1 Special Report RADICAL ISLAM UNMASKED Muslim from page All CAIR Won't Challenge Film T Clarion Fund's Peter Connors reformed, moderate interpretation that keeps faith private and draws an imper- meable wall between religion and state as proscribed by our Constitution. Narrating The Third Jihad is his way of giving back to America because its freedoms have allowed him to practice his faith like no Muslim nation could. The Third Jihad exposes the dangers of Sharia by showing shocking footage that captures the persecution, violence and murder of women, children, homosexuals, Christians and other religious minorities. It highlights some of the areas of conten- tion between political Islam and the West while spotlighting the clear mission and manifesto of the Muslim Brotherhood against the West. "The Muslim Brotherhood:' Jasser said, "is the progenitor of most of what is polit- ical Islam in the 21st century." The Muslim Brotherhood took root in Syria, Jasser's native homeland. Jasser hopes the film — equally graphic, compelling and motivating —prompts viewers to raise the attention of Washington and all Americans to radi- cal Islam and what we can do to begin to counter its threat, especially the ideologi- cal root causes. "I hope viewers will see that this threat can only be countered and defeated by devotional Muslims dedicated to counter- ing the control of our faith community by the 'political imam," Jasser said. The Inspiration The Third Jihad is largely inspired by the FBI discovery of the Muslim Brotherhood's Grand Jihad Manifesto call- Al2 May 28 a 2009 he Third Jihad, which presents Against the West. Both documentaries the strength and potential of radical Islam, opened at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on May 13. Several American Muslim groups were invited to par- ticipate in a roundtable discussion. The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), whose leaders have had ties to orga- nizations deemed terrorist by the U.S. government, declined the invitation. "We invited CAIR and they said they wanted nothing to do with this film," said Peter Connors, executive director of the New Hampshire-based Clarion Fund (www.clarionfund.org ). Clarion's first documentary film was the Obsession: Radical Islam's War are produced by Clarion's founder, Raphael Shore. Radicalislam.org is the foundation of Clarion's grass- roots movement. It provides practical response tools. "The Third Jihad will have significant impact on discussing in America what the threat is and what Muslims and non-Muslims need to do," Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, the pro-West, anti-Islamist nar- rator who is Muslim, says on film. Addressing a crowd of 550 Metro Detroiters at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield at the documentary's Michigan premiere on May 12, Dr. Jasser said he personally has never met a Muslim who believes in terror- ism. Still, he said, even 5-10 percent of the world's 1.5 billion Muslims is a large number. "The problem is that many of the Muslims in charge, whether clerics or organizations like CAIR, will actually, because of their silence against the radicals, end up promoting and facili- tating the radicals' continuing exis- tence," Jasser said. The first jihad occurred amid the spread of Islam from the Arabian Peninsula during the time of the prophet Mohammad. The second jihad, under the Ottoman Empire, spread Islam through the upper Middle East to Southeast Europe. The third jihad calls for the spread of Islam to the West through ideological as opposed to mili- tary means. ing for the destruction of America and creation of a radical Islamist theocracy instead. The manifesto calls for moderate groups, mosques and Islamic centers, stra- tegically positioned, to weaken our culture and promote the acceptance of Sharia. The film features interviews with experts on radical Islam as well as American security specialists, including Bernard Lewis. A former terrorist, Tawfik Hamid, gives a firsthand account of the prevailing threat. All those interviewed in the film agree that the spread of Islamic fundamentalism in America must be con- fronted. The Muslim community must lead the charge against radical Islam, but it needs outside help. Says Jasser: "All of us as American citizens are threatened equally by this threat." Jasser acknowledged that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has done a fine job preventing more than 30 attacks on our citizens domestically and abroad since 9-11. But he stressed that our security also demands Muslim reform. "And thus all faith groups in America:' Jasser said, "need to become part of facilitating a project to counter the influence and ideologies of the Muslim Brotherhood and its splinter groups around the world if we are to have a sustainable security against radical Islam." Constitution and Bill of Rights do. The answer lies in activists of all faiths helping Muslims reveal the gravity of Islamism and governmental imposition of Sharia law. American Jewish groups are positioned to articulate this threat. "Not only has Israel been dealing with the threat of radi- cal Islam in Hamas, but the Jewish com- munity has suffered as a minority when living in nations under Islamist control, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, and thus Coming Together Appeasing political Islam will not work. Political Islam is based on Sharia law, which does not recognize the complete equality of minorities the way the U.S. I emple Israel's United Against the faith of Islam; Terror Committee, chaired • Find alternatives to dependence by Carol Cooper of West on oil, which fuels radical Islam, a root Bloomfield, hosted the presen- cause of Islamist terror; tation of The Third Jihad. • Urge the news media to "We have really begun to expose the danger of Islamist fight for a community that infiltration into government, will be tolerant, that will be businesses, organizations and accepting, but most impor- the news media; tantly, that will not accept • Demand the end to incite- terrorism in any form," Rabbi ment of Muslim children to Joshua Bennett told the view- lessen their susceptibility Rabbi Bennett ing audience. to Islamist propaganda and Committee member Linda potential recruitment to ter- Stulberg called The Third rorist groups; Jihad an eye opener that highlights • Demand human rights for citizens "the insidious exploitation of open of Islamic countries; societies by Islamists bent on sub- • Ask Muslims and their leaders verting them from within." to stand against Sharia replacing Western law; "The message is clear," she said. • Support government leaders who "We must stand guard against the accelerating penetration of repressive stand up to radical Islam. and brutal Sharia law into our cher- The war against radical Islam is win- ished democratic institutions." nable. "We will win it if enough people The film serves up these solutions stand up for the American freedom to fighting radical Islam: and liberties that our forefathers • Educate yourself and others about fought to create," says the film's nar- the distinction between Islamism and rator, Dr. Zuhdi Jasser.