Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog: Which, if any, of the presidential candidates understand Apocalyptic Islam?

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

Which, if any, of the presidential candidates understand Apocalyptic Islam? My conversation with Todd Starnes of Fox News. by joelcrosenberg (Dallas, Texas) -- The other day, I was interviewed by Todd Starnes of Fox News. He asked me about my family's move as a family to Israel and my experience writing novels that seem to foreshadow future terrorist attacks and wars. He also asked me about my take on the 2016 presidential campaign and whether President Obama or the leading presidential candidates understand the threat of Apocalyptic Islam and are prepared to deal with it. Todd just finished reading The First Hostage. He very graciously called it "a page-turning political thriller" and "a riveting account of Islamic radicals kidnapping an American president." And as he opened the podcast, he took me aback by saying, "one of my favorite authors on the entire planet is a guy named Joel C. Rosenberg," noting that he was introduced to my novels through Rush Limbaugh talking about them on his programs. I very much enjoyed our conversation, and it was one of the more thoughtful discussions I've done on the book tour so far. It runs about 30 minutes. Hope you'll take time to listen to the podcast (I've just become a subscriber), and share it with others. Here's a link to the podcast of our interview. Here's a link to the column Todd just wrote for Fox News' website, "Could Obama's nuke deal unleash Iran's Apocalyptic Muslims?" A few excerpts from the column: “Once you understand Apocalyptic Islam, you understand just how dangerous it is to give Iran not just one path to nuclear weapons, but two,” he said. “This president doesn’t understand the threat of radical Islam. He won’t even define that – much less Apocalyptic Islam.” And he doesn’t hold out much hope for the current presidential frontrunners [Secretary Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump] either. “This is a very challenging year when you have a president and two frontrunners who just don’t understand the most serious foreign policy threat of our time,” he said. “That is not comforting.” Rosenberg has offered counsel to several Republican presidential campaigns including Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. “Senator Rubio totally gets it,” he said. “He’s been using that language in the debates and in his speeches.” [NOTE: here's an example of Rubio discussing Apocalyptic Islam.] Among the others who “get it” are Cruz, Jeb Bush and Rick Santorum. [NOTE: here is an example of Cruz discussing Apocalyptic Islam] [NOTE: here is Santorum on the subject, who has led on this subject for many years] [NOTE: here is Jeb on Radical Islam, though I haven't heard him speak specifically on Apocalyptic Islam.] What about Donald Trump? “It’s clear [Trump] doesn’t understand this,” he said. ‘It’s just all bloviating. It’s not so much that the world is facing a future threat -- the threat is already here. “These people are crucifying Christians, they’re beheading people" he said. “They are creating mayhem and really genocidal conditions in Syria and Iraq and our current president is just using half measure to run some sort of public relations war against them." He [President Obama] doesn’t have a plan. -------------------------- Order The First Hostage today — a new political thriller about ISIS launching a chemical weapons attack against Israel, Jordan and the United States — it’s now available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. FACT SHEET: The Iranian leadership’s Apocalyptic Beliefs FACT SHEET: The Islamic State’s Apocalyptic Beliefs What the next US president will need to know about Iran and Islamic State.(my column in The Jerusalem Post) ——————- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution before the end of the year. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg joelcrosenberg | January 19, 2016 at 4:14 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3Z4

Joel C. Rosenberg: Nation has lost confidence in Obama's ability to defeat Islamic terror.

As President Obama prepares for final State of the Union, nation has lost confidence in his ability to defeat Islamic terror. (Here’s the latest polling.) by joelcrosenberg (Virginia Beach, Virginia) -- During his 2015 State of the Union address, President Obama never mentioned the terms "Islam" or "Islamic extremism" or "Radical Islam" or"Apocalyptic Islam" or even "al Qaeda." He never even used the term the "Islamic State," calling our very serious enemy "ISIL" instead. He insisted that "in Iraq and Syria, American leadership -- including our military power -- is stopping ISIL’s advance," even though at that point the Islamic State had essentially doubled its territorial gains over the course of 2014, was slaughtering Muslims, engaged in genocide against Christians and Yazidis, and had recently seized Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq. What's more, Mr. Obama insisted that the mortal threat facing the American people wasn't from a nuclear Iran or a genocidal Islamic State. Rather, he said that "no challenge -- no challenge -- poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change." Even by August 28, 2015, after the Islamic State had seized more than one-third of the territory of Iraq and James Foley, an American journalist, had been beheaded by ISIS, the President admitted that “we don’t have a strategy yet” to defeat ISIS. In November of last year, the President insisted in November that his policy had“contained” ISIS. The next day came the terror attacks in Paris, and soon thereafter the attacks in San Bernardino. What, then, will the President say on Tuesday night, when he delivers his final State of the Union address? Will he finally acknowledge the threat of Radical and Apocalyptic Islam? Will explain them -- and their differences -- to the American people? Will he lay out a comprehensive strategy to actually defeat ISIS? Most Americans aren't holding their breath for such decisive leadership. In the wake of the attacks in San Bernardino and Paris and in so many other places -- and FBI arrests of at least 80 ISIS loyalists operating here in the homeland -- the American people have lost confidence in President Obama's ability to protect us from the terrorists. More Americans than ever before now believe the terrorists are winning, and the U.S. is losing the global war with Radical Islam. In fact, a recent CNN poll found a 17-point jump in the number of Americans who believe the terrorists are winning. What’s more, the CNN poll reveals that: Only 18% of Americans believe that the U.S. and our allies have the upper hand against the terrorists. Three-out-of-four Americans (74%) do not believe the United States is doing an effective job in the war against Radical Islamic terrorism. Nearly two-out-of-three Americans (64%) specifically disapprove the way President Obama is handling the threat posed by the Islamic State. The central theme of my recent novels -- The Third Target and The First Hostage -- is this: “To misunderstand the nature and threat of evil is to risk being blind-sided by it.” To the extent that President Obama and his senior team continue to fail to truly comprehend the evil we and our allies are facing from Iran and the Islamic State, the more dangerous a year 2016 is likely to be. ————– Order The First Hostage today — it’s now available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. FACT SHEET: The Iranian leadership’s Apocalyptic Beliefs FACT SHEET: The Islamic State’s Apocalyptic Beliefs What the next US president will need to know about Iran and Islamic State.(my column in The Jerusalem Post) ——————- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution before the end of the year. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg joelcrosenberg | January 11, 2016 at 11:10 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3QM

Joel Rosenberg: “Iran provokes the world as Obama does nothing.” Who said this? You might be surprised.

“Iran provokes the world as Obama does nothing.” Who said this? You might be surprised. by joelcrosenberg  Dec. 23, 2015

>> One week until THE FIRST HOSTAGE releases. You can pre-order it here.

"Iran is following through on the nuclear deal it struck with a U.S.-led coalition in an utterly predictable way: It is racing to fulfill those parts of the accord that will allow it to collect $100 billion in frozen funds and end sanctions on its oil exports and banking system, while expanding its belligerent and illegal activities in other areas — and daring the West to respond. Unfortunately, the Obama administration’s response to these provocations has also been familiar. It is doing its best to downplay them — and thereby encouraging Tehran to press for still-greater advantage."

Who said this? You might be surprised. It wasn't Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It wasn't one of the GOP presidential candidates. Nor was it the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal or a conservative foreign policy analyst.

These are actually the opening lines of a Washington Post editorial published on December 20. The liberal editors of the Post go on to blast the Obama administration's "fecklessness" in willfully "ignoring" Iran's blatant violations of the nuclear accord.

Consider the rest of the editorial:

We’ve pointed out how the regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has unjustly sentenced Post correspondent Jason Rezaian to prison and arrested two businessmen with U.S. citizenship or residence since signing the nuclear accord. There have been no penalties for those outrageous violations of human rights. Now a United Nations panel has determined that Iran test-fired a nuclear-capable missile on Oct. 10 with a range of at least 600 miles, in violation of a U.N. resolution that prohibits such launches. Moreover, it appears likely that a second missile launch occurred on Nov. 21, also in violation of Security Council Resolution 1929.

The U.S. response? "We are now actively considering the appropriate consequences to that launch in October," State Department official Stephen Mull testified at a Senate committee hearing Thursday. In other words, there have so far been none — other than a speech by the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations blaming the Security Council for the lack of action. As for the second missile launch, the administration claims to be investigating it, though it likely has in its possession the intelligence necessary to make a judgment.

It’s not hard to guess the reasons for this fecklessness. President Obama is reluctant to do anything that might derail the nuclear deal before Iran carries out its commitments, including uninstalling thousands of centrifuges and diluting or removing tons of enriched uranium. The same logic prompted him to tolerate Iran’s malign interventions in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere, along with the arrest of Mr. Rezaian, while the pact was under negotiation.

U.S. officials argue that Iran’s nonnuclear violations make it all the more important that the nuclear deal be implemented. But that ignores the clear connections between the missile launches and Tehran’s ambitions to become a nuclear power. The only practical military purpose of the missiles the regime is testing is to carry atomic warheads. And while missile launches are not prohibited by the nuclear pact itself, the separate resolution banning them remains in effect until the deal is implemented, after which a new resolution takes effect that calls on Iran not to develop such missiles for eight years.

By flouting the U.N. resolutions, Iran is clearly testing the will of the United States and its allies to enforce the overall regime limiting its nuclear ambitions. If there is no serious response, it will press the boundaries in other areas — such as the inspection regime. It will take maximum advantage of Mr. Obama’s fear of undoing a legacy achievement, unless and until its bluff is called. That’s why the administration would be wise to take firm action now in response to the missile tests rather than trying to sweep them under the carpet.

I don't often say this, but it's true: the editors of the Washington Post are correct in their observations and analysis. The White House and State Department are ignoring the Iranian regime's willful disregard of the nuclear accord.

What the Post editors don't say -- but should -- is that this refusal to require Iran to keep the agreement is making a dangerous situation far more dangerous. Why? Because Iran's leaders are not just driven by Radical Islam. They are driven by Apocalyptic Islam. They believe the End of Days has come. They believe their savior or messiah known as the "Mahdi" or the "Twelfth Imam" is coming at any moment to establish a global Islamic kingdom or caliphate. And they believe they must develop a nuclear weapons arsenal to help pave the way for a world without Jews and Christians. Western leaders ignore the threat of Apocalyptic Islam at their peril, and ours.

I once wrote a trilogy of novels about such a nightmare scenario. This is far more frightening...because it's true.

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• Pre-order The First Hostage now, and it will be delivered to your home when it releases on December 29th.
• Read the first chapter of The First Hostage right now
• Eerie front-page NYT story examines ISIS prophecies about an apocalyptic showdown in Syrian town of Dabiq. (Story looks ripped from THE FIRST HOSTAGE, my forthcoming novel about a showdown over Dabiq.)

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• Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks.
• Order Implosion: Can American Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time?
• Make a year-end investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution.
• Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenbergReceive every blog post automatically via the RSS feed.

joelcrosenberg | December 23, 2015 at 9:29 am | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3Ac

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Two presidential contenders discussed threat of Apocalyptic Islam - Joel Rosenberg

Joel Rosenberg Two presidential contenders discussed threat of Apocalyptic Islam at Republican Jewish Coalition forum last week. That’s significant. Here’s why. by joelcrosenberg

(Washington, D.C.) -- Americans are increasingly on edge when it comes to personal and national security. They see the Mideast on fire. They see growing terror on our streets. No wonder they are looking for a President who truly understands the nature and magnitude of the threats we are facing and has the courage, knowledge and experience to keep Americans and our allies safe.

Last week -- in the wake of the Paris attacks -- only underscored the urgency. Minutes before a young Muslim wife and mother helped her husband unleash a terror rampage in San Bernardino on Wednesday, she pledged her loyalty to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the emir of the Islamic State. She and her husband were later shot and killed by police after an intense manhunt. On Saturday, ISIS leaders publicly announced that Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 29, were "soldiers" of the Islamic State and responsible for the deadliest act of terrorism on U.S. soil since 9/11/01, killing 14 people and wounding 21 others.

The Washington Post reported that 2015 has emerged as "the deadliest for Islamist attacks in the United States since 2001" with a total 19 deaths, including the four Marines and Navy sailor murdered by a jihadist in Chattanooga, Tennessee in July.

That's why I found last week's conference organized by the Republican Jewish Coalition as so important. All of the remaining 14 GOP presidential candidates addressed the group at the Ronald Reagan building here in Washington, D.C. Regardless of their current standing in the polls, each candidate was given 30 minutes (a 20 minute speech and about 10 minutes of Q&A) to explain their views on U.S. foreign policy and national security issues, the threats emanating from the Middle East, and U.S.-Israeli relations.

While I had a previous commitment and was not able to attend, I watched online and found it especially helpful to observe -- back-to-back -- the presentations made by "The Final Four," the four candidates Evangelical Christians, especially in Iowa, are most closely and carefully watching to see if God is raising up one of them to be the next President of the United States. Why? Because it gave me a chance to compare their principles, their policies and their experience, as well as their personal style and tone on some of the most important issues in the race.

Who are "The Final Four," in my view? Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Senator Marco Rubio from Florida, the two brilliant, up-and-coming, and very compelling young Cuban conservatives; and Governor Huckabee of Arkansas and former Senator Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania, the two deeply principled, tried and tested, and very experienced previous Iowa Caucus winners.

Each made a compelling presentation, and yet each was so markedly different in tone and approach.

What stood out to me was the fact that both Rubio and Santorum spoke about the threat of "Apocalyptic Islam," not just Radical Islam. Both used that specific term. Both were quite fluent in explaining what they meant by the term, the threat of these genocidal forms of eschatology, and why it's important for the next President to understand this treat and be prepared to neutralize it. This was significant.

Neither Cruz nor Huckabee discussed Apocalyptic Islam with the RJC, though both made excellent presentations. Cruz hit the issue of Radical Islam quite hard. Huckabee spent much more time than the others talking about his love for Israel and why he has been traveling there and leading tours of Israel for 42 years. Hopefully both Cruz and Huckabee will discuss the issue of Apocalyptic Islam in detail in the future, though this was an ideal venue to have done so.

I encourage you to watch each of the four presentations, share them on social media, and discuss them with family and friends.

1. Watch the speech and Q&A by Senator Marco Rubio.
2. Watch the speech and Q&A by Senator Rick Santorum.
3. Watch the speech and Q&A by Governor Mike Huckabee.
4. Watch the speech and Q&A by Senator Ted Cruz.

In several recent columns, I have noted that as America continues hurtling down a dangerous path toward implosion, as darkness falls in the Middle East and North Africa, as the forces of evil advance and the forces of freedom retreat, anyone who cares about the American people and the people of the epicenter needs to pay very close attention to the American presidential race. Specifically, I made the case that:

• We need a President who understands that Western leaders ignore the threat of Apocalyptic Islam at their peril.
• We need a Commander-in-Chief who truly understands the magnitude of the threats posed by Radical and Apocalyptic Islam.
• We need a President who has serious ideas about how to neutralize such threats, and has solid national experience that can assure us that he or she is really ready to confront this evil.
• We need a President who sees Israel as a faithful ally — not an adversary — in this showdown with the jihadists.
• We need a President who rejects the insane Iran nuclear deal, and the notion of allowing Russia and Iran to run wild in Syria.
• Commander-in-Chief is not an entry level position.
• There is no time for on-the-job training in the White House for a new President who has little or no experience thinking about foreign policy and national security issues.
• The next President must come in ready for war — because that’s what we’re in, and the stakes are simply too high to go with an untested outsider or newcomer.

Clearly, Cruz and Rubio have the most momentum, money, and higher poll numbers at the moment. Some analysts believe the GOP nomination contest could come down to a battle between Cruz and Rubio to be the conservative standard bearer in a fight against Donald Trump. That very well may be -- and that would be a very spirited and fascinating contest. Indeed, it already is.

That said, Evangelicals should not rule out a possible late surge by either Huckabee or Santorum. Why? Because Iowans have a history of breaking late.

The latest poll indicates only 19% of Iowa likely GOP caucus voters have made up their mind; 81% are still shopping around. They get to meet the candidates and ask them questions face to face. They are weighing each contenders pros and cons. They are taking their job of winnowing the field very seriously, as they always have. Remember: Huckabee won Iowa in 2008, while Santorum won Iowa in 2012. Indeed, in the 2012 cycle, Santorum was at the bottom of the polls in Iowa until three days before the caucuses and then was able to persuade Iowans to break for him at the last moment. This gave him a come-from-behind victory in Iowa, which he dramatically parlayed into primary victories 10 additional states, finishing second in the nomination battle to Romney. Could this happen again with either Huckabee or Santorum? It could. Iowa Evangelicals really like and trust these two. And it's important to note that Evangelical Christians make up about 57% of the Iowa GOP caucus voters.

People have asked me if I have settled on one candidate yet. I have not. I've met them all.  I see plusses and minuses in each.I'm not looking for a perfect, flawless leader. And I'm continuing to pray for wisdom, discernment and clarity. Hope you are, too.

NOTE: These are my own personal views. I offer them in my individual capacity as an American citizen. They do not reflect or represent the position of The Joshua Fund, a non-profit organization, or any other group or organization.

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• Pre-order your copies of THE FIRST HOSTAGE now in hardcover, e-book or audio formats — it releases on December 29, 2015
• Order The Third Target today — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks.
• Order Implosion: Can American Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time?
• Make a year-end investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy with food and other humanitarian relief, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution.
• Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenbergReceive every blog post automatically via the RSS feed.

joelcrosenberg | December 6, 2015 at 5:01 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3vr

Joel Rosenberg - Dynamic of U.S. presidential campaign changing in light of ISIS attacks in Paris

Dynamic of U.S. presidential campaign changing in light of ISIS attacks in Paris & pursuit of chemical weapons. Here’s why. (Also: latest headlines seem ripped out of “The Third Target” & “The First Hostage” novels.) by joelcrosenberg

(Des Moines, Iowa) -- The barbaric attacks in Paris by jihadists loyal to the Islamic State could the dynamic in the presidential campaign in a profound way.

So could the news -- just breaking in the last 24 hours -- that the Islamic State is actively pursuing the production of chemical weapons to advance their genocidal aims.

So could the seizure of a hotel in Mali by al-Qaeda jihadists. And new ISIS threats to attack Washington, New York and the U.S. homeland.

Such developments put into sharp relief the need to choose a new President who doesn't simply have a great tax reform plan, and a plan to grow the economy and create millions of jobs and reduce spending and balance the budget and reform entitlements. We certainly need a President who will defend the sanctity of innocent human life, and the sanctity of Biblical marriage. Those are vital issues. But so is national security.

• We need a President who understands that Western leaders ignore the threat of Apocalyptic Islam at their peril.
• We need a Commander-in-Chief who truly understands the magnitude of the threats posed by Radical and Apocalyptic Islam.
• We need a President who has serious ideas about how to neutralize such threats, and has solid national experience that can assure us that he or she is really ready to confront this evil.
• We need a President who sees Israel as a faithful ally -- not an adversary -- in this showdown with the jihadists.
• We need a President who rejects the insane Iran nuclear deal, and the notion of allowing Russia and Iran to run wild in Syria.
• Commander-in-Chief is not an entry level position.
• There is no time for on-the-job training in the White House for a new President who has little or no experience thinking about foreign policy and national security issues.
• The next President must come in ready for war -- because that's what we're in, and the stakes are simply too high to go with an untested outsider or newcomer.

So, good morning from epicenter of the U.S. presidential campaign. I just got into the Iowa capital around 1:40 this morning after a 27 hour journey (including numerous flight delays) from Israel.

I'm here at the invitation of several Evangelical Christian leaders to discuss the implications of recent events on their efforts to choose and coalesce around a presidential candidate. We're gathering tonight to attend a forum tonight with seven Republican presidential candidates in hopes of better discerning who could truly be ready to lead us and protect us in dangerous and dark times.

The event is hosted by The Family Leader, a pro-family organization that has had me to speak at several of their events in recent years on U.S.-Israel relations and the threats America faces at home and abroad. (for details, see here, and here)

Tomorrow, I have been invited to spend the day praying and fasting with Christian leaders and further discussing what we are seeing and hearing from the various presidential contenders. I hope to post more on this throughout the weekend.

For now, consider the following headlines, each of which seem ripped from The Third Target, and the forthcoming sequel, The First Hostage.

• ISIS pursuing production of chemical weapons, officials say (CBS News)
• What Is ISIS' Chemical Weapons Stockpile? Islamic State Group Has Recruited Experts From Across the World To Build Terror Arsenal(International Business Times)
• Islamic State terrorists determined to build chemical weapons, officials say(AP/Fox News)
• Paris attacks: ISIS has secret branch of scientists developing CHEMICAL WEAPONS for terror strikes (UK Daily Record)

Chilling. Eerie, actually. But this is the world we live in at the moment.

Will you join me in praying and fasting for the Lord to graciously show all of us if He has a candidate He wants us to support, a president that He wants to raise up to get America back on the right track, stand with Israel, and counter the evil rising in the Middle East? Thanks, and God bless you.

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• Special Limited Offer: Pre-order a personally autographed copy of THE FIRST HOSTAGE today. Here are details.

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joelcrosenberg | November 20, 2015 at 3:57 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3qC

Joel Rosenberg - Apocalyptic Islam to the Jerusalem Leaders Summit (full video)

Here’s the full video of my address on Apocalyptic Islam to the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. by joelcrosenberg

 If you're interested in watching the 39-minute address I delivered at the Jerusalem Leaders Summit on the differences between Radical Islam and Apocalyptic Islam, please click here.

I'm deeply grateful to Joel Anand Samy and his team from The Heritage Foundation, National Religious Broadcasters, the Family Research Council, and other organizations who organized the Summit and invited me to participate.

___________________

• Special Limited Offer: Pre-order a personally autographed copy of THE FIRST HOSTAGE today. Here are details.

___________________

• To order The Third Target — now in paperback — please click here, or go to your favorite bookstore in your community.
• Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenbergReceive every blog post automatically via the RSS feed.
• Invest in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy with food and other humanitarian relief, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution.

joelcrosenberg | November 17, 2015 at 4:36 am | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3op

What is “Apocalyptic Islam” and why is it so dangerous? - Joel Rosenberg

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

What is “Apocalyptic Islam” and why is it so dangerous? The research behind my remarks to the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. by joelcrosenberg Addressing the Jerusalem Leaders Summit on the threat of "Apocalyptic Islam." (Jerusalem, Israel) -- Eschatology is not a word that typically comes up in public policy forums. Yesterday afternoon, however, I had the honor of addressing the Jerusalem Leaders Summit here in the heart of the epicenter. My remarks focused on the rise of Apocalyptic Islam -- what it is, why it is emerging as a far more serious threat to the U.S., Israel, and the world than Radical Islam, and how Shia and Sunni eschatology differ immensely from Jewish and Christian eschatology. For the last several days, my fellow speakers -- including Members of the European Parliament -- and I have been meeting with Israeli government officials to share ideas on a range of economic and security matters. Yesterday morning, for example, we visited the Knesset (Israel's parliament) and were briefed by the Knesset Member Tzachi Hanegbi, chairman of the Foreign & Defense Affairs Committee, on the Iran nuclear threat and the current wave of Palestinian terror. In my remarks to the Summit, and in individual conversations with Israeli leaders, journalists and business leaders, I have been making the case that I have expressed in numerous forums in the U.S., Canada, South Korea and around the world. We cannot defeat an enemy we refuse to define. To misunderstand the nature and threat of evil is to risk being blindsided by it. Evil, unchecked, is a prelude to genocide. That we are facing not one but two nation states right now (Iran & the Islamic States) whose leaders are motivated by a genocidal version of Islamic eschatology, or End Times theology. Far more attention needs to be paid by government leaders and public policy experts on the theology and eschatology driving our enemies. I noted that President Obama foolishly -- dangerously -- continues to adamantly refuse to acknowledge the threat of Radical Islam. It's both a concept and a term he rejects out of hand. He certainly refuses to acknowledge that there is a far greater threat emerging -- that of what I call "Apocalyptic Islam." Indeed, he and his administration are completely ignoring it, even as Iranian and ISIS leaders are becoming far more brazen in their public discussions of their End Times beliefs. On July 14th, President Obama expressed his full support for the Iran nuclear deal, saying, "Time and again, I have made clear to the Iranian people that we will always be open to engagement on the basis of mutual interests and mutual respect.  Our differences are real and the difficult history between our nations cannot be ignored.  But it is possible to change.  The path of violence and rigid ideology, a foreign policy based on threats to attack your neighbors or eradicate Israel -- that's a dead end.  A different path, one of tolerance and peaceful resolution of conflict, leads to more integration into the global economy, more engagement with the international community, and the ability of the Iranian people to prosper and thrive." Against all evidence, the President believes that Iran's regime just might be interested in taking "a different path," one that is peaceful and cooperative and tolerant. On August 8th, the President explained his thinking even further. In an address at American University in Washington, D.C, he quoted President John F. Kennedy and argued that his support for the Iran nuclear deal was predicated on the premise that he could achieve "a practical and attainable peace" with the leaders of Iran, "a peace based not on a sudden revolution in human nature, but on a gradual evolution in human institutions, on a series of concrete actions and effective agreements." The central question is whether the President is accurately reading the intentions of Iran's top leaders. Are they interested in taking "a different path, one of tolerance and peaceful resolution of conflict"? Is there any hard evidence that the attitudes and actions will become more peaceful as a result of this nuclear deal, and that we will see a"gradual evolution" in the behavior of the Iranian regime? The central task we have, then, is to examine carefully the speeches and actions of our enemies and seek to determine what they really believe, why, how those beliefs drive their actions, and whether we have any leverage to change their beliefs and thus change their actions. I argued at this Summit that the evidence strongly indicates that we are dealing with "true believers" in Iran and ISIS, men who believe deeply -- passionately -- in a cause few Westerners even comprehend, much less accept. Indeed, for the first time in human history, the top leaders of not just one nation state but two -- Iran and the Islamic State -- are being driven by Islamic eschatology, or End Times theology. Their particular brands of Shia and Sunni eschatology are driving them towards genocide. Why? Because they believe: that the End of Days have arrived that the Islamic messiah known as the "Mahdi" will appear at any moment that when the Mahdi appears, he will rule the entire Earth that Jesus will also return to Earth, but not as the Messiah, or Savior, or Son of God, but as the deputy to the Mahdi that Jesus will force all Jews, Christians and other so-called "infidels" to convert to Islam or be executed that the way to hasten the arrival and full establishment of the global Islamic kingdom or "caliphate" is to annihilate Jews and Christians, and specifically to annihilate Israel (which they call the "Little Satan" in their eschatology), and the United States (which they call the "Great Satan.") that time is very short, and they must move decisively because soon each Muslim will face the Mahdi face to face and be brought into judgment if they have not faithfully followed the Mahdi's orders. They discuss such matters often -- not in the shadows, but in public. Yet, Western leaders are not paying attention, much less carefully analyzing the implications of such beliefs. If my analysis is correct, there is no earthly chance the leaders of Iran -- or ISIS -- will change course. Rather, they are Hell-bent on committing genocide of historic proportions and totally destroying Judeo-Christian civilization as we have known it. Thus, our leaders must study the facts carefully and determine whether Iranian and ISIS leaders really believe such things, and formulate strategies to protect our people and neutralize such enemies accordingly. During my remarks, I promised to post several fact sheets so those attending the Summit and those watching the live streaming webcast around the world could study the issue more closely. Here they are. FACT SHEET: The Iranian Leadership's Apocalyptic Beliefs FACT SHEET: The Islamic State's Apocalyptic Beliefs FACT SHEET: Why Is The Iran Nuclear Deal So Dangerous? COLUMN: Islamic Extremists Are Trying to Hasten the Coming of the Mahdi Also, here is a link to an excellent new book by Brookings Institution scholar, William McCants, titled, The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy & Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State. It is a work I highly recommend to government leaders, public policy experts and lay people, as well. Last key point for now: I noted at the Summit that devout, Bible-believing Jews and Christians also have End Times theologies. But neither hold that Jews or Christians are supposed to commit genocide. Rather, we believe from the prophets Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah and others that the Messiah will come at the End of Days, conquer His enemies, and establish a global kingdom whose capital is Jerusalem. The Messiah will judge and conquer His enemies. That is not our job. Most Jews and Christians differ, of course, on the identity of the Messiah and whether His arrival on Earth to establish His global Kingdom will be His first visit, or His second. Still, neither Jewish nor Christian eschatology requires us to commit genocide. But the Iranian and ISIS versions of Islamic eschatology are genocidal in their very nature. When the video of my remarks becomes available, I will post it here and through social media. Hope you find this helpful. Please feel free to share this post with others. ——————————– To order The Third Target -- now in paperback -- please click here, or go to your favorite bookstore in your community. To pre-order The First Hostage -- my next political thriller that releases in North America on December 29th -- please click here. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg Receive every blog post automatically via the RSS feed. 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