Defeat the Enemy by learning from Them...

[Warrior-Mentor]

Walid Shoebat was a member of the PLO, who has since renounced Islam. This makes him an apostate, one who has renounced Islam. It is punishable by death.

Any time an apostate writes a book about leaving Islam, we should be paying close attention...because they're risking their life by doing so.

Shoebat's books provide an insight into threat doctrine and ways to defeat the threat.

Check out his homepage:
http://www.shoebat.com/index.php

[cornelyj]

Watched this film in my Anthropology Race and Racism class.
Intraregional aspects to say the least. Haven't read his books.
Has anyone read them? worth the read or just another America is the capitalistic H2 driving dogma that turns the world sour?

[Warrior-Mentor]

Just picked up two of his books today:

Why we want to Kill You: The Jihadist Mindset and How to Defeat it (2007)

Why I left Jihad: The Root of Terrorism and the Return of Radical Islam (2005)

Skimming through, both look on target. Recommend Why We Want to Kill You...it defines the common myths and debunks them. Its final 1/3 focuses entirely on how to deal with various aspects radical Islam.

Other books by Apostates I recommend are:

Leaving Islam by Ibn Warraq - This has an excellent analysis in Appendix A - Ilsam on trial - the Textual Evidence. It answers two most common defenses of Islam: 1. "Do you speak Arabic?" and 2. "You have quoted out of context." Armed with the knowledge that you don't need to speak classical Arabic to understand and analyze Islam is invaluable intellectual ammunition. Being able to debunk the quoted out of context argument is a key starting point for success in an information war.

Why We Left Islam: Former Muslims Speak Out by Susan Crimp and Joel Richardson

[stuW]

I saw Shoebat speak at Michigan. I'll provide more commentary later, but for now, let me say that my parents used to tell me something that I think applies here: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I would put Shoebat in this box and lock it up, airtight.

I wouldn't trust a single word from Shoebat. I'm Jewish, and I support Israel, and Shoebat allegedly shares these notions, but I don't believe that these feelings are sincere. Supposing his feelings are true, they scare me even more. He alleges he was a PLO terrorist, and that after reading the Talmud, he changed his mind and decided to join the West and Christianity. It sounds to me like he wanted to sell books, go on speaking tours, and make money. But let us suppose that he is serious. Would you take someone seriously whose religious views change so significantly in such a short period of time? He reminds me of Jews who convert to Jews for Jesus - they are not real Jews. Similarly, Shoebat cannot be trusted to provide a true Arab, Muslim perspective.

Many of my Jewish friends enjoy what Shoebat and those like him have to say. I'd love to believe that what he says is true; that we can drastically alter the views of Muslims and show them the light. That we can introduce a democracy to the Muslims that looks like the United States. It isn't close to true.

Living in Egypt and traveling parts of the Arab world, I can say I haven't found his conclusions to be even relatively close to accurate - they are wrong, insincere, and his message won't work. Muslims seek Huriah (freedom) and Democracy. But their democracy is not Christian in origin - it is Muslim. And Shoebat's message fails, from my observations, on all accounts to provide a modicum of useful information to members of the military serving in the Arab world. There are not any Muslims who take him seriously, which I believe is highly important for influence in the Arab world.

I wouldn't trust a single word from him. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

stu

[Warrior-Mentor]

Originally Posted by stuW

That we can introduce a democracy to the Muslims that looks like the United States. It isn't close to true.

I agree. Islamic law forbides it. Will keep your comments in mind as I digest Why We want to Kill You. His CNN interview seemed switched on.

I have wondered why we haven't heard about a fatwa against him...unless hes a "shapeshifter."???