Hugh Fitzgerald, formerly Vice-President of Jihad Watch, has been posting a series there of late, based on Muslims who are going around disingenuously asking people to "Ask Me Anything". Hugh, with cheeky wit, proposes that we Infidels take advantage of this and confront these Muslims prepared with our knowledge of Islam -- pretending to be nice and polite, but hoping to trip up those sophists with the truth.
Hugh's idea is good in theory, but oddly unrealistic. At least two commenters on the Jihad Watch thread pointed this out (yes, there can be, at times, Signs of Intelligent Life on Planet Jihad Watch).
A long-time veteran of Jihad Watch comments, one "miriam" (an ex-Muslim from Iran) posted a long list, reproducing Hugh's questions we should pose to these Muslims, and putting in the likely prevarications and tap-dancing which those of us who've had run-ins with Muslims over the years now, all too well, would ensue. Here's a brief sample (correcting his typos):
As an ex Muslim, let me tell you how the ” I am Muslim ask me anything" would answer to thse questions.
1. What is the meaning of Jihad?
In Farsi they tell you Jihad kon! Means to make an effort. So Jihad is an effort!!
2. Why are Christians and Jews required to pay the Jizyah to Muslims?
This one they tell you that was the way it was centuries ago and it is no longer ib exitance.
3. Why does it say in the Qur’an that Muslims should not take Christians and Jews as friends, for they are friends only with each other?
It does not say anything like that in the Koran,
4. It says in the Qur’an that “there is no compulsion in religion” (Qur’an 2.256). If there is no compulsion in religion, then why are people who leave Islam threatened with death?
Anyone can convert. They are right about this because in America we do not threates converts.
5. Why did the Ayatollah Khomeini lower the marriageable age of girls to 9?
Not because Muhamad f.. her,, but those days pedophilia was common.
6. What is the surest way for a Muslim to get to Heaven?
Be kind to people.
7. Why did Muhammad attack the Jewish date farmers at the Khaybar Oasis?
Not because the Jews told him to f…off, but because it was simply a matter of war at that time.
And so forth. Miriam was only offering typical rejoinders which a Muslim would pull out of his kitman-bag; many others are likely, and have been done in like situations.
Another commenter, one "billybob" (not sure if he's a veteran commenter at Jihad Watch) was even more on point:
Well done miriamrove. I read your piece after I made my comment below. What you are saying is exactly the kind of thing I have run into in the forums when debating with Muslims. These people will cheat and lie as fast you can can blink an eye
And:
Not only is billybob spot on, he only touched on the tip of the iceberg.
Don't get me wrong -- Hugh's idea, in theory, is good. But it requires a lot more than he counsels in his breezy way. Hugh hints at what is needed, in his introduction to his piece:
You should come prepared with a few dozen questions, to which you possess the answers, with the relevant supporting passages from the Qur’an or Hadith or Sira easily retrievable from your smartphone or notecards.
Yes, a good idea -- but way too lightly put. What the Counter-Jihad needs (if it ever wants to get its act together) is the development of a comprehensive Manual of Anti-Taqiyya -- which, perforce, would be an Anti-PCMC Manual, since our proper audience for our war of ideas should be our fellow Westerners who continue to be deluded in complicated ways about how problematic Islam is. The Counter-Jihad needs to develop an Anti-Islam/PCMC App, so that every concerned civilian becomes armed with the truth, and thus deputized in this multifarious war of ideas.
Such an app, of course, needs to be comprehensive -- and this means, most importantly, capable of anticipating the sophistry, the leaps in logic, the red herrings, the straw men... in short, the dizzying array of logical fallacies which the typical Muslim and the typical PCMC-besotted Westerner will deploy whenever their challenger probes too deeply with knowledge of Islam.
Further Reading:
TMI (Too Much Information, Too Much Islam)
We don't need 1,001 "Islam 101"s
In reality, he’ll fire back … “You are taking that verse out of context”. “That comes from a weak Hadith”, “Only in time of war, sanction by the State”, “…but the Old Testament says…”, “Show me where that verse is. It’s not in the Quran”. “…but the translation from Arabic is faulty. That word really means “peace””.
Do you really think they will cave in that easy? …or at all?