Where Does One Start to Understand Islam and Jihad?

Prior to 11 September 2001, I knew little about Islam and its Jihad. I had been aware that people proclaiming themselves to be Muslim had been doing terrible things to us for about two decades. I saw that our nation had been treating all of the attacks on us as criminal events, like organized crime’s mob violence. I had seen strong and weak presidents of the United States of America dealing ineffectively with these Muslim antagonists. I knew that the lead terrorist, Osama bin Laden, had formally declared war on the USA, on an Islamic pretext. I knew little about the nature of that pretext.

After 9-11, I realized that I had been asleep at the switch. While recovering from my dysphoric reaction to the events of 9-11, I rose to full alertness – and I have stayed that way since. I am no longer quite ignorant.

As the warring Muslims bring on carnage daily across the globe, more and more Americans are also waking up. It seems to us that Sixth Column should start, in part, by bringing resources and concepts to the attention of readers, to make it easier for them to get up to speed, in time to save America from defeat and dissolution, which is what these warring Muslims plan for us.


Websites


These are terrific sites which keep your mind on the pulse of current events involving the USA and Islamia. Not every article, as you might assume, deals with this war, so pick and choose. Enjoy the other articles on these sites–they add nicely to the fund of general knowledge.


● www.frontpagemag.com/ (M - F. Terrific general resource articles on site developed by David Horowitz)
● www.jihadwatch.org/ (7 days. THE GOLD STANDARD site originated and run by Robert Spencer)
● www.opinionjournal.com/best/ (M - F. Best of the Web titillates and educates)
● www.memri.org/ (Another GOLD STANDARD site, from the horses’ mouths, from the Middle East)
● www.capmag.com/ (Excellent selections from many writers)
● www.danielpipes.org/ (Daniel Pipes is one of the first modern day Paul Reveres)
● www.benadorassociates.com/ (Many articles and authors not found on other sites, and all excellent)
● www.nojihad.com/ (A new site by mostly non-professional writers who bring knowledge and experience not easily found on other sites)



Books


We now have a treasure trove of excellent works written by authors who analyze facts and write the truth about Islam. There are too many to cite for this introductory list; others will be cited in time. These listed, we regard as the very best. Once these have been read, the reader will be able to understand all of the basics of Islam and be able to navigate through all materials expertly. No apologists for Islam appear on this listing.

1. Onward Muslim Soldiers, Robert Spencer, Regnery Books, ISBN: 0-89526-100-6, 2003. His second book which adds extensive factual information about Islam and Jihad to his first book.

2. Islam Unveiled, Robert Spencer, Encounter Books, ISBN: 1-893554-58-9, 2002. Provides considerable background information about Islam.

3. Why I Am Not A Muslim, Ibn Warraq, Prometheus Books, ISBN: 0-87975-984-4, 1995. A sentinel volume by an apostate, giving background information about Islam that is hard to find elsewhere.

4. Prophet of Doom, Craig Winn, Cricketsong Books, ISBN: 0-9714481-2-4, 2004. Extensive presentation from the basic works of Islam to show the fraudulence of Islam and the nefarious character of Muhammad.

5. Leaving Islam, Ibn Warraq, Prometheus Books, ISBN: 1-59102-068-9, 2003. True life stories by apostates who left the lands of Islam and Islam itself after enduring the horrible caused by Islam.

6. Koran, translated by N.J.Dawood, Penguin Books, ISBN: 0-14-044558-7,1999. Everybody needs to read one, at least once. This is a relatively unembellished and unpolitically correct translation in a paperback format.

7. The Arab Mind, Raphael Patai, ISBN 1-57826-117-1, 2002. Dr. Patai demonstrates how Arabs, thus Islamists, think and behave, why they talk and act the ways they do.

8. The True Believer, Eric Hoffer, Perennial Classics, ISBN: 0-06-050591-5, 1951. The key to understanding mass movements such as Islam.

If I had to pick the top three books as a starter kit, I would take books 1, 2, and 3. They are well-written and highly informative. It would be a shame to stop after book 3, but considerable ignorance would be a thing of the past by then.



Lastly, this site, Sixth Column, will do all it can to engage this war of ideas with factual material and analyses to provide intellectual ammunition to use to defeat Islamic Jihad. Visit us often, and contact us, if you would like to contribute.