Walid Shoebat
Encyclopedia
Walid Shoebat is a Palestinian
immigrant to the United States
and campaigner for Christianity
and Israel
, against Islam
. He was born to a Jordanian father and Caucasian American mother, and claims to have been a former PLO militant, although neither the PLO nor the Israeli government have any evidence of this. A self-declared onetime Muslim who converted to Christianity, he came to public attention by becoming an ardent critic of Islam and supporter of Israel. Critics, including investigative journalists with the Jerusalem Post and CNN
have questioned his claims regarding his personal history, which he cites as the grounds for his authority on the subject of Islam and Islamist radicalism.
, the grandson of the Mukhtar
of Beit Sahour
, whom Shoebat describes as an associate of Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
Mohammad Amin al-Husayni
. Shoebat says he joined the Palestine Liberation Organization
in his youth, and was involved in an attack against an Israeli bank. Shoebat has been widely criticized for this because no evidence of this attack has ever been found.
Shoebat says that upon his release, Shoebat continued his anti-Israeli activism until he emigrated to the United States, where he became involved with the Arab Student Organization at Loop College in Chicago. Shortly afterwards Walid worked as a software engineer
and became a US citizen. In 1993, Walid converted to Christianity.
. However, the bank has no record of the incident. Also, Israeli newspapers at that time did not report any such incident. The authenticity of Shoebat's account has been disputed by many sources.
The Jerusalem Post also disputed the authenticity of Shoebat's account of his terrorist history. The paper stated that the bombing claim made by Shoebat has been rejected both by Bank Leumi, which claims no such attack took place, and by Shoebat's own relatives. The Post said that Shoebat had contradicted himself on this matter. When, in 2008, the Jerusalem Post asked him if there were news reports about the bombing, he said,
But, in 2004, he had told Britain's Sunday Telegraph
,
During a telephone interview with the Post, Shoebat was unable to recall the date or time of year of the attack. While Shoebat says he was pressured by teachers to adopt an extreme Islamic philosophy, the Jerusalem Post article reported that his uncle, who still lives in Bethlehem, said religion did not play a major role in his education, and that he had actually left Bethlehem by age 16.
On April 9, 2008, Shoebat responded to the Jerusalem Posts skepticism on that paper's op-ed
page. He wrote that the Jerusalem Post had been duped. According to him, the sources who disputed his own account of his upbringing (including his relatives) were themselves involved in terrorism. He claimed they want to see him discredited. He also claims that reputable witnesses who could confirm the bombing operation of Bank Leumi were not interviewed. He also posted a response on his website.
. A comprehensive list is detailed on his foundation's website "Shoebat.com"
in 2001, Shoebat became an active advocate against Islamism
and a fervent supporter of the State of Israel.
Shoebat is the founder of the Walid Shoebat Foundation, an organization that claims to "work to fight for Israel in the Media [sic]."
Shoebat believes Israel should retake the Gaza Strip
, as it is Jewish by right, saying, "If a Jew has no right to Gaza, then he has no right to Jaffa
or Haifa
either." He advocates that Israel deport anyone who denies its right to exist, "even if they were born there."
.
Shoebat gives lectures to local police departments regarding his belief that "most Muslims seek to impose Sharia in the United States
. To prevent this, he said in an interview, he warns officers that "you need to look at the entire pool of Muslims in a community.'" According to the Washington Post:
. He says, "Secular dogma like Nazism is less dangerous than Islamofascism
that we see today ... because Islamofascism has a religious twist to it; it says 'God the Almighty ordered you to do this'.... It is trying to grow itself in fifty-five Muslim states. So potentially, you could have a success rate of several Nazi Germanys, if these people get their way."
, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations
have questioned Shoebat's background story, along with others like him, saying they "belong to an 'industry' that is often perpetuated by fundamentalist Christians" and aren't former Muslim terrorists. Skeptics have also questioned why Shoebat has been able to retain his US citizenship if it is true that he was involved in acts of terror.
The Jerusalem Post states that Shoebat has profited from his story that he was formerly a Muslim terrorist, but has rejected Islam for Christianity. When the Post asked Shoebat whether the Walid Shoebat Foundation is a registered charity, he said that it was registered in Pennsylvania
. The Pennsylvania State Attorney's office said it had no record of such a charity. When asked again, Shoebat claimed it was registered under a different name, but that he was not aware of the Foundation's registered name, nor any other details, which were known only to his manager. Dr. Joel Fishman of the Allegany County Law Library in Pennsylvania expressed doubts about Walid Shoebat Foundation's donation process. He noted that if the money were being given to a registered charity, the charity would have to make annual reports to the state and federal government. On the contrary, Shoebat says that Daniel Pipes
has supported him and his claims. Here is the website for his foundation.
On July 13, 2011, CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" reported an investigative piece into Walid Shoebat's claim to authority based on being a former terrorist. The report found that according to Israeli government officials, the bank that Walid Shoebat claimed to have attacked, and his own relatives, no record of his supposed terrorist history existed. A two-week prison term in an Israeli jail, another of Shoebat's claims was also unsubstantiated, with Israel having no record he was ever jailed. His cousin, interviewed in the report, stated that he had never known Shoebat to have ties to any movement, and that his claims of being a former terrorist were "for his own personal reasons".
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
immigrant to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and campaigner for Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, against Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. He was born to a Jordanian father and Caucasian American mother, and claims to have been a former PLO militant, although neither the PLO nor the Israeli government have any evidence of this. A self-declared onetime Muslim who converted to Christianity, he came to public attention by becoming an ardent critic of Islam and supporter of Israel. Critics, including investigative journalists with the Jerusalem Post and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
have questioned his claims regarding his personal history, which he cites as the grounds for his authority on the subject of Islam and Islamist radicalism.
Shoebat's account of his life
According to the biography on his official website (http://www.shoebat.com/bio.php), Shoebat was born in BethlehemBethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
, the grandson of the Mukhtar
Mukhtar
Mukhtar meaning "chosen" in Arabic, refers to the head of a village or mahalle in many Arab countries as well as in Turkey and Cyprus. The name refers to the fact that mukhtars are usually selected by some consensual or participatory method, often involving an election. Mukhtar is also a common...
of Beit Sahour
Beit Sahour
Beit Sahour is a Palestinian town east of Bethlehem under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority...
, whom Shoebat describes as an associate of Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem is the Sunni Muslim cleric in charge of Jerusalem's Islamic holy places, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque.-Ottoman era:...
Mohammad Amin al-Husayni
Mohammad Amin al-Husayni
Haj Mohammed Effendi Amin el-Husseini was a Palestinian Arab nationalist and Muslim leader in the British Mandate of Palestine. From as early as 1920, in order to secure the independence of Palestine as an Arab state he actively opposed Zionism, and was implicated as a leader of a violent riot...
. Shoebat says he joined the Palestine Liberation Organization
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...
in his youth, and was involved in an attack against an Israeli bank. Shoebat has been widely criticized for this because no evidence of this attack has ever been found.
Shoebat says that upon his release, Shoebat continued his anti-Israeli activism until he emigrated to the United States, where he became involved with the Arab Student Organization at Loop College in Chicago. Shortly afterwards Walid worked as a software engineer
Software engineer
A software engineer is an engineer who applies the principles of software engineering to the design, development, testing, and evaluation of the software and systems that make computers or anything containing software, such as computer chips, work.- Overview :...
and became a US citizen. In 1993, Walid converted to Christianity.
Lack of Evidence Supporting Shoebat's Autobiographical Account
Shoebat claimed that he threw a bomb at Bank Leumi, an Israeli bank, in BethlehemBethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
. However, the bank has no record of the incident. Also, Israeli newspapers at that time did not report any such incident. The authenticity of Shoebat's account has been disputed by many sources.
The Jerusalem Post also disputed the authenticity of Shoebat's account of his terrorist history. The paper stated that the bombing claim made by Shoebat has been rejected both by Bank Leumi, which claims no such attack took place, and by Shoebat's own relatives. The Post said that Shoebat had contradicted himself on this matter. When, in 2008, the Jerusalem Post asked him if there were news reports about the bombing, he said,
I don't know. I didn't read the papers because I was in hiding for the next three days.
But, in 2004, he had told Britain's Sunday Telegraph
Sunday Telegraph
The Sunday Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961. It is the sister paper of The Daily Telegraph, but is run separately with a different editorial staff, although there is some cross-usage of stories...
,
I was terribly relieved when I heard on the news later that evening that no one had been hurt or killed by my bomb.
During a telephone interview with the Post, Shoebat was unable to recall the date or time of year of the attack. While Shoebat says he was pressured by teachers to adopt an extreme Islamic philosophy, the Jerusalem Post article reported that his uncle, who still lives in Bethlehem, said religion did not play a major role in his education, and that he had actually left Bethlehem by age 16.
On April 9, 2008, Shoebat responded to the Jerusalem Posts skepticism on that paper's op-ed
Op-ed
An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...
page. He wrote that the Jerusalem Post had been duped. According to him, the sources who disputed his own account of his upbringing (including his relatives) were themselves involved in terrorism. He claimed they want to see him discredited. He also claims that reputable witnesses who could confirm the bombing operation of Bank Leumi were not interviewed. He also posted a response on his website.
Appearances
Shoebat has appeared in several interviews, documentaries and radio programs. Most notably in the documentary OBSESSION: Radical Islam's War against the WestObsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West
Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, also called Obsession, is a 2005 documentary film about the perceived threat of radical Islam to Western civilization. Using extensive Arab television footage it claims to give an 'insider's view' of the hatred preached by radicals to incite global...
. A comprehensive list is detailed on his foundation's website "Shoebat.com"
Views on Israel
After the September 11 attacksSeptember 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
in 2001, Shoebat became an active advocate against Islamism
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
and a fervent supporter of the State of Israel.
Shoebat is the founder of the Walid Shoebat Foundation, an organization that claims to "work to fight for Israel in the Media [sic]."
Shoebat believes Israel should retake the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, as it is Jewish by right, saying, "If a Jew has no right to Gaza, then he has no right to Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
or Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
either." He advocates that Israel deport anyone who denies its right to exist, "even if they were born there."
Views on Islamism and Sharia
Shoebat has appeared on mainstream media around the world, and has been portrayed as an expert witness on a number of documentaries on IslamismIslamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
.
Shoebat gives lectures to local police departments regarding his belief that "most Muslims seek to impose Sharia in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. To prevent this, he said in an interview, he warns officers that "you need to look at the entire pool of Muslims in a community.'" According to the Washington Post:
"When Shoebat spoke to the first annual South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
Fusion CenterFusion centerA fusion center is a terrorism prevention and response center, many of which were created under a joint project between the Department of Homeland Security and the US Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs between 2003 and 2007....
Conference in Sioux FallsSioux Falls, South DakotaSioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
. . . he told them to monitor MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
student groups and local mosqueMosqueA mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s and, if possible, tap their phones. 'You can find out a lot of information that way,' he said."
Views on Islam and Nazism
Shoebat argues that parallels exist between radical Islam and NazismNazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. He says, "Secular dogma like Nazism is less dangerous than Islamofascism
Islamofascism
The term Islamofascism is a neologism which draws an analogy between the ideological characteristics of specific Islamist movements from the turn of the 21st century on, and a broad range of European fascist movements of the early 20th century, neofascist movements, or totalitarianism.-Origins of...
that we see today ... because Islamofascism has a religious twist to it; it says 'God the Almighty ordered you to do this'.... It is trying to grow itself in fifty-five Muslim states. So potentially, you could have a success rate of several Nazi Germanys, if these people get their way."
Criticism and Allegations of Fraud
Critics such as Ibrahim HooperIbrahim Hooper
Ibrahim Hooper , a convert to Islam, is the National Communications Director and spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations , a Washington D.C.-based Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization.-Early life:...
, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations
Council on American-Islamic Relations
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is America's largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization that deals with civil advocacy and promotes human rights...
have questioned Shoebat's background story, along with others like him, saying they "belong to an 'industry' that is often perpetuated by fundamentalist Christians" and aren't former Muslim terrorists. Skeptics have also questioned why Shoebat has been able to retain his US citizenship if it is true that he was involved in acts of terror.
The Jerusalem Post states that Shoebat has profited from his story that he was formerly a Muslim terrorist, but has rejected Islam for Christianity. When the Post asked Shoebat whether the Walid Shoebat Foundation is a registered charity, he said that it was registered in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The Pennsylvania State Attorney's office said it had no record of such a charity. When asked again, Shoebat claimed it was registered under a different name, but that he was not aware of the Foundation's registered name, nor any other details, which were known only to his manager. Dr. Joel Fishman of the Allegany County Law Library in Pennsylvania expressed doubts about Walid Shoebat Foundation's donation process. He noted that if the money were being given to a registered charity, the charity would have to make annual reports to the state and federal government. On the contrary, Shoebat says that Daniel Pipes
Daniel Pipes
Daniel Pipes is an American historian, writer, and political commentator. He is the founder and director of the Middle East Forum and its Campus Watch project, and editor of its Middle East Quarterly journal...
has supported him and his claims. Here is the website for his foundation.
On July 13, 2011, CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" reported an investigative piece into Walid Shoebat's claim to authority based on being a former terrorist. The report found that according to Israeli government officials, the bank that Walid Shoebat claimed to have attacked, and his own relatives, no record of his supposed terrorist history existed. A two-week prison term in an Israeli jail, another of Shoebat's claims was also unsubstantiated, with Israel having no record he was ever jailed. His cousin, interviewed in the report, stated that he had never known Shoebat to have ties to any movement, and that his claims of being a former terrorist were "for his own personal reasons".
Documentaries Involving/Featuring Walid Shoebat
- From the River to the Sea
- First Comes Saturday Then Comes Sunday
- The Forsaken Promise
- Walid Shoebat: The Culture of Death
- The Silent Exodus
- Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the WestObsession: Radical Islam's War Against the WestObsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, also called Obsession, is a 2005 documentary film about the perceived threat of radical Islam to Western civilization. Using extensive Arab television footage it claims to give an 'insider's view' of the hatred preached by radicals to incite global...
- Islam: What the West Needs to KnowIslam: What the West Needs to KnowIslam: What the West Needs to Know is a 2006 documentary film produced by Quixotic Media. According to the producers, the film is an examination of Islam and its violence towards non-Muslims....
External links
- Shoebat.com The home page of Walid Shoebat
- BBC News Palestinian militant turned peacemaker
- The Telegraph: I only wanted to kill Jews
- World Net Daily Editorial: The Unmaking Of A Terrorist by Joseph Farah
- New Voices Magazine: The Changeling by Josh Nathan-Kazis
- Live Blogging Walid Shoebat in Milwaukee
- A Terrorist Who Turned To Love by Jamie GlazovJamie GlazovJamie Glazov is the managing editor of Frontpage Magazine, the online publication founded by David Horowitz. He specializes in Soviet Studies, and U.S...
at FrontPage Magazine - Critique of Claims of Walid Shoebat
- Former terrorist fuels controversy
- Pro-Israel ex-terrorist denied entry into Canada
- Walid Shoebat tells his story to hundreds in Winnipeg
- Former terrorist speaks against violence
- Former terrorist has changed his ways
- YouTube link to the Fox News interview
- Shoebat: From Palestinian Terrorist to Lover of Zion?
- Walid Shoebat interviewed on Dr. Blogstein's Radio Happy Hour
Videos
- Walid Shoebat: God's War on Terror TV Broadcast on WVCY-TVWVCY-TVWVCY-TV is a conservative Christian television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It broadcasts digitally on Channel 22, but maps on a virtual channel via PSIP to their former analog channel position, Channel 30.-Sister Stations:...
- Walid Shoebat: From Terror to Truth TV Broadcast on WVCY-TVWVCY-TVWVCY-TV is a conservative Christian television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It broadcasts digitally on Channel 22, but maps on a virtual channel via PSIP to their former analog channel position, Channel 30.-Sister Stations:...
- Walid Shoebat – A Palestinian's Journey
- Critical Study of 'Walid Shoebat'
- Walid Shoebat on Fox News
- Interview on God's Learning Channel
- List of Walid Shoebat online media
- Walid Shoebat, Zak Anani and Ibrahim Abdullah on CN8, subtitled in French
- The Mind of a terrorist
- Interview of 3 ex-terrorists
- Making of a Martyr Bonus Features – Walid Shoebat: Part 1, Part 2.
- Walid Shoebat – "Islam Prophecied In The Bible" (7 videos) – Koinonia Institute's 2008 Strategic Perspectives conference in Southern California hosted by Dr. Chuck Missler
- Walid Shoebat – Major series (22 videos) "What The Bible says about Islam" Southern California Prophecy Conference 2008
- Walid Shoebat – Exposed