Winston Churchill: Islamophobe or prophet of his day?

[sean miguel]

I've always admired the man for what he meant to the allies during WWII and always considered him a GD American treasure, by God. But I just came across these quotes of his today and looked into them further and they check out:

Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities. Thousands become the brave and loyal soldiers of the Queen; all know how to die; but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde ***** exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome.

How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries, improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live.

he seemed appalled at the treatment of women

A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement, the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a *****, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men.

He wrote these words in his 20's after fighting against muslim ****** on the Indian border and in Sudan and seeing firsthand their culture. Can we agree that Churchill wasn't stupid? So was he bigoted or just reflecting the views of his day or making an honest assessment or a combination of all? Whichever, his words are prescient, considering current events.


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