Onward Muslim Soldiers
Encyclopedia
Description
In the book, Spencer discusses issues relating to radical IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, Jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
and Islamic terrorism, and claims that these are more serious threats to the non-Muslim world than the media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
and world leaders accept. Examining current events and sources from the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, he suggests that jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
, in the sense of physical violence against non-Muslims, is an inherent component of Islam and that Islamic tolerance (the tolerance of Muslims for other religions) is exaggerated by the media. He cites this as the reason for what he claims to be lack of support from the more moderate Islamic community for anti-terrorism measures and for what he claims to be their failure to openly or widely criticise Muslim extremists.
The book makes a number of controversial claims. These include that mosques in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
should be monitored more closely to protect national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
, and that Muslims living in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
are eroding traditions of 'secularism
Secularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
, free enquiry and open societies'. He also makes the assertion that non-Muslims living in Muslim countries suffer legalised oppression
Oppression
Oppression is the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner. It can also be defined as an act or instance of oppressing, the state of being oppressed, and the feeling of being heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles, adverse conditions, and...
that stems from teachings in the Qur'an.