Leonard Grunstein is a retired attorney and banker, who founded and served as Chairman of Metropolitan National Bank and then Israel Discount Bank of NY. He founded Project Ezrah and serves on the Board of Bernard Revel at Yeshiva Univ. and the AIPAC National Council. He has published articles in the Banking Law Journal, Real Estate Finance Journal and more, and is the co-author of "Because It’s Just and Right: The Untold Back-Story of the U.S. Recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel and Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem."
We who live in the USA (and Israel) are blessed to live in a free and open, diverse and democratic society, where we enjoy, among other things, freedom of religion and speech, as well as equal protection under the law. In the US, the constitution provides for separation of church and state, as well as recognizing our G-d given rights and freedoms. US law expressly prohibits discrimination by reason of race, color, creed, sex, national origin, etc.
Unfortunately, this is an anomalous circumstance in the history of the world, often beset by wars of conquest and empire building, where religion or its analogue of cult-like ideology (such as Nazism or Communism) was used as a political tool to unify some in hatred of others, with the goal of conquering or exterminating them.
It is also all too rare in the modern world, where few societies genuinely enjoy freedoms and rights like those enumerated above in practice. One wonderful exception is Israel, the only true bastion of democracy in the Middle East, where these freedoms and rights are enjoyed by all of its diverse citizenry.
Many are familiar with the religious and other wars in Europe, because we studied them in grade and high school, as a part of our learning to appreciate how the US came to be and why it is so special. Little attention was paid to many other areas like the Middle East and Africa. The primary focus was on American history and Western culture, as well as Europe, Christianity and European Empires, as compared to the American experience.
Even the consideration of such seminal events as the war with the Barbary Pirates in the Mediterranean Sea was limited in scope. It was glorious to learn about the rebirth of the modern Navy and deployment of the newly re-established Marine Corp to meet the challenge, as well as the meaning of the phrase ‘to the shores of Tripoli’, in the Marine Anthem. However, the focus was on the precipitating cause of pirates raiding American ships, kidnapping Americans and demanding ransoms and protection money. There was no serious consideration given to the underlying causes of the conflict, rooted in what is referred to as Islamism today.
I can’t help but wonder how different we would feel about the threat of Islamism and Jihad today had we been taught about the origin of the Barbary Pirates, their goals and brand of Jihadism. The Islamist despicable terrorist actions of today (although more lethal and destructive) bear a striking resemblance to the malign activities of the Jihadi Barbary pirates of then. Here’s a précis of their history.
The Barbary Pirates were predominantly Muslim. A major part of their operations, over hundreds of years (from the 16th to the 19th century), involved targeting, capturing and enslaving non-Muslims and especially Christians. It’s estimated that approximately 1 million Christians were enslaved. The Islamist pirates operated under of the authority of and from ports located in North African Muslim ruled semi-autonomous states, known as the Barbary States, which typically were nominally under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire. They raided ships and coastal villages across the Mediterranean Sea and even ranged as far north as England, Ireland and Iceland and east to the Canary Islands.
Their activities were viewed as a sacred struggle against the non-Muslim world. Their belligerent raids were often framed as naval Jihad against Christian powers, although, as is typical in Islamism, their dominant motive was not so much religious, as agenda driven. In this case it was economic, to plunder, ransom and source and sell non-Muslim slaves.
It is interesting to note that in a famous meeting in March of 1786, between Tripoli’s Ambassador Sidi Abdrahaman and Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, in London, they inquired as to why the US was being attacked, when it had done no injury to the Barbary States. The Ambassador responded that it was a religious duty under Islam to do so. This exchange reportedly convinced Thomas Jefferson that paying protection money and the illusion of the peace it was intended to secure would not stop the attacks. When he became Prsident, he refused to pay protection money to the Barbary States and Tripoli declared war on the US in 1801.
The military intervention by the US in 1801-1805 (First Barbary War), under President Thomas Jefferson and then again in 1815 (Second Barbary War), under President James Madison, was the beginning of the end of this scourge. Ultimately France effectively ended Barbary terrorism, when it conquered Algeria in 1830.
Would that modern decision-makers would study and learn the cogent lessons of this important first encounter between the US and Islamist powers; and consider how many modern tragedies could have been avoided.
As the US approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding later this year, it’s a propitious time to reform our educational system and break out of the bubble of seriously studying only a compressed time period with a limited geographical focus. There is a whole world out there that affects American interests and many thousands of years of recorded history to study to put our situation in the US in perspective. Perhaps studying the true history of Communist China and Soviet Russia will help clarify that the scourge of communism and its modern incarnates of neo-Marxism are the problem not the solution. Similarly, learning the true history Middle East will help people recognize the existential threat posed by Jihadi Islamists.
As citizens, we must become more enlightened about the many threats we face from a world that doesn’t embrace our American values and seeks to undermine our interests. There are so many good people in our country who want to live and let live and genuinely do what’s good and right. However, not every one in the world feels that way and we must beware not to be manipulated into empowering evil, under nefarious pretenses.
One pervasive such fraudulent device is called social justice or equity, a slogan that denies our system of impartial justice and legal rights. It is derived from a neo-Marxist type ideology that views most in the US as the more powerful class and therefore entitled and everyone else as less powerful and, therefore, entitled to concessions, at the expense of the so-called entitled class.
This political and weaponized philosophy has been molded by political theologists to create the so-called red-green alliance, which allies neo-Marxists and their cohorts under the red banner and Islamists and their cohorts under the green banner. Both these movements seek to undermine our American way of life and analogues throughout the world, including the modern truly democratic states in North and South America, in Europe, the Far East and Asia, as well as Israel in the Middle East.
Islam is the third monotheistic religion in the Abrahamic faith tradition, which emerged in the 7th century CE in the Saudi Arabian peninsula, under the leadership of Muhammad. It was a direct response to the polytheistic and idolatrous conditions then prevailing in Mecca. It is historically and theologically derived from Judaism and Christianity.
Islamism is a political theology, loosely based on Islam, promoted by Islamists, to suit their agenda driven needs and often at odds with the genuinely Quranic variety. Although the term Islamism is of more modern vintage, in concept it began almost from the very beginning, when the Saudi Arabian peninsula was being conquered, and certainly after the death of Mohammad. Thus, the crises of succession and governance of the nascent Muslim state, led to pronounced divisions within the community, which were justified by politically motivated theological interpretations and narratives; often invented to suit their sectarian needs.
Consider, there was the Shia-Sunni schism that began almost immediately after Mohammad’s death in the 7th century, in the fight over who should succeed him as Caliph (supreme leader). The Sunnis supported Abu Bakr by consensus. The Shia, on the other hand, believed in a form of dynastic succession, where the leadership remained in Muhammad’s family, and supported Ali, his cousin and son-in-law. Their name Shia is derived from Shiat Ali (followers, supporters or faction of Ali).
The divide deepened when Hussein, Ali’s son, together with many of his followers were killed by Ummayad Sunni forces, in the battle of Karbala in 680 CE. Each side mustered so-called Hadiths, sayings or practices attributed to Mohammad, which are not a part of the actual Quran and often in conflict with its provisions. Take, for example, the very concept of civil war and killing each other, as well as splitting into separate sects is an anathema to the Quran (6:159, 3:103 and 4:93).
Shia accused Sunni of fabricated Hadiths for political gain and vice versa. In this regard, it is important to note, Quranists reject Hadiths entirely. In essence, they are nothing more than human inventions, crafted for political purposes and ascribed to Mohammad to justify misdeeds. They view the Quran as complete, as indeed the Quran itself notes (16:89, 6:114, 12:111 and 39:23).
The 8th-10th century MutaZilites were among the earliest proponents of Quranism, prioritizing reason and the Quran over Hadiths, especially in terms of Islamic law. Interestingly, Maimonides intellectually engaged with the ideas embodied in the MutaZilites doctrines, as well as those of the MutaKallum that categorically rejected Hadiths.
It is bracing to recognize that there are a number of modern Muslim and other scholars, who reject the authenticity of the Hadiths and deny that they have any authoritative value. These include eminent scholars such as 19th century Ignaz Goldziher, who viewed the Hadiths as inherently unreliable products of post Mohammad agenda driven needs, often fabricated or falsely attributed to Mohammad. 20th century scholar, Joseph Schacht, built on Goldziher’s work, but focused mainly on the unreliability of Hadiths in terms of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh). He viewed them as a transparent means of validating legal rules developed in practice post Mohammad, by attributing them to Mohammad, in fabricated Hadiths.
Modern Muslim scholars categorically rejecting the validity of Hadiths include Rashad Khalifa (an Egyptian-American biochemist and founder of the United Submitters International). Others like Edip Yuksel (a Turkish -American Quranist author and translator and co-founder of Islamic Reform), reject most Hadiths as unreliable or fabrications that often contradict the Quran.
As to the infamous end of the days ‘Stones and Trees’ (or ‘Gharqad tree’) Hadith, which is featured in the Hamas Covenant and cited by many antisemites to justify their Jew hatred, there are many detractors who reject it as just another political agenda driven falsehood. Lest there be any doubt about Hamas’ genocidal intent, Article 7 of its Covenant declares, "The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews."
Mohammed Dajani Daoudi (a Palestinian Arab professor, peace activist and founder of Wasatia) explicitly labels this Hadith fabricated and argues it openly contradicts the Quran and Islamic faith.
To put this in prospective, consider, while the Quran does mention the end of the days in a number of verses, it does not remotely say anything like the perverse remarks purportedly offered by the Hadith. Indeed, Quran 2:62 and 5:69 wholly contradict the premise of the infamous Hadith. Moreover, Quran 5:18 is even more explicit in repudiating the very premise of the Hadith, noting Christians and Jews, are not judged by G-d as a class, for good or bad; but rather as individuals based solely on their own deeds.
Furthermore, the Quran (5:21, 17:104 and 7:137) confirms that the holy land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people. It gives lie to Hamas’ falsehoods. They are not defending Islam; they are poisoning it with their falsehoods and noxious political agenda driven theology. Hamas’ murderous massacres are evil and cannot be justified by Islam or any other rational code of ethical behavior. Islamists and their cohorts who seek to do so are just exposing their charade. They masquerade as religious, but they are nothing more than purveyors of wickedness, who must be defeated to preserve the world.
The Hadith is pure unadulterated Jew hatred. To say it is agenda driven political theology and propaganda is an understatement. The notorious Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini promoted this false Hadith as a part of his call for Jihad against the Jews. To better understand its perniciousness, it is important to recognize the evil actions of wicked Haj Amin and his cohorts.
Haj Amin was an officer in the Ottoman Army that perpetrated the Armenian Genocide. He collaborated with the Nazis in the Holocaust, meeting with Adolf Hitler ys"v in 1941, as well as other Nazi figures, including communicating with SS leader Himmler, in support of the Holocaust. Among other things, he broadcast calls for global Jihad to exterminate the Jewish people, invoking religion to foster religious zeal in support of this consummately evil cause.
Imagine calling on the Muslim faithful and reportedly ranting, “Arabs! Kill the Jews wherever you find them. This pleases Allah, history and religion." He also served the Nazi cause by helping to recruit Muslims to join Nazi SS Units, using Jew hatred and preaching violence against Jews as a religious duty.
But his notorious role in the murder of Jews began much earlier. He incited violent pogroms against Jews in pre-state Israel beginning in the 1920’s and initiated what is commonly referred to as the 1936-39 Arab Revolt. He also promoted antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories that fused Nazi propaganda with the Islamist variety and melded the two into a veritable theological imperative for the Muslim faithful to engage in this evil program of Jew hatred and genocide of the Jews.
Haj Amin’s Nazi collaboration and post-war influence in the Arab Muslim world helped introduce radical, religiously infused antisemitism into the regular Arab political discourse. He had close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and was viewed as a hero and source of inspiration.
Haj Amin’s use of the Hadith is a cogent example of Nazi like propaganda designed to entice people to do wrong, otherwise condone it or just stand idly by while evil is unleashed. It is the extreme opposite of G-d given truth of what is good and right. Its lurid appeal attracts many reprobate antisemites, who dementedly lust to harm or kill Jews. The fact that there are many Muslims and non-Muslims who just blithely accept this notorious Hadith, instead of rejecting it with righteous indignation, is a testament to the false charm of Islamists and their malign and wicked ways.
The Islamist conception of Islam, known as Islamism, is all too often the face of Islam encountered in the world. As noted above, it is not a new phenomena and it’s rooted in the very beginning of Islam, certainly by the time of Mohammad’s death.
The modern form is even more pernicious because it directly challenges Western values such as separation of church and state, freedom of religion and equal protection under the law that are an anathema to Islamists. Whether it is the Sunni Wahabi brand that animated the horrible mass murder in the US on 9/11, in concert with terrorist Shia Iranian Regime planners, or the October 7th massacre and invasion of Israel by terrorist Hamas, sponsored by the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood and backed by the Shia Iranian Regime, Islamism is a poisonous political theology.
Make no mistake, while the Muslim Brotherhood’s tools may not always be as violent as the Wahabi’s, their goal is the same; but their methodology is just more insidious. They together with other Islamist seek to impose their brand of Sha’ariah law everywhere and eliminate the US and Israel as bastions of Western culture and freedom.
Good people of the Muslim faith must recognize that Islamists calling for Jihad in defense of Islam to mask their political or other agendas are just misleading them. It’s long past time to stop the charade and unmask the wrongdoers and their sordid pretenses. Eschew the Islamists and promote the modern Muslim scholars, who seek to reform Islam and purge it of the parasitic Islamist virus, as noted above.
The UAE and other members of the Abraham Accords are good examples of this trend, as are many good friends and neighbors of the Muslim faith in our local communities here in the US and in Israel, who disdain and reject Islamism.
The good people of Iran are rising up against their Islamist tyrants, who are a plague to them and the world. We must support them in their noble quest for freedom.
Wake up world and unite in defeating the Islamists and their noxious brand of Islamism. The weaponization of religion as a political tool is immoral. Everyone is at risk, including Muslims, Christians, Jews and other believers, as well as non-believers. We are charged to defeat this evil. The fate of the world hangs in the balance.