Since 2015, the Virginia Christian Alliance has closely followed the rise and impact of Islam around the world and in America—publishing over 175 in-depth articles. Explore the full collection here.
The War of Two Civilizations
By J. Jeff Toler for Shenandoah Christian Alliance j.toler@sca4christ.org
- “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” —Matthew 7:12 *
Rather than begin by discussing Western democracy, we should step back a little further — to the deeper idea of civilization itself.
We must agree that Western civilization rests on two foundational principles. The first is ethical: * the Golden Rule, the idea that we should treat others as we ourselves would want to be treated. The second is intellectual: the tradition of critical thinking — questioning, reasoning, and pursuing truth. Imperfect as we are, these principles have shaped the moral and philosophical roots of the West for centuries.
Islamic civilization, on the other hand — particularly in its political and legal expressions — stands on a very different footing. Rather than a universal Golden Rule, it operates with what is often called dualistic ethics. How one is treated depends on who they are: Muslim or non-Muslim, male or female, believer or apostate. Justice and dignity are not applied universally; they are conditional and tiered.
That’s the central contrast: the Golden Rule offers a single ethical standard. Islamic ethics, as historically practiced, apply multiple standards. Even though Western societies don’t always live up to their professed ideal, the ideal nevertheless still exists. It anchors the conscience of the culture. It calls us back to virtue even when we fail.
And that is what makes the difference. It is also why, when we speak of civilization, ideologies built on unequal ethics struggle to coexist with those built on universal moral truth. As is so often the case throughout history, we are once again witnessing a clash between competing civilizational worldviews.
In a recent episode of Relatable titled Jihad vs. Jesus: Islam’s Plan to Conquer Christian America (Episode 1255), Allie Beth Stuckey asks author, lecturer, and Islam expert, Raymond Ibrahim, “Why do Muslims want to come to America if they can live in what you described as ‘Medina?’” (“Medina” referring to the period in which Muhammad prepared his followers for war and the subjugation of infidels for all time.) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpa4Qrz9GLQ]
Ibrahim responds:
“They come here and it’s not like they assimilate. They don’t spread out. They concentrate — in Dearborn, Michigan; in Houston, Texas; in Minnesota; in London; and in other parts of the world as well.”
Stuckey then asks, “Is there a strategy there? Is there a specific purpose in the way they are infiltrating the West?”
Ibrahim replies matter-of-factly:
“Well, first and foremost, I would say it’s opportunism. [The Muslim would say,] ‘I’m coming because I don’t have to dissemble.’ Their countries are poor, and they often live in horrific conditions. Historically, it was forbidden for Muslims to willingly live among infidels, but due to necessity — and with the hatred and tribalism — they eventually had to.”
He continues:
“Scholars came up with fatwas, decrees allowing this, as long as they maintain Islam in their heart, and the pretext they all follow is, ‘If I’m here to help convert them, it’s all right.’ That’s one of the only reasons a Muslim can go and live among non-Muslims: they are engaged in what is called dawah, calling them to Islam. It’s a pretext. They’re not here to assimilate at all. They despise the infidel—but they are here to benefit.”
“They come as migrants and are placed in hotels that the actual citizens who built the host nations don’t or can’t get. So they do it because it benefits them — but the tribalism and hatred remain. We regularly see it manifest, whether in America or, more vividly and graphically, in Western Europe where the numbers are greater.”
“They don’t actually despise Western culture itself—they want the good things the West produces. Meanwhile, Muslim migrants are responsible for a disproportionate number of sex crimes, especially in Europe, and we see the tolerance for that.”
As bad as this is, and it’s bad, the West is being presented with another dimension to this situation that is likely to break out in a big way.
This is the background for what America — and the West — are facing at this moment. Add to this the well-documented historical reality of Islam’s relationship with Western civilization, and then imagine the introduction of a particularly volatile catalyst.
Take a decidedly communistic political additive, represented by a young, well-educated, Ugandan-born Muslim politician — thoroughly indoctrinated — now the mayor of the largest and most influential city in America: New York City.
Do we even need to ask, “What could go wrong?” In all honesty, it’s hard to overstate the conflict that is already brewing. How did we get here? And why is he so popular? The situation is, quite literally, biblical.
These are the threads connecting the New York City mayoral race, the Muslim-led cities of Dearborn and Hamtramck, and now the “No Kings” protests. These developments reflect both the increasingly progressive Democratic Party and the centuries-old practice of Islamic expansion known as Hijra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYWYI10PEt8&t=3s
The decline of Western civilization — especially evident in Europe — is now well underway in America. We didn’t merely fail to prepare for an invasion; we effectively invited it. We were too eager to tear down our defenses, believing it was compassionate, even moral. We developed a fatal empathy for “the poor and downtrodden,” no longer able to discern friend from foe.
Western civilization grew distracted by feelings. We feminized our culture, waged war on marriages and families, and now they are collapsing. Decades of progressive influence in education, and perhaps most tragically, the diminishing force of a robust Christian witness — which once sustained and shaped the values of the West — have brought us to this point.
The State of New York, and New York City in particular, abandoned the precepts and virtues of Western civilization long ago. What comes next will be revealing. We’ve seen communist and socialist mayors before — many times.
But this will be the first time we witness what happens when Marx meets Mohammed.
I am prepared to make a bold and unpopular declaration: We have thrown away our greatest cultural inheritance—the monoculture of a unified American identity rooted in liberty, courage, truth, and beauty. “We only have ourselves to blame” isn’t a cliché — it’s the truth. And I fear we no longer have much time to remedy the situation.
Yet there remains hope. We serve a loving, gracious, and powerful God, who can redeem even this. If He chooses to. We should pray for that with all our might.
- “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” —Proverbs 29:2
Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash
