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I share the sense of urgency about the need to understand Islam and jihad, and the necessity to confront it squarely.
I am frustrated by the denial and wishful thinking that I see and hear when this subject is discussed.
D'Souza and the others who counsel not alienating our potential Moslem allies are, I think, either in denial, or deluding themselves rather than face a hard reality. If, by discussing Islam, we provoke the supposed moderates into joining the jihadists, then they were never really moderates or potential allies at all.
Maybe more open discussion of Islam and jihad would serve a useful purpose in sifting our Moslem neighbors, so that they show themselves to be true moderates, or show themselves to be enemies. It would make clear who was who, so in that sense, it might be the best thing to do. However it might force some Westerners to face unpleasant facts about Islam, and they would rather avoid that.
My one disagreement here is I do not believe you can separate Jihad from Islam. It is a core tenet of the religion. If it did happen one day that jihad was divorced from Islam, then on that day it is not Islam, but something else. This does not mean that all Muslims are evil. However, it does mean that they practice a religion that is evil because one of it's core tenets is evil. Plus, a lot of it's non-Jihad tenets are not much better.
The view of Aquinas and of Belloc more recently that Islam is a Christian Heresy has explanatory power even now in my view.
Make them give us battle
Short of military occupation of Mecca, I do not see how they can be goaded into battle. Unless they are extremely obtuse, which experience so far shows they are not, they must realize their tactic of hitting and disappearing, battle by a thousand isolated terrorist acts is working to weaken Western resolve.
If we can't make them give us battle (and I am highly skeptical that we can), the next best thing is to isolate and quarrantine them, like a malicious computer virus.
I'm in full agreement with the "isolate and quaratine" policy, but I probably have a bit more faith in our ability to provoke them.
When this essay ran last week on TCS, a host of intemperate commenters arrived to mock my recommendations, on the assumption that I was talking exclusively about Iraq. Of course I was not: I was talking more broadly.
But let's say a detachment of US special forces, armed to the teeth, seized and held a mosque in Falluja. Let's say they scout said mosque, choosing it specifically for its natural defensive advantages. Let's say, having seized it, they made big deal of their occupation, taunting the locals and suchlike.
Who can doubt that the ensuing few hours would bear witness to bloody repulse after bloody repulse of the young bucks of Falluja?
I'm not advocating this, mind you. It is a thought experiment.
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