DVD Review- Islam: What the West Needs to Know

A Frightening yet factual look into the Islamic Mentality

By Dustin Herlich – www.whatthewestneedstoknow.com

Deadpan, truthful and fairly frightening, This DVD is a model of how to be very politically incorrect, make an important but unpopular point and do it correctly. The people making this DVD didn’t just use their cell phone cameras to video drunk Uncle Harry ranting about Muslims. They did their home work and interviewed well regarded experts on the subject of Islam and Muslim culture.

Gregory M. Davis and Bryan Daly produced and directed the documentary which was released by Quixotic Media in 2006. The film starts off dramatically and really hits the ground running. Gregory and Bryan never actually appear in the film; they instead let the experts speak for themselves. The film gets right to the point and then backs up this point with hard facts. The title of the video reads “what the west needs to know”, but, really it should be “what question the west needs to ask” and that question is “is Islam itself violent?”.

The experts in the film include Serge Trifkovic, Robert Spencer, Bat Ye’or, Abdullah Al-Araby and Walid Shoebat. Out of all of them, the one whose words hit me hardest was absolutely Walid Shoebat’s. The rest are absolutely intelligent, respectable and thorough, but Walid’s back story is what helps cement his words in my mind.

Now a world famous anti-terror expert (and Born Again Christian), Walid began life as a PLO terrorist. By began life, I really do mean began life. He is very open when he talks about how he was trained from birth to hate the west. Walid has first hand knowledge of what we call extremist Islam. His words are nothing short of haunting. His assertion is that it is not extremist Islam that is dedicated to world domination and the destruction of all other religions, but rather mainstream Islam that holds this Ideal. This is something that all interviewed seem to completely agree on.

The political incorrectness of this assertion is more than enough to end the career of anyone in the public eye. It is a frightening proposition that absolutely deserves attention. According to the film this is not some wild claim by simple extremists on the opposite end of the spectrum; it is something that can be backed up with facts and scripture.

As I mentioned before, the video starts out simply and directly. The formula is something that reminds me of an academic paper. Make your point, then back it up with facts and cite your sources. Adding to the credibility of the film is the fact that they present you with un-edited text directly from the Koran and other Islamic texts. Mainstream television broadcasts from the Islamic world, speeches of world leaders and other footage are also presented to you frighteningly un-edited. If any outlet of western television even once openly portrayed the hatred that Arab television apparently does on a regular basis, arrests would be made.

Even if you find yourself vehemently opposed to the idea that Islam is a violent religion, this DVD is worth watching. I find it hard to counter many of the assertions made by the scholars in the film. One could compare violence in Islam to Jews eating pork. Jews know that they’re not supposed to eat pork, but many of us chose to do so anyhow. A morning without bacon is unthinkable to many. Many Muslims hopefully chose peace and chose not to slay their neighbors unless they convert, but apparently scripture is fairly clear when it tells Muslims that enemies must convert or die.

At this point, many of you might start to feel that I’m just another wheel in the propaganda machine against Islam. This isn’t the least bit so. The DVD raises some important points that need serious, scholarly rebuttal; or, the points need to be acknowledged and dealt with. Many reputable, Pulitzer Prize winning newspapers around the country, including the Atlanta Journal- Constitution and the Charlotte Observer, have called this film “thought provoking” and agree that the points made deserve a second look. Would the film have been better if it included interviews that countered the idea that Islam is violent? It would make it more palpable to academics, but I’d much prefer to see a counter film made that comes back with just as much hard evidence and facts. To have both sides presented equally would have taken away its ability to make a point. You don’t have to agree with the film, but you should know why these people feel the way they do.

The extras on this DVD I thought were particularly useful. In the extras you can find precise citations for the texts used and the versions of the translations cited. It even tells you web sites you can visit to find these translations (all are reputable web sources, such as libraries of major universities). Biographies of the experts interviewed are also included. On top of this, there is a section that points you towards further reading of various web sites and books. If you’re like I am and you like to take your time before deciding on whether this DVD is bunk or not, you’ll want to do your own home work and you’ll appreciate these extras not just being deleted scenes.

Before you formulate your own opinion of whether Islam is really a peaceful religion or not, I recommend watching this DVD. In many ways I’d love to see counter films made disproving what is presented in this film, but to date, I have seen nothing of the sort. World leaders such as George Bush and Tony Blair have been quick to say that Islam is a religion of peace and that many Muslim nations are “friends and allies of freedom” (you can watch them say this in the DVD). According to these experts though, this just isn’t the case. I’ve heard a lot of back and forth over the issue, but this is the first time I’ve seen anything other than promises and hearsay.

Love it or hate it, it’s worth 98 minutes of your life. You can find out more by visiting the web site for the video.