A Conversation

Over many years, I have suggested that it was long past the time that Western leaders speak frankly with Muslim leaders, suggesting that they have more than a little responsibility for the rise of Islamist groups and that it is up to them to both reform Islam and to eradicate groups like al Qaeda, ISIS, al Nusra and may more. George W. Bush was advised to take a more sanguine approach and foolishly, he followed that path. Islamist influence in the Muslim world grew. Barack Obama couldn't even utter the phrase "radical Islamic terror, much less speak frankly with the Muslim world. His perceived (actual?) weakness, coupled with his feckless approach to both allies and enemies in the Middle East, caused the Islamist threat to spread widely and grow by many multiples. His lack of action during the early days of the Syrian civil war was a contributing cause to the most significant refugee flow and humanitarian disaster in recent decades.

Along comes Donald Trump, who despite a partial blackout of his trip by the trained hamster of the mainstream media, is meeting with leaders of 50 Muslim countries. The hamsters stress the irony of this meeting noting that Trump, fearing Islamist sympathizers in the immigration flows, wanted to postpone unvetted immigration from a relatively small percentage of Muslim countries. What these hamster geniuses don't mention, is that Muslim leaders gave Donald Trump an impressive welcome and were perfectly willing to listen to his words at their meeting.

Say what you will about Trump, he's the first American president to have the courage to speak clearly to the Muslim world. To have what many of his opponents call "a conversation." A few snippets from his keynote address to the Muslim leadership:

"Drive Extremists Out Of Your Lands And Your Holy Places; "Drive Them Out!"

"When A Terrorist Falsely Invokes The Name Of God, It Should Be An Insult... To All That Is Holy"

"This Region Should Not Be A Place From Which Refugees Flee, But To Which Newcomers Flock"

"War Against Terrorism [is] "A Battle Between Good And Evil"

"Good and evil." OMG, that's oh so un-PC. After all, post-modern progressive ideology tries not to think about good and evil—it's so yesterday. After all, beheadings, immolation, or the kidnapping of young girls followed by horrific sexual abuse must have some underlying social justice cause.

Unfortunately, Trump didn't call for a Muslim reformation, but he most certainly did speak frankly, something that should be widely applauded in the West.

Of course, Trump Derangement Syndrome leads far too many members of the four constituencies to believe that unhinged allegations of "Russian collusion" are at least as serious as any atrocity committed by "violent extremists." And that the suggestion that maybe some unvetted Muslims should be barred entry across our borders is an unforgivable violation of social justice.

But wait! It appears that the leaders of 50 Muslim nations don't agree. They are honoring the man who suggested it, allowing him to provide a keynote address to a major gathering and otherwise interact with each leader. But what do they know? The anti-Trump forces within the four constituencies tell us it's all bad. Because the leaders of 50 Islamic countries don't seem to agree, you might be led to conclude that they're just know-nothing "deplorables."