Talking Freely about the Enemy

by Daniel Pipes
Mon, 22 Aug 2005
updated Wed, 6 Dec 2006

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Two recent developments prompt some reflections:

The State Department took the unusual step of condemning the views of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives as "insulting and offensive"; and
A subsidiary of the Disney Corporation fired a talk-show host.

In both cases, the trigger was the same – speaking about Islam.

I disagree with Congressman Tom Tancredo about keeping the option open to "take out" Mecca and with Michael Graham that "Islam is a terror organization." But I do think it vital that they and others be able to conduct a freewheeling discussion about the Koran, jihad, radical Islam, Islamist terrorism, and related topics, without fearing a reprimand from the U.S. government or a loss of their livelihood. (The same applies to another case I have previously discussed, publication of Craig Winn's Prophet of Doom: Islam's Terrorist Dogma, In Muhammad's Own Words.)

Americans are seriously discussing the nature of the enemy and how to defeat it. It is a confusing topic; for proof, look at how many differing ways George W. Bush has described the enemy, from "terrorists" to "evildoers" to "an ism" to "a fringe form of Islamic extremism" to "Islamic militants."

Especially at a time when establishment institutions are so timid or even deceptive, nothing can be off limits in this debate; and there must be no penalty for those who express their views. (August 22, 2005)

Dec. 4, 2006 update: A variant of this same debate has flared up over comments by Dennis Prager concerning Keith Ellison, representative-elect from Minnesota and the first-ever Muslim elected to congress. In a November 28 column, "America, Not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on," Prager argued that, were Ellison to take his oath of office on a Koran, "he will be doing more damage to the unity of America and to the value system that has formed this country than the terrorists of 9-11." Indeed, Prager argues, this step would "undermine American civilization."

Strong words, and ones that I happen to disagree with. I have no problem with an elected official taking the oath of office, real or symbolikc, on the scripture of his choice, Biblical or otherwise.

But, as with Tancredo, Graham, and Winn, whether I agree with Prager or not is not the point. He is a serious, deep, and original thinker who deserves the space to try out ideas dealing with the complex challenge posed by radical Islam – identifying the enemy, formulating a sound policy, then finding the best strategy and tactics to combat it. It is only through the open exchange of ideas, including wrong ideas, that we will advance in our understanding of the enemy and how to defeat it.

Therefore, for all our sakes, in addition to the legal right to freedom of speech guaranteed by the Constitution, Prager must be granted the political right to offer ideas without vilification or punishment. Not to grant him that is unacceptably to narrow the debate and harm the war effort.

Related Topics: War on terror

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Reader comments on this weblog entry

Title	By	Date
US Muslim Congressman causes uproar : An eye opener for all those Americans who voted for this Jehadi [206 words]	shurik	Dec 8, 2006 16:59
↔ is there a Muslim in the House? [190 words]	donvan	Dec 11, 2006 13:33
↔ Educate Keith Ellison [1094 words]	Bob Christiansen	Jan 15, 2007 20:21
What Islam is [427 words]	Mitzi Alvin	Dec 27, 2005 13:01
↔ token.... [92 words]	donvan	Dec 12, 2006 10:21

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