Al Qaeda, Hamas and Islamic terrorism have all become politically acceptable.
In 2025, Hamas and Hezbollah flags became regular sights on Ivy League college campuses, a Muslim immigrant who embraced an unindicted coconspirator in bombing plots in New York City became its mayor, presidential envoys chatted with Hamas and an Al Qaeda leader who used to have a $10 million reward on his head visited the White House and met with the president.
The mainstreaming of Islamic terrorism didn’t happen overnight. A decade ago, the Obama administration backed the Al Qaeda militias that would eventually go on to take over Syria and first forced Israel to negotiate with Hamas after the kidnapping and murder of three teens.
What went on under the cover of plausible deniability a decade ago, where our government pretended we were backing the Free Syrian Army, a ‘democratic’ and ‘secular’ movement, (which critics like me pointed out was just Al-Qaeda in drag), or where our negotiators did not directly meet with Hamas, where anti-Israel campus groups claimed that they supported BDS rather than mass murder, and Muslim politicians denied they were terrorists, is out in the open.
How we got here was inevitable once American leaders responded to 9/11 by trying to draw distinctions between good Islamization and bad Islamization, between moderates and extremists, between good terrorists and bad terrorists in the hopes of dividing our enemies.
The false ‘moderates’ and ‘extremists’ paradigm, which no Muslim leader or movement ever actually accepted, didn’t divide up Islamic terrorists, it mainstreamed them. We lost the ability to draw lines and with it any larger sense of who we were, who they were and what we had set out to accomplish by fighting them until all we wanted to do was find someone to surrender to.
Opportunistic realpolitik led us to the conclusion that a moderate was any Muslim terrorist group willing to pretend they weren’t our enemies, and an extremist was a Muslim terrorist group unwilling to lie to us. Only the purest ISIS terrorists are still considered extremists while the Al Leader and former ISIS ally who took over Syria has joined our anti-ISIS coalition to fight ISIS.
America has reached the stage of allying with ‘moderate’ Al Qaeda against ‘extreme’ Al Qaeda.
While the Al-Jolani visit to the White House was a low point, the unfortunate truth was that we had allied with Taliban warlords in Afghanistan, as long as they weren’t officially Taliban warlords right this moment, and we had backed Al Qaeda militias in Syria, as long as they pretended they weren’t Al Qaeda right now. What seemed like opportunistic realpolitik in the moment didn’t actually change the terrorists, it changed us by defining terrorist deviancy down to nothing.
That is also why we were taken in by the Taliban’s promises of a ‘peaceful transition’ in Afghanistan and why presidential envoys in pursuit of a ‘ceasefire’ are now meeting with and praising Hamas terrorist leaders. Instead of finding moderates, we just gave up our standards.
On college campuses and on the liberal side of the political nexus, support for non-violent opposition to Israel gave way to support for Oct 7 and the violent mass murder of Jews. After being initially greeted with polite revulsion, the terrorist side, including Zohran Mamdani, won the argument with the moral pragmatism of genocide lies. Accuse Israel enough of the worst crimes and suddenly no tactic, including rape and burning children alive, will seem too awful.
Mainstreaming Islamic terrorists happens when we think about anything and everything (regional stability, an end to the fighting, the horrors of war, the tribal cause) rather than look at what we’re doing and what the long term consequences of normalizing terrorism will be.
When the PLO and its Soviet-backed Jihadis first began hijacking planes, the whole thing was deplored, condemned and then rewarded. By 1977, Jimmy Carter became the first president to call for a ‘Palestinian’ state. What had the PLO done to merit a state? They hijacked planes.
What did Hamas and the PLO do this time around to merit a state? October 7.
What did the faction of Al Qaeda that seized control of Syria do to merit high-level diplomatic visits? They seized control of Syria.
That’s why we lost the ‘War on Terror’ because we weren’t fighting to win, but to compromise. And at the heart of every compromise was the notion that the aims of the Jihadists were finite, that they would settle for parts of Israel, for Afghanistan or Syria, and not want anything else.
Believing that we can give in, reward terrorists for their terrorism without encouraging them to pursue the furthest breadth of their Islamic supremacist ambitions, is foolishly naive and wrong.
All we were really doing by validating their demands was offering them a down payment, a finger that would later be exchanged for a hand, a country later to be exchanged for the world. There is no moderate Islamic Jihadist out there who is willing to settle for less than the Koran promised him. Men willing to kill and die on the promise of paradise are not compromisers.
Our compromises did not bring us peace with Islam, it only compromised our ability to resist even the worst Jihadists and even the worst atrocities because we have normalized evil.
College campuses where the PFLP was celebrated now fly Hamas flags and eventually will fly ISIS flags. We invited a local Al Qaeda leader to the White House and we negotiated with Hamas, how long until we’re directly negotiating with Al Qaeda and inviting ISIS over?
A decade ago, it would have been hard to find open supporters of Islamic terrorism among us, today, especially in certain university and liberal circles, they’re everywhere. Will it stop here?
Of course not.
If there’s any lesson this should teach us, it’s that it will not stop here. Radical movements have no brakes. Neither do we once we start appeasing them. The same political culture that has normalized every deviancy and evil, is now normalizing Islamic terrorism. The fallacy of the moderate/extremist terrorist has broken down so badly that hardly anyone mentions it now.
Al Qaeda, ISIS and Hamas, like our own political radicals, have shown that they can break down the walls of the civilized order through horrifying acts and make them into the new normal.
Whatever atrocity happens next, we will learn to accept it until we either wake up and start drawing lines, or wake up and realize that we no longer have the power to draw any lines.
2025 is the year Islamic terrorism went mainstream. 2026 can be the year we stop tolerating it.
nicholas william tesdorf says
Democrats, in particular, love all brother terrorist organisations.
carpediadem says
Yes. But it’s Trump protecting Qatar like it’s the US.
This garbage is always always always about money.
Betrayed American says
Unfortunately, you are correct. I really want to love Trump, but I simply do not understand what he thinks he is doing. The moral bankruptcy that has taken over the government and the universities is shocking, and sadly, unstoppable without drastic intervention. Does anyone have the will to do anything about it?
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Daniel
I think 2023 was the year jihad terror went mainstream, w/ October 7th being celebrated throughout the Western world, much to our disgust. If anything, this year, it has abated a bit, thanks to Israeli victories over Hizbullah and forcing Hamas into the peace agreement
Troybeam says
If anyone thinks Hamas will uphold a peace agreement they be fools.
Oct. 2023 was the signal for global conquest to begin.
Israel should have acted with complete and total destruction of Gaza because no Muslim is innocent because they are taught from birth to kill the Jewish person and anyone who does not submit. Male, female and child, they all be guilty.
Genocide by Islam is rampant in Africa & frankly nothing is being done to stop it but mainly no one is fighting back to defend themselves.
somehistory says
As Winston 101 wrote, ‘it’s a “grooming of the West.”
It actually began in September ’01. bush had muzzies with him on several occasions; muzzies were whining and whimpering and lying about being the victims, and many said ‘oh, so sorry, yada, yada., you’re welcome here, yada yada.’
And cair blabbering, muzzies running for office, and every time there was a big terror attack, it was more whining and whimpering from muzzies who pretended to be the real victims.
It’s kind of like when you live in the country and have a septic tank. The septic overflows and the odor permeates. Horrible, gagging reflexes and the need to avoid it.
If it isn’t cleaned right away, the odor will remain, but the person smelling it, will become accustomed to the bad odor. As the odor actually grows worse, the sense of smelling it deceases.
islime….the odor is horrendous, but the people are growing in acceptance of it stinking up their lives.
James Lincoln says
somehistory,
To your point, many people who live in squalor don’t notice that they are living in squalor.
somehistory says
Thank you, James. That’s very true.
gravenimage says
Always shocking what humans can become inured to–and even more so when it is not necessary…
Alkflaeda says
From their perspective, they really are the victims. Their perverted creed mandates doing evil, and they are so stuck in Stockholm syndrome that even when they are living in non-Muslim countries, they comply with the creed, or enable or conceal those who do, and then they wonder why people disapprove of their implicit obedience to Allah, and conclude that they are being unjustly treated. It’s like concentration camp guards believing that the Nuremberg trials were a travesty of justice.
somehistory says
I disagree with your analysis.
gravenimage says
Anything in particular?
Ruth E weekly says
Very interesting comment. I cannot believe the American leaders (fools) believed those whining Muslims. They are suppose to be protecting us not listening to lies.. They knew the Muslims were lying..I have thought the same thing George Bush Jr. had a lot to do with destroying everything he touched. The great English writer thinks so also. How will we ever get out of this mess our leaders have done!!!!!!
rubiconcrest says
You hit this one out of the park, Daniel.
This should be posted on every college campus, lamppost, laundromat, and message board etc… across the land.
How can we make this official government policy going forward?
Wellington says
If only the West had not gone stupid. For some 1350 years it did not. But it has over the past half century and I fear I have to include Trump and his ilk into “this mix.”
Islam is a mortal enemy of Western Civilization, just as Marxism (and still alive, how unfortunate) and Nazism (practically dead, how fortunate) still are. There is no way around a free society remaining a free society condoning Islam anymore than a free society condoning Marxism or Nazism. But now, alas, and how stupid in the extreme, America is on the verge of having both a Muslim and Marxist mayor of NYC come the first of January, 2026. Yes, what an abomination that on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 America’s largest and most important city will have a Muslim/Marxist mayor. Can’t make this shit up, can you?
The West continues to implode. No doubt.
t says
I stopped commenting here a long time ago.
Meanwhile, after reading your superb and accurate analysis above of the perilous situation we find ourselves in, I found myself compelled to show my appreciation for it in writing.
Thank you.
Daniel Triplett says
Agreed, Daniel Greenfield is a super smart and insightful guy.
I suggest getting on his Email list for his essays delivered right to your inbox. Wisdom every week.
http://www.danielgreenfield.org
gravenimage says
Why did you stop commenting here, t?
Walter Sieruk says
It really should be very obvious that those insidious stealth jihadists gaining power and influence of those high position’s institutions of “higher education” must, obviously, be accepting “gifts”, bribes, from persons from foreign oil rich countries. Specifically, Qatar. That Islamic nation has infiltrated and then influenced many Universities and colleges across the United States.
Therefore, Those American Universities and Colleges across the United States that have heads of those institutions ‘sold out” to the influence of the stealth jihadists, who are, no doubt, backed by oil rich nation as Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Therefore, those institutions of “higher education” which have become more of indoctrination centers for Islam and Islamic causes rather than genuine places of advanced education.
Alkflaeda says
It would help if the President of the USA modelled immunity to Qatari bribes (e.g. no splendid new Airforce One)
ploome says
mainstream?
Funded by public funds from NewYork
https://freebeacon.com/america/nonprofit-tied-to-anti-semitic-mamdani-ally-linda-sarsour-received-millions-in-public-funds-from-new-york-city-and-state-records-show/
and UCLA
https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/opinion/384866/the-elephant-on-bruin-walk-ucla-cant-curb-campus-antisemitism-while-ignoring-faculty-led-anti-zionism/
and Harvard
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/11/6/muedano-harvard-ethicist-zionism/
Eddie says
Excellent article. Summarises so much with great clarity.
The fake idea that there is a moderate Islam.
Appeasement and compromise.
Normalisation of violence and atrocities.
Here in Britain we have been doing it all for decades and look at us today.
If we have not openly supported terrorism we turn a blind eye to it – or rather the UK Governments over decades have.
It’s all coming to a head now.
2025 has indeed seen the normalisation of so much that is evil.
A stain on the whole of humanity.
aum says
Daniel – Great Article.
gravenimage says
+1
LibertyORdeath says
This is so reminiscent of our approach to communism during, and after, the Second World War.
Instead of focusing on defense and letting the Nazis and the Communists wipe each other out on the Eastern Front, we allied with a regime that killed far more people and took over half of Europe for decades. Then we demonized nationalism as a whole and began working with “moderate” Communists like the multitude of “socialist” parties throughout Europe and the “Democratic Socialists” in North America.
The Islamization of the West has been planned and defended in much the same way that communism and socialism was in the last century. We need only to look at the massive socialist presence in our societies to get a preview of how Islam will continue to build and consolidate power throughout the West…unless we do something about it NOW!
Bernado says
Anyone – including politicians. who want to understand Islam, need to do the following. Islam has its “Life Instruction Manual” known as the Koran. In it are instructions ranging from urinating and defecating on to rules for beating your wife or wives. Rules like NEVER having an “infidel” as a friend. Instruction on how to lie to or deceive an infidel and on and on. Therefore, to understand Islam, READ THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL!
OLD GUY says
Muslims and Islam have become welcome on our University and college campus for one reason, “BIG BUCKS” from islamic countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar. And you can throw in China also buying into our education system. Money talks and the spread their propaganda to the youth of our country.
Stive says
I’m sorry but trump is no Cyrus but more like the money bag man Judas Iscariot.
It’s becoming clearer more and more to free thinkers. Since he was a t.v. actor with his own show, he does know how to act.
There are despots everywhere. The democrats are an Islamic communist hybrid party, yet trump is more dangerous as he is not good at all. There is something larger than Epstein island, it’s the Epstein peninsula called Qatar that ended slavery in 1979 on paper only. God help us.
Walter Sieruk says
The opening sentence of this Daniel Greenfield reads, “In 2025, Hamas and Hezbollah flags became regular sights on Ivy League college campuses…”
Sadly .that is statement ,For Saudi Arabia and Qatar and even Iran made us of their oil money their many insidious ways .one such way is that through their Muslim stooges who are stealth jihadists gaining by insidious methods influence of those high positions institutions of “higher education, to be anti-Jewish and anti -Israel , must, obviously , be accepting “gifts”, bribes, from persons from foreign oil rich countries , as the above mentioned Islamic nations , have infiltrated and then influenced many Universities and colleges across North America .
Those universities and colleges who sincerely wanted an actual, real, education. This is also betrayal the true spirit of genuine education in America.
For example, the former United States President, William Howard Taft, who in a speech, wisely, declared, “Anti-Semitism is a noxious weed that should be cut out. It has no place in America.”
Furthermore, there should really no place in America for such un-American indoctrination centers, therefore such universities and colleges need to reform or closed down. For those places are now doing more harm than good.
As the other former US President Theodore Roosevelt, had, rightly, announced in a speech that “There can be no fifty –fifty Americanism in this country. There is room here for only one hundred percent Americanism, only for those who are Americans and nothing else.”
Laurence Jarvik says
Thank you for writing this:
gravenimage says
2025: The Year Islamic Terrorism Went Mainstream
Al Qaeda, Hamas and Islamic terrorism have all become politically acceptable.
……………………………………..
God help us, Daniel Greenfield is not wrong. Who thought that less than 25 years after 9/11 this is what we would be facing?
Winston 101 says
Thank you Daniel Greenfield for a well thought out, well written article.
Dear Fellow Soldiers. FREEDOM IS NEVER WON. Don’t expect it to be.
It is always under assault and must continuously be fought for.
We may not wear uniforms but each of us has a job to do
in whatever capacity we can. No matter how small.
America has had a long period of calm but that ended, for most of us, on 9-11-01.
There’s always a NEW TOTALITARIAN to defeat. Islam is our current Totalitarian regime.
Islam’s particular feature is that it passes as a religion, when in fact, the majority of its
“holy” books are about ruling over non-believers, that is Kafirs.
That makes Islam a form of GOVERNMENT. One that is incompatible with
he U S Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Islam is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Keep the example of Churchill in mind and try to avoid Lord Halifax thinking.