Summary
Highlights
A law student at American University asks Brigitte Gabriel how an ideological war, specifically against the jihadist ideology, can be won with weapons, emphasizing the 1.8 billion Muslim followers and 8 million Muslim Americans.
Brigitte Gabriel clarifies that the panel is not against Muslims but is discussing the Benghazi attack. She states that while most Muslims are peaceful, the 15-25% radicals (180-300 million people) are dedicated to destroying Western civilization. She draws historical parallels, citing Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, Communist China, and Imperial Japan, where peaceful majorities were irrelevant to the atrocities committed by radical minorities. She also references 9/11, where 19 radicals brought America to its knees despite 2.3 million peaceful Arab Muslims in the US.
The student responds, expressing hope that more Muslims will attend such forums and reiterating her belief that the war cannot be won militarily. The host and Brigitte Gabriel acknowledge the need for engagement but highlight that the number of radicals, estimated at 250-500 million globally, is larger than many nations and represents a dispersed, formidable force that can appear anywhere Islam is present, making the issue of radicalism a global challenge that requires internal reform within the religion.
Gabriel questions why only one Muslim representative is present at the forum, suggesting that more Muslims should be speaking out and addressing the government about issues, rather than solely focusing on the peaceful nature of Islam.