Different Kind of Enemy: This Is a Global War US Can't Afford to Lose

Mark Steyn's bestseller, America Alone, effectively builds the case that the Western world is in a war for its very existence and too many are minimizing the threat we face. Unless we understand it threat, we'll never muster the will to win a war we can't afford to lose.

Steyn documents the global demographic trends that expand the threat. In 1970, the developed Western nations had twice as big a share of the global population as the Muslim world. In 2000, they were at parity. The United States population continues to grow slowly, but Europe, Canada, Japan, Russia and even China are running out of babies. Worried about overpopulation, countries embraced abortion and promoted smaller families. Now, they're not even replacing themselves.

The Muslim baby boom is exploding. The top global fertility leaders are Islamic countries, and they're migrating and taking their culture with them. Moslem countries are the principal suppliers of new Europeans and the second biggest supplier of new Canadians. What is the most popular boys' name in Belgium, Amsterdam and Malmo, Sweden? Mohammed. It's the fifth most popular boy's name in the United Kingdom.

But aren't most Islamists "moderate?" Looking at the data gives us reason for concern. More are becoming radicalized. A UK poll of British Muslims in 2006 found that only 17 percent believed there was any Arab involvement in the 9/11 attacks. Another poll in 2006, on the first anniversary of London's Tube bombings, found that 13 percent think the four men who carried out the bombings should be regarded as "martyrs" and 7 percent agree that suicide attacks on UK civilians can be justified. That's not a majority, but 9/11 took only 19 dedicated terrorists to kill thousands.

Anjem Chouldary, a British Muslim leader, hailed 9/11 as "magnificent" and its perpetrators "heroes." When asked why he didn't move to a country that has Sharia Law, he said, "Who says you own Britain, anyway? Britain belongs to Allah. The whole world belongs to Allah." The "moderate" mullah Yusaf al-Qaradawi, said at London's 2004 "Our Children Our Future" conference: "Israelis might have nuclear bombs, but we have the children bomb and these human bombs must continue until liberation." That's some future for Islamic children!

Islamic leaders are aware of their demographic advantage. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi observed: "There are signs that Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe-without swords, without guns, without conquest. The fifty million Muslims of Europe will turn it into a Muslim continent within a few decades." Norwegian Imam Mullah Krekar told an Oslo newspaper, "Just look at the development within Europe, where the number of Muslims is expanding like mosquitoes. Every Western woman in the EU is producing an average of 1.4 children. Every Muslim woman in the same countries is producing 3.5 children. Our way of thinking will be more powerful than yours."

In Post-Taliban Afghanistan, Abdul Rahman made the mistake of converting to Christianity. Abdul Raoulf of Afghan Ulama Council said, "We will not allow God to be humiliated. This man must die. Cut off his head! We will call on the people to pull him into pieces so there's nothing left." Condoleezza Rice helped him get out of the country. Unfortunately, this view is not limited to Afghanistan. Michigan kindergarten teacher, Nazra Quraishi, describes her faith, "Islam is a guide for humanity, for all times, until the day of judgment. It is forbidden in Islam to convert to any other religion. The penalty is death. There is no disagreement about it." 

A 2002 United Nations report shared a startling fact-more books are translated into Spanish in a single year than have been translated into Arabic in the last thousand years! The Islamic world is a closed world. They don't plan on assimilating; they plan on making the whole world part of the Dar-al-Islam. Hussein Massawi, former leader of Hezbollah, put it clearly, "We are not fighting so that you will offer us something. We are fighting to eliminate you." A Muslim demonstrator in Toronto proclaimed: "We won't stop the protests until the world obeys Islamic law."

Am I Islamophobic? The more I read what their Imams are saying, what their public service announcements promote and what their adherents are doing around the world, the more concerned I become. Learn more yourself! The Terrorism Research Center (http://www.terrorism.com) tracks terrorism across the globe. The Counterterrorism Blog (http://www.counterterrorismblog.org) post analyses of the latest terrorist events and trends. Research of Islamic Movements (http://www.e-prism.org) publishes reports on radical Islam. MEMRI (http://www.memri.org) and the Palestinian Media Watch (http://www.pmw.org.il) both translate the Arabic and Muslim media.

Despite our strong military, Islamic extremists think we are a weak horse, lacking the will to win. They think America can't stomach a three-figure death toll. Rather than initiate another big attack that rallies our resolve, they prefer to sap our will with one or two casualties per evening news! This enemy won't play our kind of war games. They have other plans, and time and demographics are on their side. This is the global warming I fear most.

Byline: Dr. Terry Paulson is a psychologist, speaker, author and host to the PoliticalTalk Blog. Contact him at www.politicalassessment.com or at terry@terrypaulson.com. Column first appeared in Ventura County Star, June 25, 2007, B6.