It is rare to find a book that speaks to your soul. Dr. Jasser’s book, “A Battle for the Soul of Islam: An American Muslim Patriot’s Fight to Save His Faith,” was one of those books. His epilogue, which was addressed to his small children, brought tears to my eyes. His heartfelt message to them is also a message to the future of the United States of America; how we may save the most precious country on earth.
At last, a book that gave me a sliver of hope about where our country might be headed as we face an increasing threat by a religion that appears intent on ultimately replacing the Constitution of the United States of America with Islamic theocracy.
It was such a delight – and relief – to finally find a book that answered so many of the questions I’ve had since 9/11, and then some. My questions included, “How could anyone claim that Islam is a religion of peace in the face of the horrific violence committed against innocent people around the world by so many in the name of Allah?” “Are all Muslims potential killers and raising their children accordingly as well?” “Are any of the Muslims incensed that some other Muslims would commit such horrific crimes in the name of Allah?” “Are any Muslims thinking of possible solutions for the violence being perpetrated by those who are using their religion to justify killing innocent people?” “Are all Muslims hoping to replace the Constitution of the United States of America with shari’a law?” “Do American Muslims put the U.S.A. above their religion? Or their religion above the U.S.A.?”
I must confess that, from the beginning of his book, I had an instant affinity to this author. First, Dr. Jasser and I share the same alma mater, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Wisconsin being David’s home state, Appleton and Neenah, where Dr. Jasser grew up, are familiar areas for us. Second, Dr. Jasser’s father and grandfather are adult immigrants from Syria. The story they had shared with Dr. Jasser (when he was growing up) resonated with me because I, too, am an adult immigrant and naturalized American citizen myself. All adult immigrants, who entered the country legally, have a strong reason as to why they chose to give up everything they knew from their countries of origin and chose to start a new life in America. It is all about WHY the Constitution of the United States of America matters, the way the Founding Fathers had intended for the benefit of the future generations of Americans.
Dr. Jasser’s parents and grandparents escaped from Syria’s brutal Assad regime. Because of their reason for immigrating to America, they have been absolutely against any notion of putting religion above the Constitution. Throughout their lives, they remained deeply grateful for the liberty that the U.S.A. affords all its citizens. Naturally, I share their exact sentiment.
Those of us who are immigrants ourselves know how fortunate our children / grandchildren are to be born in America. Most of us, in fact, came to America so that our children would have a better life than what we had experienced back home. Yet, many of us are so busy trying to remain free that, often, we neglect to instill in our children how important freedom is. I’m guilty of it myself. I’m grateful that Dr. Jasser’s family raised him by reminding him of the precious gift of being in this country. Based on their own experiences of having lived in a theocratic country, Dr. Jasser’s family taught him about the importance of the separation of church (mosque) and state.
Freedom is like air. Until it’s gone, most people cannot fathom how important it is. Like oxygen, when it is depleted, it will be too late to regain it. In the name of political correctness, a great portion of which is focused on the issue of Muslims, I sense the oxygen of freedom being sucked out of our environment slowly but surely.
Dr. Jasser explains an important difference between Islam and Islamism. Islam is a religion. On the other hand, the defining characteristic of Islamism, or political Islam, is its intolerance of others, even including many Muslims. Islamists glorify violence against all who disagree. I am grateful that, through his book, I was able to learn to distinguish the two. These differences, which are polar-opposites of each other, explain a lot of what I previously did not understand about Muslims. Dr. Jasser suggests, for example, that if a Muslim has no sense of humor, he/she is likely to be an Islamist.
I started this blog by saying, “a sliver of hope.” The good news is that there are those Muslims, such as Dr. Jasser, who recognize that the issue of Muslim extremists can only be resolved from within the Muslim community. The bad news is that Islamists do not think twice about harassing and/or even killing anyone who opposes their view of the world. In addition, Islamists have both political and financial strengths on their side – at least for now. Dr. Jasser and those Muslims who are in support of him, therefore, are on an uphill battle – not to mention the fact that many are afraid to publicly admit their support of Dr. Jasser.
I’m deeply grateful for his willingness to take on what must be the biggest challenge of his life. He is my American hero. As a naturalized American citizen, who cherishes every second of my life in this country, I am 100% in support of what Dr. Jasser is trying to achieve. I trust that, in time, if not already, the majority of Americans will be in support of his goal as well.
Here is a 40-minute interview of Dr. Jasser by Mark Levin on “Life, Liberty, and Levin,” which aired on June 17, 2018.
