Stakelbeck on Terror

A Roundup of My Reporting on Britain's Islamist Threat

Erick Stakelbeck — Fri, 24 May 2013 19:47:43 GMT

In the wake of the horrific Islamic jihadist attack against a British soldier in broad daylight on Wednesday, the issue of Islamic radicalism, terror and the clash of civilizations in Great Britian is once again at the forefront. I've spent a lot of time on the ground in Britain over the past few years documenting these issues, including in heavily Islamic enclaves where sharia law is being promoted as an alternative to British law. I've also interviewed some of the leading players in Britain's radical Islamic movement (and wrote about them in Chapter Six of my 2011 book, The Terrorist Next Door). Here is a brief rundown:

--My 2010 and 2012 interviews with Anjem Choudary, the radical preacher who formerly headed up Britain's banned Al-Muhajiroun group. One of the terrorists in Wednesday's attack, Michael Adebolajo, reportedly became radicalized by Al-Muhajiroun and has been photographed at rallies with Choudary (who admits that they knew each other). To watch a shorter version of my 2012 interview with Choudary, click on the viewer below.

--My 2010 interviews in London with Saad al-Faqih (formerly a U.S. Specially Designated Global Terrorist) and Yasser al-Sirri (wanted by U.S. authorities and Egypt's Mubarak regime for alleged terrorist activities).

--My 2010 interview with Noman Benotman, a former close associate of Osama Bin Laden and Ayman Al Zawahiri who now speaks out against Al Qaeda.

--My 2012 report from the largely Muslim Tower Hamlets section of East London, where Islamists are demanding--and in some cases, enforcing--sharia law, including upon non-Muslims.

As you'll see from my reports, Britain has a serious problem on its hands--one that, sadly, its own politically correct policies have helped to forment.

Quick Analysis of London Machete Terror Attack

Erick Stakelbeck — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:23:36 GMT

Yesterday's vicious attack by two Islamic terrorists against a British soldier on a London street in broad daylight represented the new face of jihad in the West: one I warned about extensively in my 2011 book, The Terrorist Next Door. These two terrorists were self-starters, apparently acting on their own and using low-tech, inexpensive methods to wreak murderous havoc and capture the world's attention, much like the Boston bombers did back in April. It is unclear at this point whether the two London terrorists had any overseas links or direct ties to groups like Al Qaeda (although at least one of them did reportedly know radical UK preacher Anjem Choudary). But their tactics are straight out of the Al Qaeda playbook, in which any average Muslim can turn into a one-man jihad, and everyone can play a role in this struggle against the West. As we saw yesterday in London, all it takes is a car, some meat cleavers and machetes and deadly intent.

I've spent a lot of time in radical Islamic enclaves in London—these are no-go zones for police and breeding grounds for extremism that are isolated from British society I fear that what we saw yesterday was a harbinger of things to come for that country. Britain may very well be headed toward major civil unrest, driven by Islamists who want sharia law. Click on the viewer below to watch my most recent interview with aforementioned Islamist cleric Anjem Choudary, who wants sharia to rule Great Britain.

Stakelbeck on Terror Show: Christian Persecution in Muslim Lands

Erick Stakelbeck — Wed, 22 May 2013 01:15:07 GMT

On this week's episode of the Stakelbeck on Terror show, we sit down with author Raymond Ibrahim to discuss his new book,"Crucified Again: Exposing Islam's New War on Christians." We also take a closer look at Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi and his role in the Muslim Brotherhood. Click on the viewer below to watch.

Saudi Man Arrested at Detroit Airport With Pressure Cooker

Erick Stakelbeck — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:02:15 GMT

After the Boston bombers used pressure cookers (an Al Qaeda favorite) to murder three people and wound 264 more at the Boston Marathon last month, you'd think a story like this may even catch the attention of the mainstream media. From The Detroit News:

Federal agents have arrested a Saudi Arabian traveler who arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport with a pressure cooker, a key component used in the Boston Marathon bombings last month.

Hussain Al Kwawahir appeared for a brief hearing at 1 p.m. in federal court on charges he allegedly used an altered passport and lied to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent about the pressure cooker.

It was unclear Monday whether his arrest is terrorism related or a misunderstanding. But the prosecutor handling the case is Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Tukel, who prosecuted the terror case against underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

"I am in the dark, too," said Rita Chastang, his court-appointed lawyer.

U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade declined comment on the particulars of the case or whether there are any links to terrorism.

Fair enough. But right now, things sound mighty fishy:

Al Kwawahir arrived at the airport Saturday from Saudi Arabia, via Amsterdam, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday in federal court.

He told agents he was visiting his nephew, who attends the University of Toledo. During baggage inspection, officers noticed a page missing from Al Kwawahir's passport.

Al Kwawahir told officers he did not know how the page was removed from the passport.

During the baggage exam, officers found a pressure cooker.

Al Kwawahir said he brought the pressure cooker for his nephew because the devices are not sold in the United States, according to the complaint.

Later, he changed his story and admitted that his nephew had purchased a pressure cooker in the U.S. but it was cheap and broken.

More to come on this story.

"Crucified Again": Important New Book Exposes Widespread Muslim Persecution of Christians

Erick Stakelbeck — Fri, 10 May 2013 20:39:49 GMT

My friend Raymond Ibrahim has written a groundbreaking, eye-opening new book called "Crucified Again: Exposing Islam's New War on Christians." Ray's book highlights, in comprehensive detail, the biggest untold story in the world today--one that most of the so-called mainstream media are completely ignoring. It's estimated that every five minutes somewhere in the world, a Christian is killed for his faith. I want you to really wrap your head around that for a second. Every five minutes someone, someplace is murdered for proclaiming Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

It has become a worldwide epidemic, and the vast majority of this brutal Christian persecution occurs in the Muslim world. Christians are literally disappearing in the Middle East—the birthplace of Christianity—at the hands of Muslim jihadists. This is a massive story. And no one is doing a better job of covering it then Raymond Ibrahim. Pick up his must read new book, "Crucified Again" and check out all of his writings at raymondibrahim.com. My interview with Ray about the book will air on the May 20th edition of the Stakelbeck on Terror show. In the meantime, check out his interview with my CBN colleague Gary Lane from the May 7th edition of CBN Newswatch.

New Israeli Knesset Caucus Defends The Family

Erick Stakelbeck — Tue, 07 May 2013 03:45:19 GMT

My friend Gil Ronen, who writes for the must-read Israeli news site Arutz Sheva 7--the media voice of the thriving Jewish communities in the Biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria--has sent along an excellent report that I wanted to share with Stakelbeck on Terror readers.

Gil recently co-organized two important conferences in Israel that were dedicated to preserving the traditional family and counteracting the anti-male, anti-family agenda that is being pushed by the left in his country. As you'll see, America isn't the only nation where God-fearing folks who believe in traditional family values are seeing their beliefs come increasingly under assault. it's even happening in Israel--the very birthplace of those same Biblical values that have so enriched society. That's why the Israeli Knesset, as Gil's piece notes, has just started a caucus dedicated to strengthening the family. Whether you live in Samaria, Stockholm or St. Louis, "Familists" need to support each other and take a stand. What are Familists? Read Gil's piece below to find out (video included):

New Israeli Knesset Caucus Defends the Family

A new caucus in the Israeli Knesset has begun to work with a newly recognized university in Samaria to counteract anti-family forces. The cooperation between academics and MKs was kicked off in back-to-back conferences at Ariel University and the Knesset last week.

The conference at Ariel University (April 29-30) revealed that political forces fomenting gender warfare are deliberately falsifying statistics to create a false picture of systematic violent oppression of women by men, as per "patriarchy theory." These false statistics are then fed into the political and law enforcement systems, as well as the media, to create an anti-male, anti-family environment.

These findings were presented at the founding session of the Knesset Caucus for Strengthening Family and Community Structure, on Wednesday. The caucus is chaired by rookie MK Moshe Feiglin (Likud), who is also Deputy Speaker of the Knesset.

MK Feiglin is known, among other things, for his insistence on regularly visiting the Temple Mount, despite the Muslim Waqf's stiff opposition. Judging by the intensity of political pressure he had to fend off over the establishment of the family values caucus, however, it appears the latter cause is just as controversial as the former, and perhaps even more so.

The senior academic speaker at the Knesset conference was Prof. Sarah Ben David, who heads the Criminology Department at Ariel University. She reported about the grave findings featured at the conference on "Violence, Conflict and Unity in the Family" that had just been held at the University on the previous day.

Ben David quoted the senior guest speaker at the Ariel conference, Prof. Murray Straus of New Hampshire University, who is widely accepted as the world's leading authority on domestic violence. Prof. Straus had explained, in a 45-minute presentation, that domestic violence statistics are being systematically skewed, and that this has been going on for at least 35 years.

Ben David concurred with Straus and testified that she, too, has been disqualified from publishing academic research that was deemed to be "insufficiently feminist," and has even received threats that conferences she organized – which included critiques of "feminist" domestic violence statistics – would be violently disrupted.

Together, Straus and Ben David gave a disturbing account, of what could best be described as a subversive political racket within the academic world. While forces within the universities present the public with a picture of exclusively male-on-female violence, the actual research being carried out in the field for decades, they said, shows that the dominant pattern of violence is one of gender symmetry and mutuality.

In other words – unlikely as this may sound to untrained ears – a woman is just as likely to strike her male partner as a man is to strike his female partner, and fights between partners generally tend to escalate through mutual tit-for-tat behavior. This pattern holds true for severe assault as well.

While it is true that women are hurt more than men, by approximately a 2-to-1 ratio, this is largely attributable to men's greater physical strength and robustness.

Someone, then, is demonizing men throughout the Western world. Who is doing it, and why? The chairman of the Familists, Gil Ronen, hinted broadly at the explanation in his presentation at Ariel University.

Ronen – who was a co-organizer of both conferences – called for the establishment of a coordinated pro-family movement, and a new academic discipline – Family Science – to counteract the disinformation propagated by the highly politicized Gender Studies programs.

Being a "Familist," he explained, simply means viewing men's rights and obligations, as well as those of women and children, as part of the framework of the family unit, and not independently of it. It also means seeing the family unit itself as something that requires strengthening and maintenance.

For more on the Familists, click here.

Video: The Boston Bombings and How Political Correctness Kills

Erick Stakelbeck — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:13:05 GMT

Click on the viewer below to watch my latest video commentary. I address how a culture of rampant political correctness is making more Islamic terror attacks like we saw recently in Boston and at Fort Hood a disturbing probability.

Stakelbeck On 700 Club: Was Boston Attack Part of a Broader Plot?

Erick Stakelbeck — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:24:56 GMT

I discussed the latest details of the Boston terror plot this morning with Pat Robertson on the 700 Club. Click on the viewer below to watch.

Stakelbeck on Terror Show: Free Speech Under Assault

Erick Stakelbeck — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:12:13 GMT

On this week's episode of the Stakelbeck on Terror show, we examine how free speech regarding Islam is coming under assault in the United States and Europe. Sam Nunberg of The Legal Project and Lars Hedegaard, founder of Dispatch International and survivor of an attempted assassination recently in Denmark, are our guests.

Click on the viewer below to watch.

Analysis: Boston Marathon Terror Attack

Erick Stakelbeck — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:22:56 GMT

I discussed the horrific Boston Marathon terror attack on the 700 Club show with Pat Robertson this morning. Click on the viewer below to watch. Still not a lot of details at this point, and I'll have updates once we hear more. One question a lot of people have been asking me is why there has been no claim of responsibility yet by any terror group (the Pakistani Taliban, for one, has denied any involvement). A few thoughts on that: 1) It sometimes takes a few days for these claims of responsibility to be released. There was no immediate claim by Al Qaeda, for instance, in the aftermath of 9/11. 2) The perpetrators of this heinous act may be keeping silent because--God forbid--they have more planned. 3) This may be a local cell of just a few people who are not directly tied to a global terror network like Al Qaeda. Which means they may not be advanced enough or have the means to declare responsibility and have it go viral like Al Qaeda would on one of its numerous jihadi chat forums. 4) Although they could use Twitter and other social media to brag about the attacks, the terrorists behind them are likely on the run and may be staying away from the Web altogether in order to escape detection. Click on the viewer below to see more of my thoughts on all this, and please pray for the victims and their families.