Of Flat Earths and Religious Tolerance (part 2)

Understanding and our Foreign Policy

Stephen Couglin, a major in the Army Reserves, and the Pentagon’s top expect on Islam, was let go recently. It’s not the failure to keep Coughlin on staff, but the who and the why of Coughlin’s falling out of favor. The who is Hesham Islam, a native of Egypt and chief cook and bottle washer for the second in command at the Department of Defense (DOD), Gordon England.

In spite of holes in Islam’s background story like his claim of remembering Israeli bombing of Cairo during the 6 Days War. (Research shows there is no record of Israel ever bombing Cairo.) or Islam’s claim of being in the Iraqi Navy on the Arabian Sea on a ship that was sunk by Iranians. The problem is (again) there is no record of an Iraqi ship being sunk by Iranians and repeated requests to the DOD for the name of the ship and the date of incident went unanswered.   And, an impartial search uncovers no such incident on record in the Arabian Sea in the time frame Islam says the event happened.   In short nothing in Islam’s background checks out.

So why do Gordon England and the Pentagon put so much trust in Islam. They claim he has 20 years experience in the US Navy and in foreign affairs. With a biography that has unvarifiable data in it and a penchant for fostering communications with groups like the Islamic Society of North America, which according to the Department of Justice, is affiliated with terrorists groups, Islam’s recommendations should be questionable.   Yet his are not and Coughlin’s are. In fact Islam is allowed to speak to the press while Coughlin is not. And, Islam is allowed to disparage Coughlin, a known Christian, by calling Coughlin a Christian zealot and Stephen Coughlin has never said anything disparaging about Islam or his religion.   Islam’s thesis in graduate school includes a scathing attack against Israel and the US. He claims support for Israel has led to the failure of US policy in the Middle East.   Islam blames American Jews for all our ills in the Middle East, including Muslim retaliation against Americans*.

Why is Hesham Islam backed up by the DOD’s second in command while Stephen Coughlin is attacked? For one thing the national press hasn’t taken up the banner for Coughlin. Remember, dear reader, that it’s ok to attack Christians, but verboten to speak ill of Muslims. Stephen Coughlin’s “sin” was to create doctrine that was lacking in political correctness, because it was based on facts. In short Coughlin remembered the Barbary Pirates and the Moors invasion of Europe both of which occurred centuries before the existence of Israel.   And, he knows what it’s not politically correct to say. Muslims will not be happy unless everyone believes as they do and it’s been that way since the beginning. Those Muslims who just want to peacefully co-exist with other religions (moderates) can be killed. 

And, we wonder why they never say anything about the bombings, defilings, etc.   No sense losing your head over these differences is there?

Is the water hot enough for you yet?

*Questions for the Pentagon, Claudia Rosett, NRO Contributor, 4/8/2008.