Western Societies Face Internalized Islamism, Researcher Argues

American-Moroccan researcher Zineb Ribou posits that Western societies are increasingly confronting an internalized form of Islamism, distinct from that prevalent in Muslim-majority countries. In her analysis, Ribou distinguishes between Islam in the West, which she argues is infused with 'Third-worldism' and focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Islam in the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia, where modernization and technological enthusiasm are driving new relationships with former colonial powers. She contends that the primary front of animosity toward the West has shifted inward, manifesting in Western societies through anti-colonialism, anti-racism, and anti-Israel protests, rather than in the foreign policy of Muslim nations that have embraced modernization and international cooperation.

Ribou's observations, while accurate, do not contradict Samuel Huntington's 'clash of civilizations' theory but rather reflect a tactical adaptation to modernization following extensive Muslim migration to the West. The article suggests that funding from Qatar and other oil-rich nations has redirected traditional animosity towards Judeo-Christian culture from the political arena into the heart of Western societies. This phenomenon is further amplified by the invention of indiscriminate terror, attributed to the PLO in the 1960s. The author notes that condemnations of imperialism, colonialism, and racism are consistently directed at the West, never at Muslim countries, which historically engaged in 'jihadist conquest' and discriminated against non-Muslim populations as 'dhimmis', second-class citizens.

The concept of the 'dhimmi' system, rooted in jihad ideology and Islamic military law, historically led to the subjugation and forced conversion of non-Muslim populations through exile, enslavement, abduction, and discriminatory taxes like the 'jizya.' This system, prevalent from the 8th to 12th centuries in regions conquered by Islam, created a new framework for oppressing indigenous non-Muslims. Shared antisemitism sometimes fostered Christian-Muslim alliances against Jews, particularly in Muslim lands before the establishment of modern Israel. This enduring hatred, often fueled by Christian clergy, intensified with the rise of the pro-Jewish 19th-century evangelical movement.

By the early 20th century, this Muslim-Christian alliance against Jews evolved into international anti-Zionism. Europe has become a new center for 'dhimmi' beliefs, importing the 'arrogant, triumphant, and uninhibited' antisemitism of dhimmi culture, culminating in the Holocaust. The current wave of antisemitism is described as a planned campaign led by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), an institution of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. A strategy presented in Morocco in 1993 and Jordan in 2004 involved infiltrating Western media and culture via the Palestinian narrative, aligning with the 'Alliance of Civilizations' initiative. The widespread anti-Israel sentiment in Europe today is seen as importing dhimmi customs, threatening European understanding of this culture that has existed for thirteen centuries across continents.

The article further argues that European colonialism sometimes represented a reconquest of Christian lands previously subjected to Islamic colonialism, such as North Africa and the Levant. The concept of 'Dar al-Harb' (house of war), referring to lands not yet conquered by Islam, remains a potent force, influencing some Muslim immigrants to reject integration into societies not governed by Sharia law. This internal clash within Western civilizations, exacerbated by demographic changes and Muslim immigration, mirrors historical patterns of jihadist conquest. The author draws parallels between the current revolutionary activism of Muslim diasporas in the West and historical instances of internal collaborators aiding Muslim conquerors. The article asserts that jihad today is primarily directed at Israel, with vast tunnel networks echoing historical Islamic military fortresses. In the West, jihad operates through indiscriminate terror, censorship of 'heresy,' behavioral and legal changes, and the appropriation of Western concepts to undermine Western societies, such as 'cancel culture' aimed at perceived Western 'evil.'

The author criticizes the deliberate destruction of 'infidel' knowledge, including the rejection of Western culture and history in favor of narratives like white racism, Western colonialism, and 'Islamophobia.' The article strongly refutes the notion of 'Islamophobia,' listing practices such as pedophilia, killing for apostasy or leaving Islam, permitting the rape of non-believers, cruelty to women and homosexuals, and stoning for adultery. It contrasts Islamic law, derived from the Quran and Sharia, with Western secular law, highlighting differences in individual rights, gender equality, and the legal standing of non-Muslims. The article claims that 65 Islamic nations vote as a bloc against Israel at the UN, driven by a 'jihadist conception of justice' based on 'Dar al-Harb' and 'Jahiliyyah' (the age of ignorance before Islam). While acknowledging positive developments like the Abraham Accords, the author expresses skepticism about their ultimate aims. The article concludes by referencing Edward Said's influence in portraying Israel as a paradigm of colonialism, arguing that this narrative erases Jewish history and heritage, replacing it with 'Jahiliyyah' awaiting Islam's rise. The term 'Palestine' is presented as a historical Jewish term adopted by Muslims as a weapon against Israel, and the Quranic concept of Palestine is described as a fabricated Islamic state devoid of Jews and Christians, where Islam predates Judaism and Christianity.