Why the Clarion Project is Wrong about Donald Trump

Add caption

On March 10, 2016, Elliot Friedland wrote a news analysis of Donald Trump’s statement, “I think Islam hates us.” In this article Friedland paints a picture that Trump may be wrong but makes not one Islamic reference to support his point of point of view. Friedland made three points:

1. Islamist extremism has to be shown to be separate from the religion of Islam.
This statement ignores the work of retired Major Stephen Coughlin who worked in Military Intelligence. His extensive examination of terrorist citations and his review of “moderate” Islamist teachings. Mr. Stephen Coughlin has made “To Our Great Detriment”: Ignoring What Extremists Say About Jihad available to the public after it served as part of his academic work at the National Defense Intelligence College. Ignoring the implications of this paper places all of America at risk! In a nutshell Mr. Coughlin’s work shows that there is nothing----not one item in those identified as Islamic terrorists as a different teaching than what is taught in everyday Islamic settings. So is there such a thing as extremist Islam or moderate Islam?

If you ask the average Muslim on the street they will answer, “Of course there is no moderate or extremist Islam. Islam is Islam.” In addition, this statement by Friedland has no teeth. It has nothing to back itself up. No studies that prove the existence of a “moderate” Islam are given. There is proof of the opposite. Proof that there is no such thing as moderate Islam and that proof was endorsed in October 2014 by the State Department in its endorsement of a proposed pamphlet for the RCMP, “United Against Terrorism.” The pamphlet states:

 The term “moderate Muslim” is an oxymoron. We never hear the term “moderate Christians” or “moderate Jews” or “moderate atheists.” Why is this adjective then attached so frequently to the word “Muslim”? The term “moderate Muslim” implies that if one just identifies as Muslim that one is not a “moderate.” This term is meant to divide and classify Muslims based on Islamophobic jargon. A practicing Muslim is by nature moderate and so one should avoid this redundancy. 

Not stated still is the Islamic interpretation that the world is split into two worlds. Dar al-Islam and Dar al Harb--the land of Islam and the land of constant warfare.

 2. Trump’s view will be shared by millions of people who are scared.
Trump is not scared of Muslims nor are most of those who endorse him that are working to educate the masses on what Islam really teaches. This statement is nothing less than a fear tactic and beneath anyone associated with the Clarion Project. It also places Muslims as the victims a standard platform for Muslims after committing crimes against non-Muslims.

Since 9/11 there has been 27,962 Islamic attacks around the world at the time of this writing. Does this means Muslims are the victims or are they the relentless attackers? Should you fear someone who says over and over he is going to kill you or should you be wary of them? Are they the victim if they threaten you? Far from it they are the perpetrators of harm. Should you be concerned if you learned that murdering non-Muslims is acceptable under their law, aka sharia?

 o.1.2 The following are not subject to retaliation:

(1) a child or insane person under any circumstances 

(2) a Muslim for killing a non-Muslim (Reliance of the Traveller p. 583-584) 

3. People won’t stop saying things like this until Islamist extremism is defeated.

Sadly, this statement is based on the false premise that there exists something called “Islamist extremism.” As stated above the State Department has endorsed a document that claims there is no moderate Islam. It follows that there is no extremist Islam since there is nothing that distinguished them from other Muslims. The President and his executive branch have removed all references to Islamic terrorism including the removal of the word jihad from all training manuals for intelligence operatives, FBI personnel, etc. His Homeland Security initiative under Janet Napolitano considered potential terrorists/extremists “those who love liberty.” The only extremism being identified under Obama are those who are patriotic to this country. Perhaps it is best to let Islam answer the question, “Do they hate the people in the USA?