....As the historian of the ancient world Tom Holland put it, when Islamic State fighters smash the statues of ‘pagan’ gods, they are following the example of the Prophet, who cleared the pagans from Mecca.
When they proclaim themselves the shock troops of a would-be global empire, they are merely following the imperial pretensions of the early Islamic armies. When they execute prisoners of war, impose discriminatory taxes on Christians, and take the women of defeated opponents as slaves, they are doing nothing that the first Muslims did not do. As Holland neatly put it,
"Such behaviour is certainly not synonymous with Islam; but if not Islamic, then it is hard to know what else it is."
Truth is meant to be the first casualty of war, but you are also meant to know your enemy. If David Cameron does not understand the truth about Islamic State’s Islamist ideology, if he has to make up stories, and order journalists to repeat lies so blatant a child could see through them, I cannot see how he can take part in a campaign against it. [The Spectator] Read more
