I just finished reading The Great Divide: The Failure of Islam and the Triumph of the West by Alvin J. Schmidt. That subtitle is a bit misleading, actually. In the eyes of God, Islam is a definite failure, but throughout history, they have succeeded at so many of their bloody goals, and they will continue to do so if we do not stop them.

The book is a point by point comparison of Islam and Christianity, with subjects like war, women, Jesus vs. Mohammed, and slavery, to name a few.

My blood ran cold at the descriptions of the massacre of Armenians at the hands of Muslim Turks throughout the ages. From page 54:

Thus, of the almost 1.9 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire before World War I, about one million were killed (half of them women and children); some 250,000 escaped to Russia; and about 200,000 were forcibly Islamized.

Jihad being split into Greater (inner) and Lesser (war) is bull, as most of us long ago realized. The idea that jihad is an internal struggle to follow the path to Allah was cleverly concocted by apologists and spin doctors in the wake of atrocities like September 11th. Jihad meant war against the infidels in the time of Mohammed, and that's still what it means today. Don't let yourself be lulled into a false sense of security that the "extremists" are part of a fringe minority. Any minority that numbers over 10 million is still a threat. Why, just look at Iran, having signed up 40,000 would-be suicide bombers, ready to do Allah's bidding against the U.S. and all the West if Iran continues to be hounded by nuclear watchdogs. The Koran does not allow for moderation. A devout Muslim is a threat, plain and simple. Mohammed was a warrior and a murderer - and Muslims around the world are guided by his words. How many people did Jesus butcher?

The Crusades? Defensive acts against Islamic threat, or to reclaim lands that the Muslims had conquered. Sure, there were those that took it a step too far, what with the raping and pillaging and all, but there would have been no army were it not for the threat posed by Islam. And they did not have the backing of the Bible - the New Testament allows for a "sword of Spirit", but no actual violence. Christianity itself would not have allowed for the Crusades, had Pope Urbain not usurped the power of the state to begin this war of defense and reclaimation. The Koran, on the other hand, preaches acts of violence from beginning to end.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who feels the information they are receiving is either not enough, or is flawed. CNN and CBC can run their pro-islamic documentaries all they want, but when you look at the stark comparisons between Islam and the civilized world, you will be shocked stupid. Shake off the shock, and get ready for the coming jihad. It has barely begun.