The news media are promoting the odd belief that if we can only behave ourselves by Islamic terrorist standards or by Islam's standards generally, then we won't be attacked anymore. 

CNN quotes several "experts," and here's a sample.

"It [Trump's immigration policy] can play into their propaganda, to make it clear for anyone who could be in doubt, that it's a war on Islam and all Muslims," Abdullah told CNN over a messaging service. The names of the now-defected foreign fighters in this story have been changed to protect their identities.

Then John McCain and Lindsay Graham issued a joint statement:

This executive order sends a signal, intended or not, that America does not want Muslims coming into our country. That is why we fear this executive order may do more to help terrorist recruitment than improve our security.

Admittedly, some of the details in McCain's and Graham's statement make sense, and I don't wish to critique the details of Trump's policy here (others have explained that it is not unreasonable in most of its parts). 

But Osama bin Laden said he attacked us on 9/11 because we had a military base in Saudi Arabia.  Then al-Qaeda said we should dismantle Gitmo because the base motivates the terrorists and improves their recruitment.  Now ISIS tells us what our immigration policy should be.

The short answer to all of their "concerns": so what?  The deeper truth is that this brand of Muslim – the terrorists – hates us because their holy writ says they must defeat all non-Muslims, even if by qital (military war) or the milder term jihad (struggle).

This video titled "Stop Lying about Jihad!," put out by an Islamic leader, says many Muslims are ignorant of the real Islam. Here's the gist:

Islam's most trusted sources call for the violent subjugation of the entire world. Nevertheless, many Muslims don't know what Islam teaches about jihad, and they are convinced that Islam promotes peace. Some Muslims, however, know what Islam teaches about jihad, but they lie about it to make Islam seem more palatable to a Western audience. In this video (compiled by Anthony Rogers), Muslim scholar Abu Mussab Wajdi Akkari advises Muslims to stop lying about jihad, since unbelievers will eventually expose the lies and realize that Muslim speakers are lying. According to Akkari, misrepresenting jihad will hurt the dawah [outreach] efforts of Muslims.

Here's what the Islamic scholar means.  Islam must dominate all other religions, which includes Christianity and Judaism and others.  Islam does not separate religion from the state, so Israel and America and Europe qualify to be defeated.  This verse is key:

61:9 He it is Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islamic monotheism) to make it victorious over all (other) religions even though the Mushrikûn (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah and His Messenger Muhammad) hate (it). (see also 48:28 and 9:33; Hilali and Khan, parenthetical notes are theirs.)

It’s this verse that is the most troubling, because it appears in Chapter 9, the last chapter to be revealed, so it sets the genetic code for Islam today:

9:29 Fight [q-t-l] against those who (1) believe not in Allah, (2) nor in the Last Day, (3) nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), (4) and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) until they pay the Jizyah [submission tax] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. (Hilali and Khan, parenthetical notes are theirs, except mine are in brackets.)

Even if some Muslims don't like this or that policy, that doesn't mean that the policy is wrong.  It is just plain weak to listen to evil liars as they seek to influence the most powerful nation on Earth.  It's disheartening to see conservatives worry about their opinion.  It is weakness, not complicated policies, that invites more attacks.

Stop letting them throw a monkey wrench into our calculations.  The safety of our nation depends on it.

James Arlandson's website is Live as Free People, where he has posted Understanding Why Jihadists Fight, Qital (Warfare) Verses in the Quran, and All the Jihad Verses in the Quran.