Circling the Wagons Versus Building Bridges with Allies

I have never been in favor of welcoming my enemies into my tent. My people, Jews, are geniuses about doing so. Me? I have finally stopped talking to certain people. After trying and trying to do so, even I had to admit that doing so was only a royal waste of time. Those who've been indoctrinated into "woke" madness; who've been totally Palestinianized, Stalinized, and Transgenderized; and who can no longer engage in civil or collegial dialogue are not worth my bother.

Today, I want to reconsider--or rather, I want to re-define what expanding our alliances really means, especially for those of us who are all anti-Islamists, pro-Israel, and in favor of both democracy and human rights, especially women's rights of course.

Let me pause here for a moment.

I admit it: When I'm writing a book (which I am currently doing), I rarely go out into the world--and, given the Arctic zone in which I now live, I could not venture abroad even if I wanted to.

Yesterday, I edited a chapter in progress, but then I broke form completely, and made two long and very satisfying phone calls, and I attended a Zoom meeting with a most excellent group: The Clarity Coalition: Champions for Liberty Against the Reality of Islamist Tyranny (Full disclosure: I am one of the founding members along with Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, Evelyn Marcus, Asra Nomani, Raheel Raza, Nina Shea, Sam Westrop etc.)

Attending a Zoom meeting and taking such pleasure from it, reminded me how monastic a life I lead. In truth, I've become something of a recluse, a being who privileges my reading and writing above social interaction and relationship-building. Doing so is a major sacrifice for me since I am, by nature, a very sociable being. I delight in the exchange of ideas as a living, human art. The more information, the more analyses, the wittier the better.

The webinar that I attended, one most excellently moderated by Yasmine Mohammed, reminded me that Jews must not only talk to each other; that conservative pro-Israel talking heads must not only circle their wagons and turn their backs on other like-minded allies; that being part of a Jewish-Muslim-Christian-Hindu-Sikh coalition is absolutely crucial in our times. I've been privileged to be able to work with, learn from, teach, and honor anti-Islamist Muslims, ex-Muslims, atheists, Christians, Sikhs, Hindus, and, of course, Jews of every belief system.

Thus, I heard from many of those who are really building up the Clarity Coalition, who are extending its social media and membership reach (Thomas Sheedy, Zahra Sandberg, Matthew Giagnorio); Canadian Muslims against antisemitism (Hadassah Goldberg); amazing legislative initiatives in which anti-Islamist Dr. Zuhdi Jasser is involved (he is running for national office from Arizona and is the founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy); legal analyses of the Constitution vs. religious rights and Islamism's misuse of it (Karen Lugo); outlawing the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization but too few countries have adopted such legislation--and none other than Senator Chuck Schumer continues to block it (Dahlia Ziada); research on the growth of the Free Palestine movement on the cultural level (Tali Gilette); work on behalf of Christians who are persecuted by Muslims world-wide but especially in Nigeria (Douglas Burton). He insisted that while there is "no consensus about what is true in Nigeria," all "hatred and conflict is due to religion."

We heard from old and new members who are anti-terrorism experts (Joe Adam George); about Iran--or Persia as I choose to identify it (Azida Yasher); and, of course, about the perilous rise in antisemitism/antizionism culturally, propagandistically, and about the ways in which this has, inevitably, led to vicious attacks on Jews and unleashed pro-Palestine marches all over the West. Canadian Andria Spindel spoke about how people in Gaza have been carefully trained and empowered to rewrite history online and to erase Jews and Israel from that history.

Finally, two new members described themselves as former Jihadist/Islamists, and they spoke about their de-radicalization. One suggested that "liberalism has to become as aggressive on its own behalf as Jihadism is."

I am choosing not to identify them at this time.

All this--and in eighty--ninety minutes. Dr. Jasser delivered an important lecture on what it will take for Muslims to truly engage in reforming Islam.

Thank you one and all.

Thus, even though I am in one kind of comfort zone when I talk to pro-Israel Jews, Christian Zionists, or to Western conservative/libertarians, I am equally more than comfortable talking to people of all religions and ethnicities and both sexes, as long as they are also in touch with historical reality, historical memory, fact-based truth, and do not blindly follow woke narratives (and assuming that they all want to defeat the destruction of the West and of Western values--and they do).

It is a joy and a privilege to see this particular torch that I've carried for so long being so expertly passed to others, to younger and more expert champions who will be here to continue this work long after I am gone.

Dear Clarity Coalition members: I hope that I have not mis-identified anyone, and if I have, please tell me so.