a practicing Muslim who comes to the United States cannot be "absolutely and entirely" loyal to the United States by definition". Emigration laws would be reformed to exclude Jihadists and citizenship would be refused or rescinded to all Islamic activists.
Whether Trifkovic's recommendations will be taken seriously will be seen. More likely there will be another catastrophe of the magnitude of 9/11 that will trigger the change.
The book has one flaw, however. Israel, the country which since September 2000 had been subjected to 147 Muslim Palestinian suicide bombers (and zero Christian Palestinian suicide bombers) and more than 26000 terror attacks (after it had offered at Camp David a peaceful resolution), the country which has by its policy of targeted killings, superb intelligence, and by erecting the anti-suicide bomber fence effectively prevailed in the war on Islamic terror, does not figure in the book. Instead , Trifkovic chooses Russian handling of Chechnya as the model of a successful anti-Jihadist war. This is bizarre. One can only imagine the world's outcry if Israel had used Putin's methods in Jenin. Recently Russia's invitation to Hamas and the subsequent Mashaal - Lavrov meeting looks more like a throwback to the days of the 1939 Ribbentrop - Molotov Pact than a serious effort towards defeating jihad.
Mladen Andrijasevic , Israel
"Defeating Jihad" is as precise and concise as "The Sword and the Prophet" was. .Of the two dozen books on Islam I have read , I have not come across a more clear history on Muhammad's life and legacy.
The gist of the Koran are two sets of emphasized injunctions: (a) belief in Allah, and (b) violent antagonism towards non-Muslims.
This is the reason Muslim extremists are willing to kill and to die for their cause; it is also the reason decent Muslims have problems in condemning terrorism: they do not want to be seen by their co-religionists as opposing the Koranic injunctions.
The crux of the problem the West thus faces is: on the one hand it believes in tolerance and in the inherent worth of all religions; on the other hand the Koranic injunctions on violence (coupled with believing Muslims' unconditional faith in every letter of the Koran) and certain pronouncements of the Prophet Muhammad (as recorded in the Hadiths - for example his requirement that Muslims be executed for apostasy) are not merely a religious issue for Muslims but a social and political matter of vital relevance for non-Muslims.
The way out of this bind that Trifkovic proposes is the following: Just as for decades immigrants were obliged by US law to sign in their application papers that they are not members of the Communist Party (not by way of gratuitous political discrimination but because Communists parties world-wide in their charters called for the violent overthrow of democratically elected "capitalist" governments), so also in likewise manner Muslims should be monitored for their adherence to those political principles of violence that stem from - and indeed are stipulated in - the Koran and pronouncements of Muhammad the Prophet. "The precondition is to accept that a practicing Muslim who comes to the United States cannot be "absolutely and entirely" loyal to the United States by definition". Emigration laws would be reformed to exclude Jihadists and citizenship would be refused or rescinded to all Islamic activists.
Whether Trifkovic's recommendations will be taken seriously will be seen. More likely there will be another catastrophe of the magnitude of 9/11 that will trigger the change.
The book has one flaw, however. Israel, the country which since September 2000 had been subjected to 147 Muslim Palestinian suicide bombers (and zero Christian Palestinian suicide bombers) and more than 26000 terror attacks (after it had offered at Camp David a peaceful resolution), the country which has by its policy of targeted killings, superb intelligence, and by erecting the anti-suicide bomber fence effectively prevailed in the war on Islamic terror, does not figure in the book. Instead , Trifkovic chooses Russian handling of Chechnya as the model of a successful anti-Jihadist war. This is bizarre. One can only imagine the world's outcry if Israel had used Putin's methods in Jenin. Recently Russia's invitation to Hamas and the subsequent Mashaal - Lavrov meeting looks more like a throwback to the days of the 1939 Ribbentrop - Molotov Pact than a serious effort towards defeating jihad.
Mladen Andrijasevic , Israel
39 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Trifkovic cuts through the foolishness that has blinded Westerners for so many years, to show us what we're really up against - and what it will take not to just win but to survive.
Brian Mitchell
Washington Bureau Chief, Investor's Business Daily.
* * * * *
Transcending predominant canards, Serge Trifkovic identifies with precision the existential threat to both Western and other modern democracies--global Islamic terrorism, as perpetrated by Muslims following the uniquely Islamic dogmas and historical practices of jihad. Trifkovic pursues the logic of this conclusion with a plan to neutralize jihadism by acknowledging its organic connection to so-called Islamic "activism", strictly regulating Muslim immigration to Western societies, and rediscovering Western cultural and moral values. His book is an indispensable work of erudition and uncompromising intellectual honesty which should be read attentively by elites in policymaking, the media, and the academy.
Andrew G. Bostom, MD, author of "The Legacy of Jihad"
* * *
This is an important and timely book that addresses the key issue of where Islam REALLY stands vis-a-vis terrorism. The author asks us to set aside our politically correct inhibitions and look at the evidence. The book outlines a strategy for meeting the threat that might well serve as a model for Western governments to follow in their war on "global terrorism."
Ambassador James Bissett
Former Head of Canada's Immigration Service
* * * * *
Dr. Trifkovic offers important advice in our post-9-11 struggle. Success requires focusing on the strategic problem, not on the tactics used by our antagonists. The threat to our security comes not from the perpetrators of terrorist acts but from the philosophy that sets them in motion. Until we deal with this reality, success will elude us.
Professor Col. Ronald L. Hatchett
Schreiner University, Kerrville, TX
Arms negotiator under Reagan
Brian Mitchell
Washington Bureau Chief, Investor's Business Daily.
* * * * *
Transcending predominant canards, Serge Trifkovic identifies with precision the existential threat to both Western and other modern democracies--global Islamic terrorism, as perpetrated by Muslims following the uniquely Islamic dogmas and historical practices of jihad. Trifkovic pursues the logic of this conclusion with a plan to neutralize jihadism by acknowledging its organic connection to so-called Islamic "activism", strictly regulating Muslim immigration to Western societies, and rediscovering Western cultural and moral values. His book is an indispensable work of erudition and uncompromising intellectual honesty which should be read attentively by elites in policymaking, the media, and the academy.
Andrew G. Bostom, MD, author of "The Legacy of Jihad"
* * *
This is an important and timely book that addresses the key issue of where Islam REALLY stands vis-a-vis terrorism. The author asks us to set aside our politically correct inhibitions and look at the evidence. The book outlines a strategy for meeting the threat that might well serve as a model for Western governments to follow in their war on "global terrorism."
Ambassador James Bissett
Former Head of Canada's Immigration Service
* * * * *
Dr. Trifkovic offers important advice in our post-9-11 struggle. Success requires focusing on the strategic problem, not on the tactics used by our antagonists. The threat to our security comes not from the perpetrators of terrorist acts but from the philosophy that sets them in motion. Until we deal with this reality, success will elude us.
Professor Col. Ronald L. Hatchett
Schreiner University, Kerrville, TX
Arms negotiator under Reagan
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing and absolutely nothing new
Srdja Trifkovic's 2002 book The Sword of the Prophet established him the most vigorous critic of the Muslim religion in the Western world, capable of going further and being much... Read more
Published on May 31, 2008 by mianfei
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not worth it.
Don't waste your money or time on Trikovic's "Defeating Jihad". It is a rehash of his "The Sword of the Prophet", and not a very good rehash. Like "The Sword.. Read more
Published on March 29, 2007 by Robert D. Foster
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Truth about Mohammed Founder of the Worlds most Intolerant...
This book is a timely and important work. I highly recommend it to all interested readers who are curious about the nature of Islam its regular political consequences. Read more
Published on November 19, 2006 by Andre
4.0 out of 5 stars
Defeating Jihad: By Serge Trifkovic
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.It is well researched and provides a keen insight into the challenges facing the Western world today. Read more
Published on November 6, 2006 by M. Harrison
4.0 out of 5 stars
If his first book didn't convince you, this one will....
Trifkovic reviews key principles and footnotes in Islamic history and then he updates the reader event by event on the incidents of the last decade or so. Read more
Published on November 3, 2006 by menlopeck
5.0 out of 5 stars
We have met the enemy and he is us.
The author patiently describes the problem and spells out why it is a problem. In the last chapter, he proposes solutions. Read more
Published on October 17, 2006 by bookloversfriend
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Threat
Serge Trifkovic's book is clear and concise and not polically correct. The book is divided into five parts and the first four are worthy of five stars, but the last part, "the... Read more
Published on May 30, 2006 by K.H.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent book
I have just finished reading Trifkovic's book "Defeating Jihad", which is very well structured and written. Read more
Published on April 28, 2006 by S. Borojevic
5.0 out of 5 stars
Causes and Consequences
While the sounds of One World-mantra are echoing ever more macabre in this age of the insurgent jihad, every glimmer of light in the mist of the Brave New World-correctness amounts... Read more
Published on April 4, 2006 by B.K.
5.0 out of 5 stars
If You Can Take The Truth, Read This Book. If Not, Forget It.
This book is not for liberals who think that more toleration will stop a holy waged in the name of a fanatically-intolerant ideology. Read more
Published on April 2, 2006 by Robert Locke
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