WWhat is Civilization Jihad?

BACKGROUNDERCIVILIZATION JIHAD

We know all about violent jihad. But Civilization Jihad is, by its nature and design, a far more dangerous threat in the long run. It aims to transform a society from within so it can eventually be brought under Islamic law.

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More Dangerous Than Violent Jihad?

Violent jihad is easy to identify and obvious in the danger it presents.

Civilization Jihad is by its nature and design a more subtle, but truly more dangerous threat in the long run. It aims to transform a society from within so it can eventually be brought under Islamic law.

Since the goal is the overthrow of the society and its existing government and laws, Civilization Jihad can be a “pre-violent” preparation for violent jihad or if successful enough achieve the desired end on its own.

Where "Civilization Jihad" Comes From

In the 2008 terrorism trial  United States v. Holy Land Foundation a document written by senior Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammad Akram was entered into evidence.

The document was called   and it says that the purpose of the Muslim Brotherhood in North America is “a Civilization-Jihadist Process” and they are conducting a “grand jihad in eliminating and destroying Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated.”

The term “civilization jihad” is our enemy’s own name for efforts to subvert our society from within using the very freedoms they will then take away.

It's Not Free Expression; It's Subversion

Civilization Jihad must not be confused with, or tolerated as, a constitutionally protected form of religious practice—no more than violent jihad against the United States government would be.

Though the actions undertaken are not violent, it is preparation for the success of a violent campaign or it may succeed on its own and remove the need for violent conquest. It consists of attempts to subvert government officials, to prevent people from speaking about the connection between Islam and violent jihad, and in spreading the ideals of Islamic law so that they become normalized and accepted.

It includes influence operations by Muslim leaders to transform how institutions such as the intelligence community, Defense Department, police, and schools and universities think and speak about the threats posed by the jihad to Western liberties, to the idea of democracy as a good, or to our basic notions of human equality.

It entails efforts to expand the Muslim population in the targeted countries, and to block assimilation within those communities. It also includes attempts to punish government officials who do pursue such threats via political correctness, lawsuits, or damage to their careers.

In this way it hopes to chill American efforts to address the threats posed by the violent jihad to our entire way of life.

Civilization Jihad In Practice

The Muslim Brotherhood is the umbrella organization for practitioners of civilization jihad in America.

They see themselves as acting within the shariah legal tradition by issuing a  dawa, or call to conversion. Shariah law jurists since the 8th century have held that the  dawa is mandatory before violent jihad can occur.

Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, told a Toledo, Ohio, Muslim Arab Youth Association convention in 1995, “We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America! Not through the sword, but through  dawa.”

Because they appeal to First Amendment protections, the Muslim Brotherhood has been able to spawn a host of organizations that are allowed to exist and operate freely. One of the most visible of these is the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which describes its mission as one of ‘enhancing understanding of Islam and encouraging dialogue,’ but in fact acts chiefly to legally silence or publicly delegitimize critics.

They spend considerable effort attacking those who disagree with their mission both Muslim Americans and American citizens who raise concerns about the connection between Islam and jihad. They are especially visible in the wake of Islamic terror attacks on American soil, when they attempt to blur and hide any discussion of the role Islam played in the attacks.

Why It Works

Civilization Jihad operates in ways tailored to take advantage of today’s liberal, multicultural-minded non-Muslim populations. It does so in ways that are genuinely difficult to recognize, oppose or counter.

Today, Americans really do value tolerance and have learned from a difficult history to reflexively oppose prejudice against minorities. By describing as “prejudice” concerns about the connection between Islam and the violent jihadist acts of terror taking place all over the world, the civilization jihadist can often make people ashamed to express their concerns.

By attacking in public those who speak out anyway, the civilization jihadist can use this public sentiment against racism or xenophobia to discredit those raising legitimate questions about crime and jihadist violence. By leveraging legal protections put into place to protect minority groups in a diverse society, the civilization jihadist can use the law to punish those who continue to speak.

Civilization jihad works because it takes advantage of the West’s devotion to tolerance and openness to protect those who would destroy it.

The Objective: Shariah Over All Of Us

The final objective of civilization jihad is the same as that of violent jihad. The objective is to bring the non-Muslim world under the rule of Islam.

In Islam, this is described as the subjugation of the  Dar al-Harb, or ‘House of War,’ to shariah law. Once a part of the world submits to shariah, it is said to belong to the  Dar al-Islam, the ‘House of Islam.’

This would entail an end to democratic forms of government because of shariah law’s insistence that “man-made” law is forbidden. Only God may legislate, which means that democratic methods of addressing concerns are not legitimate. The law is permanent and unchangeable by human authority.

It would also mean the end of the United States Constitution, and especially its provisions for genuine religious tolerance and the equality of all before the law. Shariah law mandates several forms of legal inequalities, especially for non-Muslims and women. It also requires punishments considered cruel and unusual under the American Constitution, especially for sexual minorities.

The object of civilization jihad is to bring us all under this legal code, and to make shariah the permanent and unalterable rule over all our lives.

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