Ramadan Day 26 thought for the day from my new book The History of Jihad: in 1064, the Seljuk Turkish sultan, Alp Arslan, besieged the Armenian city of Ani. The thirteenth-century Muslim historian Sibt ibn al-Jawzi recounted the testimony of an eyewitness: The army entered the city, massacred its inhabitants, pillaged and burned it, leaving […]
Robert Spencer: The FrontPage Interview on The History of Jihad
Jamie Glazov interviews me on my new book The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS at FrontPage: Robert Spencer’s magnum opus is the first and only book to tell the whole story of fourteen centuries of jihad devastation worldwide. Frontpage Interview’s guest today is Robert Spencer, the director of Jihad Watch and a Shillman […]
Muslim leader: “I have a Satan who takes possession of me; so when he comes to me, avoid me”
Our Ramadan Day 25 thought for the day from my new book The History of Jihad comes from Muhammad’s first successor (khilafa) as the leader of the Muslims, Abu Bakr, the first of the four “Rightly-Guided Caliphs”: “If I am upright, then follow me, but if I deviate, straighten me out…. I have a Satan […]
Muslim leader answers Christian’s request for peace by threatening to “seek Allah’s favor by spilling your blood”
Ramadan Day 24 thought for the day from my new book The History of Jihad: in the 830s, the Byzantine emperor Theophilus asked the Abbasid caliph al-Ma’mun for a peace accord. Al-Ma’mun responded: I should make the answer to your letter cavalry horses bearing steadfast, courageous and keen-sighted riders, who would contend with you over […]
“Young men were bound hand and foot, laid out in a row, had brushwood piled on them, and were burned alive”
Ramadan Day 23 thought for the day from my new book The History of Jihad: on August 18, 1894, the Ottoman authorities began a massacre of Armenians in the Sassoun region of eastern Asia Minor that lasted a full twenty-four days, until September 10. British vice consul Cecil M. Hallward investigated the massacre and reported […]
Muslim ruler has 100 Christians publicly beheaded, spectators’ “feelings against the infidels Allah alleviated”
Ramadan Day 22 thought for the day from my new book The History of Jihad: Abd al-Rahman III was the Umayyad caliph of Córdoba from 912 to 961. The eleventh-century Muslim historian Ibn Hayyan of Córdoba recounted one telling incident from his reign: Muhammad [one of the officers of Abd al-Rahman III] chose the 100 […]
Muslim leader: Collect jizya from the non-Muslim “to vilify and humiliate him, so that Islam may be exalted”
Ramadan Day 21 thought for the day from my new book The History of Jihad: in the early twelfth century, the Fatimid caliph Al-Amir bi-Ahkamillah issued this edict: Now, the prior degradation of the infidels in this world before the life to come—where it is their lot—is considered an act of piety; and the imposition […]
Muslim leader ordered churches demolished, wooden images of devils nailed to doors of Christians’ houses
Ramadan Day 20 thought for the day from my new book The History of Jihad: in 850, the caliph al-Mutawakkil issued a decree designed to make sure that the dhimmis knew their place. According to the Muslim historian al-Tabari, the caliph: gave orders to destroy any churches which were newly built, and to take the […]
“It was decided that none of these infidels would escape measures taken to maintain them in a state of humiliation”
Ramadan Day 19 thought for the day from my new book The History of Jihad: In 1419, the Egyptian Mamluk sultan Malik Safyaddin summoned the Coptic pope Gabriel V to his presence. The fifteenth-century Muslim historian Ibn Taghribirdi recounted that Gabriel “received reproaches and blows and was berated by the sultan…” Gabriel was “even threatened […]
“You have heard that in this country there are a large number of ravishingly beautiful Greek maidens”
Ramadan Day 18 thought for the day from my new book The History of Jihad: when the renowned Muslim warrior Tariq ibn Ziyad landed with his troops in Spain in the year 711, he motivated his men for jihad conquest by telling them this: You have heard that in this country there are a large […]