Walid Shoebat

Category: Opinion
Published: November 2006

Success Magazine had the privilege to speak with Walid Shoebat, a former PLO terrorist who now is an activist against radical Islam on his life, his faith and why he chose to leave Jihad.

Success Magazine: Walid, you went from a self-proclaimed PLO terrorist to one of Islamic fundamentalism's greatest critics-so much so that Islamic terrorist groups have made numerous attempts on your life. What caused such a powerful change that you are willing to risk your life decrying what you once supported?

Walid Shoebat: I was a terrorist, but I was not stupid. My grandfather was a close associate of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem -the very same Mufti who brokered the Arab non-aggression agreement with the Nazis during WWII. So I grew up in a very authoritarian pro-Islamic home. Growing up, becoming a fighter or suicide bomber against the Israelis seemed to be not only a possibility, but also an opportunity, since it was ingrained in us from a young age that it was a free pass to Heaven. As I grew older, I was fortunate enough to get very basic information, information that most people take for granted, about how the rest of the world thinks and lives. When I came to fully understand this information, I began to invest my time in other pursuits and to actively question the world around me. Unfortunately, such activities are not encouraged in Palestinian society. The breaking point came when, based upon all the information I had, I converted to Christianity. My family severed all ties from me, I was beaten nearly to death and repeated attempts have been made on my life ever since that decision.

SM: It's interesting, you seem like a man willing to die for his beliefs but who would much rather live for them. You often do interviews on CNN, Fox News, BBC and other major networks, what is the most important message you are trying to get out on those and other programs?

WS: Get prepared. I am not saying an apocalypse will come next year, but all of the evidence, from September 11th, to Iran's nuclear stance, to the increasing turmoil in the Middle East and the greater Muslim world point to a general collaboration between Islamo-Fascist groups and a future attempt to recreate the Islamic Caliphate that once dominated that region. The same signs took place before with Nazi Germany, and many nations seem to think that just because it is not one government in control of all these events that the analogy cannot hold. They are wrong. The events in Pakistan, Iraq and Iran are precursors to a potentially disastrous future.

The West seems to believe that democracy is the answer to the Middle East's problems. They see women voting and see people having a say in their government and believe it will lead to increased stability. They are wrong. Democracy worked in the West because it is something that the West fought for, not something given or forced upon us. Without education and many, many other changes, Muslim countries will only elect Islamic governments and purely Islamic governments will inevitably come into conflict with the West. Jihad does work. Fundamentalism does work. Believing in Allah does work. There is no real incentive for people to elect a radically different government, especially if the only thing they know about it is that the "Great Satan" wants them to. So another message that I am trying to get out is that the West cannot think that Democracy alone will fix the Middle East. It will usually only make it worse. We forced the Palestinians to vote and what happened? They voted for Hamas, which gave a legitimate seat of governance to a group advocating the annihilation of both our nation and our ally, Israel. The same thing will happen in Iraq. The media commentators and politicians all say, 'Wow, they have democracy. Wow, look at the women voting,' when in reality all that is happening is that Shiite Muslims are voting in droves while Sunnis stay home because they know they are outnumbered at the polls. Now America have given Iran a potential key future ally in a destabilized Iraq whereas before a Sunni Iraq acted as a balance of power.

SM: What advice would you give President Bush today when dealing with the Middle East?

WS: I would advise him to stop worrying about world opinion. You cannot worry about the United Nations. These groups can be important, but they cannot stand in the way of stopping this threat before it reaches a much more powerful stage. Don't aid Israel materially and militarily, they don't need it anymore. America should instead focus its attention on making strategic allies in the West that will stand with Israel and the United States. You either strike Iran now or fight a much bigger monster in the future. Iran, especially under Ahmadinejad, is going to take over Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. They may not do all of it militarily, but they will make them satellite states through proxies. They will use Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Madr Army in Iraq and openly work with the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

SM: Walid, in previous interviews you have said that you believe the war on terror is a precursor to the Christian Armageddon. Do I understand that correctly?

WS: We are not fighting a war on terror. Many groups use terror as a weapon. We are fighting a war against Islamic Fundamentalism and its new breed of fascism. And yes, I believe fighting that war will lead to such an apocalyptic battle.

SM: Some argue that if the United States and other Western powers did not support the creation and continuance of Israel that we would not be having this clash of civilizations. What do you believe?

WS: There is no clash of civilizations. There is one civilization that was wounded in the past and is now trying to revive itself. In the Islamic glory days, a Caliphate ruled the ancient world and now the Islamo-Fascists want to rule the world again. What the West fails to understand is that this civilization, unlike the West which tolerates and accepts divergent viewpoints, seeks to destroy Judeo-Christian society, our foundation in Greek rationalism and our concepts of freedom and democracy that are so inherent to our present world. It seeks to do so through the victory of Mohammed.

SM: Those are chilling words. You say that the War on Terror is, in reality, a war against Islamo-Fascism. What changes would you advise the President to make in the next five years, outside of those you already mentioned, to effectively deal with this threat?

WS: First, stop using the wrong terminology. President Bush recently came off a plane and referred to the war as a War on Islamo-Fascism. I applaud that, but he needs to do more to educate the West on what that means and how the danger goes beyond mere terrorism. Second, strike Iran. Third, put as much resources as you can towards quickly developing fuel alternatives. This is essential. The longer we depend on foreign oil, the longer the world economy is at the mercy of those who wish harm on Western society. When we buy Saudi oil, we aid terrorism. The Saudis spend billions of dollars each year on Madrassahs and Mosques that spread extreme Wahabbism, a radical anti-Western form of Islam.