FP: Abul Kasem, welcome to Frontpage Interview.

Kasem: Thank you. I am pleased to be interviewed by Frontpage magazine.

FP: Tell us a bit about your spiritual and intellectual journey.

Kasem: Born in Bangladesh , I attended the secular schools as well as underwent strict religious discipline, and digested religious preaching. Taught by my father, during my childhood, I learned the basic Qur’an without understanding a single word, because like almost all Muslims of Bangladesh, my father did not know the meaning of Arabic words. He only knew how to read the Qur’an in Arabic, and recite it. When I was nine, a typical Mulla taught me the Islamic rituals (like prayer, ablution, fasting), and how to recite the Qur’an correctly. He also taught us that Muslims are the only inheritors of the earth, that we must never mix with the non-Muslims, we must hate them, humiliate them verbally, and if possible, physically.

In high school, I discovered a world beyond Islam. I met a few Hindus and two Christians. I found them extremely polite, peace-loving, sincere, and affable. Unfortunately, communal riots broke out in India and Bangladesh (then known as East Pakistan ). One of my Hindu friends was brutally murdered by Islamist fanatics. This was a life-changing experience, as I witnessed the mutilated dead bodies of my friend, his parents, and siblings. When I discussed this with a few Muslim gentlemen (moderate Muslims) they told me that the Hindus deserved to be killed; there should not be any Hindus in our Muslim land. Further, I learned from them that in Islam, there is a great reward for killing the non-Muslims.

In a few years our struggle for autonomy took the shape of a Liberation Movement, seeking freedom from economic and political domination of West Pakistan , which was a strict Islamic country. In 1971 the Islamic Army of Pakistan let loose a genocide, killing around 3 million Bengalis, and raping around 250,000 Bengali women. Local Islamists helped their barbarity in every way. They justified their actions by Qur’an, ahadith, and Sharia laws. After independence, I talked about it with a local Imam. He took out a Qur’an, read a few verses, and told me the genocide and mass-rape was a hundred percent Islamic-sanctioned. He said the Bengali Muslims have deviated widely from the real Islam, and as such, they deserve Allah’s punishment, and the Pakistani army did just that to purify us. Shocked, I decided to read the theological sources of Islam.

What I discovered horrified me. It was beyond my comprehension that a religion, touted to be the religion of peace could contain such blood-curdling, terrifying, barbaric verses, cultures, and laws to entice the entire Islamic community to slaughter the infidels and the not-so-good Muslims. Access to authentic books and Internet gave me more freedom to learn and express. I was greatly impressed by the writings of many honest critics of Islam.

FP: So share with us a bit of what you discovered in Islam.

Kasem: Ok, here is a bit of my education:

• Prophet said- we will go to attack them (i.e. the infidels) and they will not come to attack us.–Sahih Bukhari, 5.59.435.
• Prophet allowed rape of war-captives.–Sahih Bukhari, 3.46.718.
• Muslim soldiers had sex with the captive women in the presence of their husbands and “some were reluctant to do so”.–Sunaan Abu Dawud 11.2150.
• One can have sexual intercourse with a captive woman after she is clear of her period and/or delivery. If she has a husband then her marriage is abrogated after she becomes a captive - Sahih Muslim 8.3432.
• Ali (Muhammad’s son-in-law) had sex with booty captive women. Muhammad presented him with the captive woman (to have sex).–Sahih Bukhari 5.59.637.
• Women are domestic animals; beat them.–Tabari, vol.ix, pp. 9.112-114.
• Muhammad’s culture of killing was widespread and wild. Muslims killed Umm Qirfa, “a very old woman” by tying her legs with a rope attached to two camels driven in opposite directions thus tearing her body (Ibn Ishak, pp.664-665). Umm Qirfa was torn from limb to limb by four camels (Rodinson, p.248).
• Allah likes beheading—Kais cut off the head of al-Aswad and shouted ‘Allah is great’.–Baladhuri, p.161.
• Prophet said spears were his livelihood–Sahih Bukhari Vol-4 Chapter 88.
• Muhammad ordered a Muslim woman to breastfeed a man. She protested but ultimately had to do so– ibn Majah, 3.1943.
• Muhammad ordered a Muslim woman to breastfeed a bearded man.–Sahih Muslim, 8.3428.
• Allah says that a woman must sexually satisfy her husband even when on top of a camel.–Ibn Majah, 3.1853.
• Muhammad ordered the murder of Asma bt. Marwan, a Jewish poetess when she was suckling her babies.–Ibn Ishaq, p.676, ibn sa’d, vol. ii, p.30-31.
• Muhammad ordered the assassination of Abu Afak, a 120-year-old man of Medina.–Ibn Ishaq, p.675, ibn Sa’d, vol.ii, p.31.
• Muhammad conducted ethnic cleansing of Banu Quaynuqa Jews from Medina.–Tabari, vol.vii, p.85.
• Muhammad hired a professional killer to assassinate Ka’b b. al-Ashraf, a poet of Medina.–Sahih Bukhari, 5.59.369.
• The messenger of Allah said, “Whoever of the Jews falls into your hands, kill him.” So Muhayyish b. Masud killed his friend and business-partner Ibn Sunaynah- Tabari, vol.vii, p.97-98.
• Muhammad’s death squad murdered Abu Rafi, a critic of Muhammad in Medina.–Tabari, vol.vii, p.103, Sahih Bukhari, 5.59.371.
• Muhammad’s death squad assassinated Sufyan ibn Khalid.–Ibn Ishaq, p.664-665, ibn Sa’d, vol.ii, p.60.
• Muhammad did ethnic cleansing of B. Nadir Jews from Medina.-Tabari, vol. vii, p.158-159, Heykal, ch. B. Nadir, Sahih Bukhari, 3.39.519.
• Muhammad beheaded between 600-900 Jews of B. Qurayzah who did not fight Muslilms but were attacked, and they surrendered unconditionally–Tabari, vol.viii, ch. B. Qurayzah; Heykal, ch. the Campaign of Khandaq and B. Qurayzah, ibn Ishaq, ch. B. Qurayzah.
• Arabs are the chosen people of Allah; Allah resembles an Arab.–ibn Sa’d, vol.1, p.2.
• Allah favours Arab racism—prophet is to be of Quraysh stock and of white complexion (ibn Sa’d, vol.1, p.95-96, Sahih Muslim, 20.4483.
• Shafi Law m4.2 The following are not suitable matches for one another:
  (1) a non Arab man for an Arab woman (O: because Prophet said: Allah has chosen the Quraysh Arabs as His agent to rule the world (Islamic Caliphate).–Sahih Bukhari, 4.56.704.
• Whoever says Muhammad was black must be killed.–Ash-Shifa, Tr. Aisha Abdarrahman Bewley, p.375.
• Muhammad approved killing of women and children of the pagans because they (the children) are from them (i.e. the pagans)…(Sahih Bukhari 4.52.256).
• Muhammad blessed Jarir for conducting the genocide (including the children) at Dhu Khalasa.–Sahih Bukhari, 4.52.262
• Muhammad had a black slave; he traded in slaves.–Sahih Bukhari, 9.91.368 and Kasasul Ambia of Ibne Kathir Vol 3 page 112 – Bangla translation by Bashiruddin.
• Muhammad traded slaves for beautiful, young, and sexy women, such as Saffiya.–Sunaan Abu Dawud, 2.2987, 2991.
• Muhammad’s hired killer assassinated Al-Yusayr b. Rizam and a party of Khaybar Jews at al-Qarqara.–Ibn Ishaq, p.665-666.
• Muhammad forced jizya of Zoroastrians—several cases.–Tabari, vol.viii, p.142, Sunaan Abu Dawud, 19.9038.
• The gratuitous destruction of pagan temples and their idols.–several references: ibn Ishaq, ibn Sa’d, Tabari: ch: The occupation of Mecca .
• Killing of polytheists is laudable–Muhammad said.–Tabari, vol.ix, p.76.
• Muhammad’s marauding troops conducted genocide at Jurash, Yemen.–Tabari, vol.ix, p.88-89.
• Killing infidels is fun.–Tabari, vol.vii. p.65.
• Muhammad ordered to kill the apostates; if somebody (Muslim) discards his religion, kill him)–Sahih Bukhari, 4.52.260.
• Blood of animal is very dear to Allah.–Ibn Majah, 4.3126.
• The Prophet said: A man will not be asked as to why he beat his wife.–Sunaan Abu Dawud, 11.2142.
• The Prophet said: - People ruled by a woman will never be successful.–-Sahih Bukhari, 5.59.709.
• Majority of women are in hell.–Sahih Bukhari 1.6.301.
• A woman must keep her sexual organs ready for service at all times (Ihya Uloom Ed-Din of Ghazali, Tr. Dr Ahmad Zidan, vol.i, p.235)
• Wife can’t leave home.–Shafi’i law m10.4.
• If a woman claims to be having her period but her husband does not believe her, it is lawful for him to have sexual intercourse with her.–Shafi’i law e.13.5.
• Support of a divorced wife is for 3 months.–Shafi’i Law m11.10.
• Instant divorce is allowed for husbands. No support to a such divorced wives from that moment - Many references.
• No reason is required to divorce one’s wife/s (Many references, Sharia the Islamic Law –Dr. Abdur Rahman Doi, p.173).
• It is unlawful for women to leave the house with faces unveiled, whether or not there is likelihood of temptation. It is unlawful for women to be alone with a marriageable man.–Shafi’i Law m2.3.
• Muhammad said, “No nation prospers over which a woman rules.”–Ihyya Uloom Ed-din of Ghazali, Tr. Fazl-Ul-Karim, p.2.35.
• If Muhammad wanted anyone to prostrate before another, he would have ordered a woman to prostrate before her husband.–Ibid, p.2.43.
• A woman, a slave and an unbeliever is not fit to be a moral police.–Ibid, p.2.186.
• Muhammad said,” A woman is the string of the devil.”–Ibid, p.3.87.
• A woman is the best coveted of things to a man. He takes pleasures in penetrating his genital organ into female vaginal canal. Thus, vagina is the most coveted thing in a woman.–Ghazali, p.3.162.
• A woman is a servant and the husband is the person served.–Hedaya, the Hanafi Law manual, p.47
• You can enjoy a wife by force.–Hedaya, p.141
• Full dower is the payment for the delivery of woman’s person. Booza meaning Genitalia arvum Mulieris.–Hedaya, p.44.
• Women are your (men) prisoners; treat them well, if necessary beat them but not severely.–Tirmidhi, 104.
• When a woman goes out, the devil looks at her; so conceal a woman.–Tirmidhi, 928.
• In paradise, there is a market of rich, beautiful and ever-young women; they will be pleased whoever buys them.–Tirmidhi, 1495.
• Women are stupid.–Ibn Majah, 5.4003.
• The best Muslims had the largest number of wives.–Sahih Bukhari, 7.62.7.
• Allah regards the unbelievers (non-Muslims) as slaves in the hands of the Muslims.–The Qur’an 16:75.
• Allah made Muhammad wealthy through conquests (raid, plunder, war).–Sahih Bukhari, 3.37.495.
• Muhammad’s main source of livelihood was the money from the Jizya tax on infidels.–Sahih Bukhari, 5.59.351.
• Provisions set by Allah and Muhammad are binding to all Muslims: there are no alternatives.–The Qur’an, 33:36.
• Obeying Muhammad is obeying Allah.–The Qur’an, 4:80.
• Muhammad’s booty is Allah’s booty, which was how Allah made Muhammad rich.–The Qur’an, 59:6-7
• Muhammad was the ONLY Prophet who killed somebody by his "noble hand". The person killed was Ubayy b. Khalaf, at the battle of Uhud - page 600 Umdat Al Salik.

These are only few of the thousands of documents that sized and shaped my journey through Islam.

FP: All of this definitely doesn't bring a sense of tanquility and peace to one's heart.

While we are on these themes, can you explain something to me?

In many cases, when I have a conversation with various Muslims, the following happens: the issue of Islam is brought up and I am immediately informed that I don’t know what I am talking about – and this occurs before I have even said anything. Then when I ask about the violent verses that mandate war against unbelievers (i.e. Suras 9:5, 9:29 etc.) I am informed that this is not even in the Koran. I am then informed that Muhammad did not even as much as touch the hair on a person’s head. I respond that Muhammad was a military man. I am then told that this is absolutely not true. I then relate the words of the verses I am referring to and am then told I have a false translation. I describe the translation, that it is a Koran translated by a renowned and respected Muslim that all Muslims trust (i.e. Abdullah Yusuf Ali), and the Muslim I am speaking with just keeps shaking his head.

Mr. Kasem, this happens to me a lot. What exactly is going on here? Are many Muslims playing some kind of game with the unbelievers they speak with or do the majority of them actually have no idea what is in the Koran and are also, for some bizarre reason or another, indifferent to what it actually says?

Kasem: I guess these discussions must have been with some cunning Islamists living in infidel territory, perhaps in the USA , Canada or UK . It is no surprise that the same Islamists, if in an Islamic Paradise, will make a complete U-turn and will tell that verses 9:5 and 9:29 are alive and kicking well.

This tactic of denial, translation problem, context, misconception and so on, is an age-old method used by the conniving Islamists to save skin. In Islamic language this is known as taqiyya (telling lies) and kitman (adopting deception). When Muslims are weak, verses 3:28 and 16:106-107 of the Qur’an (that is Allah) tell Muslims to adopt these techniques to save themselves from the infidels. They are even allowed to deny their Islamic faith and told to criticise Islam, if need be. Muhammad had adopted this policy to assassinate his critics. In the event of killing of Ka’b Ashraf Muhammad’s assassins befriended Ka’b, criticised Muhammad and Islam, then, when they had the confidence of Ka’b, they took him out of his house, pretended to hug him, and beheaded him amidst slogan of Allahu Akbar.

Please note that a few hijackers of 9/11 even drank beer and whisky in pubs, and had girl-friends to sleep with, just before they went on their mission to kill infidels. In the book Masterminds of Terror (Yusri Fouda and Nick Fielding, Penguin Australia , 2003, p.120) we read that Al-Qaeda trains the jihadists how to drink alcohol and mix with the Christians and emulate their lives. Many jihadists are encouraged to drink alcohol—just to make sure they blend well in the infidel territories and raise no suspicion.

No wonder, we note the modern Islamists adopt the same technique in confounding the west.

Let us briefly review verse 3:8, the foundation of Islamic taqiyya and kitman.

This verse tells the Muslims not to take unbelievers as friends; caution is necessary to befriend the unbelievers.

On the exegesis of this verse ibn Kathir, the most eminent tafsir writer of the Qur’an writes that: do not befriend the deniers (i.e., the non-Muslims), even if they are among the closest relatives. In case of danger, Allah allows Muslims to show friendship to the disbelievers outwardly, but never inwardly. The taqiyya is allowed until the Day of Resurrection. Allah has reserved unremitting torment for those who give their support to His enemies, and those who have enmity with His friends.

In simple language, ibn Kathir says it is all right to tell lies/ adopt deception for the sake of Islam.

Therefore, it is no surprise that Muhammad’s ardent supporters are simply repeating the Islamic history. This cunning, sophisticated, and sly Islamists will go to any extent to secure the confidence of the gullible western infidels. This is how Islam is advanced in an enemy territory—where Islamists do not have the military might to kill the infidels en-masse. Just note how their tactic s will change when they are strong in number, about ten percent of population (this is what is happening in France ) and they have a recruitment of Islamist terrorists, having set up terror cells.

I hope you now understand why the Islamists living in the West are so adapt in telling lies and adopting deception.

In this connection it might be appropriate to examine the true meanings of verses 9:5 and 9:29 .

In verse 9:5 Allah tells the Muslims that after the four sacred months (Rajab, Zulqad, ZulHajj, Muharram) have passed, slay (fight and kill) the pagans wherever they are found.

Ibn Kathir writes that this means, the earth in general. That means this verse is not meant only for the Meccans pagans; it applicable all around the globe, even today.

Echoing ibn Kathir, Jalalyn and ibn Abbas further say: Do not wait until you find them, seek and besiege them in their areas and forts, gather intelligence about them in various roads and fairways and force them to Islam. If they do not embrace Islam, then kill them. This verse allowed Muslims to fight the non-Muslims until they embrace Islam. These verses allowed fighting people unless and until, they embrace Islam and implement its rulings and obligations. Allah mentioned the most important aspects of Islam here, including what is less important. If they repent and become believers then forgive them.

There, in the above paragraph, we read the true spirit of Islam, as per the immortal exegetes of the Qur’an.

According to the most Qur’an scholars this verse (9:5) is known as the verse of the sword (ayat saif); this verse alone cancels about 124 verses that espouse mercy, tolerance and forgiveness to the pagans.

My suggestion to the ill-informed western enquirer would be to tell the Islamists those few lines of ibn Kathir, Jalalyn, and ibn Kathir.

Let us understand verse 9:29, in the language of Islam.

This verse ( 9:29 ) says: Fight those who do not believe in Allah, or in the last Day, or in the halal food. Unbelieving people of the Book (Jews and Christians) pay jizya tax with submission (humiliation); if they do not pay jizya tax or convert to Islam then kill them.

The verse is so clear and unambiguous. However, to be sure, let us read what ibn Kathir says.

Ibn Kathir writes that this is the compensation for the loss of revenue from the prohibition of the non-Muslims entry in Mecca ; imposition of jizya was the compensation to make up for the loss of revenue to the Muslims. This verse stipulates that the Muslims fight, i.e. kill the people of the Books if they do not pay the jizya tax; Muslims should disgrace, humiliate and belittle the Jews and the Christians.

According various Islamic sources this verse abrogates 2:109, 60:8-9.

Lastly, I must tell the simple-minded infidels who have a dialogue with these clever Islamists that these people are simply taking advantage of the ignorance of the gullible non-Muslims, who have been brain-washed by the PC media that Islam is peace—similar to other religions.

The vast majority of Muslims (especially non-Arab background) have very little idea about the severity and barbarism of the Qur’an. As such, these Islamists take full advantage of this ignorance and try to convert killing verses into kissing verses, and hateful verses into loving ones.

This is why it is important to read and understand the Qur’an, ahadith, sunna, and sharia. These fundamental sources of Islam are the most potent weapons to confront the Islamists living in the west.

FP: While I am sure some of these Muslims are thinking they are deceiving me, I have definitely met many of the Muslims you just desrcibed who truly do not know about the severity and barbarism of the Koran. In any case, let’s move on.

What was your contribution to Leaving Islam – Apostates Speak Out about?

Kasem: In the book Leaving Islam—Apostates Speak out I contributed an essay, titled Islamic Terrorism and the Genocide in Bangladesh. In this article I described what I witnessed and experienced during the genocidal occupation of Bangladesh by the Islamic Military of Pakistan. I depicted how I escaped certain death from army firing, from the university dormitory where the Pakistan army had killed a number of my university mates. I consider myself extremely lucky to survive and tell the world the severity of Islamic genocide. My article also provides the reasons why I have left Islam, and become an apostate.

FP: Why do you think the efforts at an Islamic Reformation are suffering such huge obstacles? The effort of moderate Muslims to make any real ground in developing a counter-jihad strategy appears to be failing, no? How come? Or are my assumptions misplaced?

Kasem: The answer is very simple. Islam cannot be reformed. Muhammad himself has banned any reformation to Islam.

Reforming Islam is not a new idea. From time to time Islamist Scholars have attempted to reform Islam. They have failed. You might have heard of the group called Mutazzilites. Their sincere attempt to reform Islam in or around the ninth and tenth century had failed miserably. Many such Mutazillites faced severe Islamic punishment for bringing innovation (bidah) in Islam. Introducing innovation in Islam is a serious crime, according to Ghazali. Whoever, brings in such a reform is subject to Islamic punitive measure, which is death.

Today, Islam is fossilized in the seventh century Bedouin Arab customs upon which Muhammad had founded Islam.

Under such draconian measures who dares to reform Islam?

Now I come to the topic of Moderate Muslims. To have moderate Muslims, there must be moderate Islam.

Then the question will be: Is there such a thing as moderate Islam? For the existence of moderate Islam/Muslims, there must be a ‘moderate’ Qur’an, since the life force of Islam is the Qur’an. If the Qur’an cannot be ‘moderated’ (i.e., a moderate Qur’an) then how is it possible to have a moderate Islam, and consequently moderate Muslims?

What we perceive as the so-called moderate Muslims may be classified into three groups:

The first group--the vast majority, probably around 90% of global Muslims, are Muslims by name only. They have no idea about the contents of the Qur’an, ahadith and Sharia. It is a misnomer to term them as moderate Muslims. Strictly speaking, if we go by the Qur’an, they are not Muslims at all. According to Sharia law, they might even be sentenced to death for not adhering strictly to Islam.

The second group, I would call them pretend Muslims. They are probably around 5% of all Muslims. They occasionally go to mosques on Fridays and on Eid days and sometimes pray and fast at home. These Muslims are also hypocrites. When the dark side of Islam is illustrated to them, they are disturbed, become defensive and justify the evil nature of Islam by alluding to historical contexts. This is simply nonsense, as the Qur’anic verses are valid for eternity and must be acted upon by Muslims at all times. These so-called moderate Muslims discover in Islam what Islam is not meant to be. They resort to twisted meanings of those numerous brutal verses, and attempt to transform them into loving and kissing ones. How can we call this group of Muslims moderate?

The third group (another 4% of Muslims) is the Islamists who have no guts to blow themselves up but resort to intellectual Jihad and academic and philosophical terrorism. They are the spiritual foundations of the real Islamist terrorists. They regularly visit mosques, organize Islamic seminars, and send e-mails to gullible non-believers and design Islamic websites. Many of them are Imams in mosques. They are diehard ritualists—never missing a single prayer, always patronizing halal eateries (while living in infidel lands), soliciting funds and Zakat (Islamic alms) money to finance Jihad in Afghanistan, Iraq, Chechnya, Kashmir and so on. They exhort other not-so-good Muslims to hate the non-Muslims. So, you see, there is no such true thing as moderate Muslims.

These fake ‘moderate’ Muslims are similar to the spectators in a stadium. They cheer (in silence) the jihadists who are combating the infidels in the arena. Therefore, it is foolhardy to depend upon these ‘moderate’ Muslims to reform and regain Islam from the hands of the extremists. ‘Moderate’ Muslims and the jihadists (extremists) are just the two faces of the same coin. They are the same—one group is in silent actions, the other group is in violent actions.

Therefore, I regret to say that your use of the ‘moderate’ Muslims to develop a counter jihad approach is truly misplaced. The current policies of the western governments to appease the ‘moderate’ Muslims, extolling Islam as a religion of ‘peace’, and hunting the jihadists to stop Islamist terrorism is just wrong. This policy is bound to failure.

So long as the Muslims are energized, motivated, and instructed according to the core scriptures of Islam, there will be no end to Islamist terrorism.

Please remember that terrorism is just a tactic employed by the jihadists to advance their agenda, which is to conquer the globe and enforce Islamic laws. You might laugh or pooh-pooh such a chutzpah of the Islamists. But bear in mind that Islamists have unshakeable belief in the ultimate victory of Islam through terror. They have already conquered the Muslim world and now want to conquer the West. It is because Muhammad himself has declared that Islam will be victorious through terror and plunder (see Bukhari Hadis, 1.7.331).

FP: Can you expand a bit on the theological roots of Islamist terrorism?

Kasem: I have already mentioned that Islamist terrorism is the direct application of the Qur’an, Sunna, ahadith, and Sharia. Let me demonstrate from the Qur’an that Islamist terrorism is rooted in the theology of Islam.

Islam is at perpetual war with the non-Islamic world (the Qur’an 4:76, 60:4). Those who read the Qur’an and ahadith (Muhammad’s deeds and traditions) and want to emulate them cannot but be terrorists. They must hate the non-Muslims, humiliate them, distrust them, deceive them at every opportunity, and kill them when the situation is appropriate. This is the stipulation of the central doctrine of Islam. A Muslim who does not emulate this cardinal premise of Islam is not a Muslim at all. The Qur’an says that Allah has purchased the lives of Muslims (9:111-112) in exchange for booty and Paradise so that that they are obliged to sacrifice their lives or become martyrs (like suicide bombing) when they go on a killing mission (5:94). This is a business contract with Allah. Allah strictly binds all Muslims with this contract. That is why the Qur’an stands solidly behind the Islamist terrorists. They are simply fulfilling their contract with Allah. These terrorists are not an aberration of Islam. They are, in reality, Islam as it was during Muhammad’s time, and as it should be, and not what the not-so-good Muslims think Islam to be—a religion of peace and unbound love for humanity.

Killing, assassination, terrorism and bloodshed are the DNA codes of Islam. Even if the whole world converts to Islam, the true Muslims will continue perpetrating bloodshed. If they don’t get the blood of infidels, they kill one another. This is the legacy of 1400 years of Islamic rule. The best example is Pakistan, (or Iraq) where 97% of the population is Muslim, yet there is bloodshed of Muslims by Muslims. Look at the recent assassination of Bhutto. Previous to that, a Pakistani suicide bomber killed at least fifty Muslims (worshippers) while they were praying in a mosque on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha. This is the stark proof that violence and killing are inseparable from Islam.

Terrified, many non-Muslims often ask: what do the Islamist terrorists want?

They want to convert the entire world into an Islamic Paradise. There is no surprise in this. During his days, Muhammad had asked the Muslims to terrorize the world until Islam rules supreme (Quran 3:85, 5:3, 5:33). Qur’an exhorts the Muslims to keep fighting (with swords, not spiritually) until they perfect the world through Islamic purification and domination (Qur’an 9:5, 9:29, and 9:33). In reality, it means imposing on the non-Muslims (or the non-Arabs) the Arabic and Bedouin culture (also known as Islam) by force, murder and terrorism. Even Caliph Umar had admitted that Bedouins are the raw materials of Islam (reference: History of the Arabs by Phillip K. Hitti).

FP: How do we most effectively combat this threat?

Kasem: Islamic terrorism is not going to end soon—not at least before a few more 9/11s, Madrids, Balis, 7/7s take place. Its demise will depend upon how resolute the world becomes in the coming days. As long as there are PC politicians, and as long as the world depends upon the so-called moderate Muslims to extinguish this menace, nothing will happen, rest assured on this.

The world must not follow this path of least resistance. This method will only ensure the defeat in the hands of the clever and cunning Islamist terrorists and their supporters, the so-called moderate Muslims. America, UK, Australia, the forefront nations in the fight against terror have limited resources. They are spending billions of dollars to face this challenge. This cannot go on forever. These nations will soon get tired, their money exhausted, their population will soon rebel and refuse to send their children to join the army and be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan for a cause that has very little to do with their lives. Soon, there will be loud voices in these nations to pull out. The Islamists are just waiting for this moment. Their war on the unbelievers cost them next to nothing. Mind you, life is so cheap in Islam. With one suicide bomber they kill hundreds and thousands of people. Do your math and you will realize why the Islamists are capable of carrying out their act for decades, if not for centuries. We must recognize that the real enemy is not the terrorists. Rather, it is Islam. As long as the world does not internalize and comprehend this truth, and as long as wrong, PC policies are pursued this war will continue and the defeat of the non-believers is guaranteed.

Just think if we could convince the suicide bombers that there are no 72 virgins waiting in Paradise to provide them with unlimited sexual orgy. Just think if we could convince the Islamists that Islam is barbaric, false, and imperialistic.

The bottom line is: The focus of war should be shifted from Iraq or Afghanistan to Islam. No doubt, it is necessary to fight this war militarily, but it should also be fought doctrinally. It is an ideological war. We need to expose Islam to the world. This will force the so-called vast majority of the not-so-good Muslims to discard, at least the violent part of it. They would remain contented with the ritual part of Islam, like prayer, fasting etc. These rituals do not harm others. When this happens, the Jihadists will find it extremely difficult to recruit new suicide bombers and Islamist killers. That is how Islamist terrorism should be fought. It will take time.

FP: Quite a task we have in front of us. Abul Kasem, thank you for joining us and thank you for your courage to tell the truth.