Robert Bruce Spencer (born 1962) is an American writer on Islam. He is the author of six books, including two bestsellers, on topics related to Islam and terrorism. He is the founder and director of the Jihad Watch and Dhimmi Watch websites that focus on Islamist terrorism-related events and various Jihad-activity worldwide.^[1] For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Terrorist redirects here. ... Jihad Watch Logo Jihad Watch is a website and blog hosted by American author and pundit Robert Spencer which provides news, commentary, tracking and analysis of worldwide Militant Islam activity. ... Islamist is sometimes also used for a scholar who studies Islam and Muslim societies. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... For other uses, see Jihad (disambiguation). ...

Biography

Robert Spencer holds a Master's degree in Religious Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1986. He began his career in 1979 at the University of North Carolina. His MA thesis is entitled The Monophysite in the Mirror and concerns the conversion of John Henry Newman to Catholicism in 1845 and Newman's denunciation of the Church of England as monophysite. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public, coeducational, research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... J H Newman age 23 when he preached his first sermon. ... The Church of England logo since 1998 The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[1] in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... Monophysitism (from the Greek monos meaning one and physis meaning nature) is the christological position that Christ has only one nature, as opposed to the Chalcedonian position which holds that Christ has two natures, one divine and one human. ...

According to the biography at one of his websites,^[1] Spencer began studying Islam in 1980 during his first year as an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina. He wrote freelance articles for various publications between 1980 and 2001 on Catholic religious issues. In 2002, he became an adjunct fellow with the Free Congress Foundation. He wrote seven monographs on Islam for the Free Congress Foundation in 2002 and 2003. He is a regular columnist for FrontPageMagazine.com, and Human Events. His writings on Islam and other topics have been published in various other publications. For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... The Free Congress Foundation (more formally the Free Congress Research and Education Foundation, and Free Congress or FCF for short), is a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C. founded and led by Paul Weyrich. ... A monograph is a scholarly book or a treatise on a single subject or a group of related subjects. ...

In 2006, he participated in a workshop on terrorist threats, jointly sponsored by the German Foreign Ministry and the United States Embassy Berlin.^[2] In the same year, he conducted a workshop at the United States Central Command.^[3] He has discussed jihad, Islam, and terrorism on a variety of television networks, as well as on numerous radio programs. Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A foreign minister is a cabinet minister that helps to form foreign policy for sovereign nations. ... A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one nation state present in another nation state to represent the sending state in the receiving State. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense. ... For other uses, see Jihad (disambiguation). ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Terrorist redirects here. ...

His writings on Islam and other topics have been published in the New York Post, the Washington Times, the Dallas Morning News, Canada's National Post, FrontPage Magazine, WorldNetDaily, Human Events, National Review Online, and in other publications. He has consulted with United States Central Command and the U.S. State Department and the German Foreign Ministry, and frequently appears on global media networks such as well as on the BBC, CNN, FoxNews, MSNBC, PBS, C-Span, as well as on numerous radio programs including Michael Savage's Savage Nation, The Alan Colmes Show, The G. Gordon Liddy Show, The Neal Boortz Show, The Michael Medved Show, The Michael Reagan Show, The Larry Elder Show, The Barbara Simpson Show, Vatican Radio amongst others. The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and the oldest to have been published continually as a daily. ... The Washington Times is a daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C.. It was founded in 1982 as a conservative alternative to the Washington Post by members of the controversial Unification Church. ... The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area. ... The National Post is a major Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, Ontario, a district of Toronto. ... FrontPage Magazine is a conservative internet publication edited by David Horowitz Link [1] Categories: Computer stubs | Magazines stubs ... WorldNetDaily, also known as WND, is an American conservative online news site, founded in 1997. ... Human Events is a weekly conservative magazine founded in 1944. ... National Review (NR) is a biweekly magazine of political opinion, founded by author William F. Buckley, Jr. ... The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense. ... The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ... A foreign minister is a cabinet minister that helps to form foreign policy for sovereign nations. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... The FOX News Channel is a US cable and satellite news channel. ... MSNBC, a combination of MSN and NBC, is a 24-hour cable news channel in the United States and Canada, and a news website. ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Michael Savage may refer to: Michael Savage (actor) (former star of General Hospital) professional name of Ron Jacobson [1] Michael Savage (commentator), professional name of Michael Weiner, a United States broadcaster from San Francisco, CA and a published natural health writer. ... Michael Savage Michael Savage is the pseudonym of Michael Alan Weiner, PhD (born March 31, 1942). ... Alan B. Colmes (b. ... George Gordon Battle Liddy (born November 30, 1930) was the chief operative for U.S. President Richard Nixons White House Plumbers unit. ... Neal Boortz (born April 6, 1945), is a U.S. talk radio host. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Michael Edward Reagan (born March 18, 1945 as John Flaugher), adopted son of United States President Ronald Reagan and his first wife Jane Wyman, is the host of a conservative talk radio show, the Michael Reagan Show, which is syndicated to radio stations in the United States through Radio America. ... Larry Elder Laurence Allen Larry Elder (born April 27, 1952 in Los Angeles, California) aka the Sage from South Central is an American libertarian-minded Republican (he has sometimes referred to his views as conservatarian) radio and former TV talk show host and author whose The Larry Elder Show is... Barbara Simpson is an American radio talk show host. ... Administration building and radio masts at Vatican City Vatican Radio is the official broadcasting service of the Vatican. ...

Views on Spencer and his works

Daniel Pipes,^[4] Bat Ye'or,^[5] and Ibn Warraq^[6] are among those who have a positive view of Spencer's works, while Khaleel Mohammed,^[7] Dinesh D'Souza,^[8] Karen Armstrong,^[9] and organizations such as CAIR,^[10] and ADC^[11] hold critical views. This biographical article needs additional references for verification. ... Bat Yeor at the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC Bat Yeor (Hebrew: בת יאור) (meaning daughter of the Nile in Hebrew; a pseudonym of Gisèle Littman, née Orebi) is a British writer specializing in the history of non-Muslims in the Middle East, and in particular the history... Ibn Warraq is the pen name of an author of several books on Islam. ... Khaleel Mohammed is a professor of Religion at San Diego State University, and a core faculty member of the universitys Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies. ... Dinesh DSouza (born April 25, 1961 in Bombay, India) is an author and the Robert and Karen Rishwain Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. ... Karen Armstrong (born November 14, 1944 in Wildmoor, Worcestershire, England) is an author who writes on Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. ... The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a major Muslim organization in North America. ... The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is a United States grassroots civil rights organization founded in Washington, DC by U.S. Senator James Abourezk in 1980. ...

Khaleel Mohammed, Louay M. Safi, and Carl Ernst assert that Spencer's scholarship and interpretations of Islam are fundamentally flawed - that he supports preconceived notions through selection bias - that he lacks genuine understanding and; that 'he has no academic training in Islamic studies whatsoever; his M.A. degree was in the field of early Christianity'.^[12][13][14] For example, critics have objected to what they see as Spencer's method of taking some Muslim interpretations and then using them to characterize all Muslims or what he implies is the real Islam; cf. for example Mark LeVine.^[15] They object to what they describe as Spencer's method of taking a position they deem to be radical (on apostasy, women, etc.) and then attribute that position to all of Islam, rather than situating it within ongoing discussions.^[7] Khaleel Mohammed is a professor of Religion at San Diego State University, and a core faculty member of the universitys Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies. ... Louay M. Safi was born in Damascus. ... Carl W. Ernst is a scholar of Islamic studies. ... Mark LeVine is a professor of history at the University of California, Irvine. ... Apostasy (from Greek αποστασία, meaning a defection or revolt, from απο, apo, away, apart, στασις, stasis, standing) is a term generally employed to describe the formal renunciation of ones religion, especially if the motive is deemed unworthy. ...

Khaleel Mohammed and Spencer have had detailed discussions on FrontPage Magazine.^{[16][13][17][18]} Carl Ernst and William Kenan have called him an Islamophobe.^[19] They also allege that Spencer's publications are not scholarly because they are not blind peer reviewed and not published by any university press.^[19] FrontPage Magazine is a conservative internet publication edited by David Horowitz Link [1] Categories: Computer stubs | Magazines stubs ... Carl W. Ernst is a scholar of Islamic studies. ... Islamophobia is the fear and/or hatred of Islam, Muslims or Islamic culture. ...

Spencer's responses to critics

In response to criticism, Spencer states that none of his critics have substantiated their claims of inaccuracy in his work, but content themselves with broad and vague accusations. He says:

"I present the work not on the basis of my credentials, but on the basis of the evidence I bring forth; evaluate it for yourself. One example: after I spoke at the University of North Carolina, Professor Carl Ernst of the university wrote a piece about me warning that my books were non-scholarly and were published by presses that he believed reflected a political agenda of which he did not approve. That kind of approach may impress some people, but Carl Ernst did not and cannot bring forth even a single example of a supposed inaccuracy in my work. I would, of course, be happy to debate Carl Ernst or any other scholar of Islam about Islam and jihad; this is a standing invitation."^[1]

He has also said

"It is amusing to me that some people like to focus on my credentials, when I have never made a secret of the fact that most of what I know about Islam comes from personal study. It is easier for them to talk about degrees than to find any inaccuracy in my work. Yet I present the work not on the basis of my credentials, but on the basis of the evidence I bring forth; evaluate it for yourself."^[1]

Spencer has criticized academics at his web site writing that he opted not to enter any PhD program because he "could see [in 1986] that Middle East Studies and other departments were becoming highly politicized and retreating from genuine academic work".^[20][1] About charges of "bigotry" and "hatred" from Ernst^[21] and others he says:

"It is not an act of hatred against Muslims to point out the depredations of jihad ideology. It is a peculiar species of displacement and projection to accuse someone who exposes the hatred of one group of hatred himself: I believe in the equality of rights and dignity of all people, and that is why I oppose the global jihad. And I think that those who make the charge know better in any case: they use the charge as a tool to frighten the credulous and politically correct away from the truth."^[21]

Book-ban

The government of Pakistan announced on 20 December 2006 its ban on Robert Spencer's book, The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion, citing "objectionable material" as the cause.^[22]

"Invitation to Islam"

On 2 September 2006 a video called "Invitation to Islam" featuring Adam Gadahn with a brief appearance also by Ayman al-Zawahiri. ^[23] In the video, Gadahn named Spencer in a list of "Zionist crusader missionaries of hate and counter-Islam consultants" which included George W. Bush, and that if he "were to abandon their unbelief and repent and enter into the light of Islam and turn their swords against the enemies of God, it would be accepted of them and they would be our brothers in Islam."^[24] It has been suggested that Azzam the American be merged into this article or section. ... Group photo of Ayman Al Zawahiri, Usama Bin Laden & Abu Hafs Prosecution Trial Exhibit from the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui Sheikh Dr. Ayman Muhammad Rabaie al-Zawahiri (Arabic: ‎) (born June 19, 1951) is a prominent member of the al-Qaeda group, a physician, author, poet, and formerly the head of... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ...

Spencer responded with an article in Frontpage Magazine in which he publicly rejected Gadahn's offer and responded with his own counter-offer: FrontPage Magazine is a conservative internet publication edited by David Horowitz Link [1] Categories: Computer stubs | Magazines stubs ...

I invite you [Gadahn] to accept the Bill of Rights, and enter into the brotherhood of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. My invitation does not focus on my religion, although I invite you to that also, but rather on a framework within which people of differing faiths can live in peace, harmony, and mutual respect – provided that none of the groups involved cherishes supremacist ambitions to subjugate the others.^[25]

Bill of Rights refers to documents important to the history and constitution of several countries. ... Thomas Jefferson (13 April 1743 N.S.–4 July 1826) was the third President of the United States (1801–09), the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of Republicanism in the United States. ... James Madison (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836), an American politician and fourth President of the United States of America (1809–1817), was one of the most influential Founders of the United States. ...

Bibliography

• Religion of Peace?: Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn't, Regnery Publishing, 2007, ISBN 1596985151
• The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion, Regnery Publishing, 2006 (NYT bestseller list - 2006-10-29) ISBN 1-59698-028-1
• The Myth of Islamic Tolerance: How Islamic Law Treats Non-Muslims (editor), Prometheus Books, 2005. ISBN 1-59102-249-5
• The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (And the Crusades), Regnery Publishing, 2005. ISBN 0-89526-013-1 (NYT bestseller list - 2005-10-16)
• Onward Muslim Soldiers: How Jihad Still Threatens America and the West, Regnery Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-89526-100-6
• Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics (with Daniel Ali), Ascension Press, 2003. ISBN 0-9659228-5-5
• Islam Unveiled: Disturbing Questions About the World's Fastest Growing Faith, Encounter Books, 2002. ISBN 1-893554-58-9

Unfit for Command, published by Regnery Publishing. ... Unfit for Command, published by Regnery Publishing. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... Book cover The Myth of Islamic Tolerance: How Islamic Law Treats Non-Muslims is a controversial collection of essays, including 17 by Bat Yeor, edited by writer Robert Spencer, the director of Jihad Watch. ... Prometheus Books is a publishing company founded in August 1969 by Paul Kurtz and publishes scientific, educational, and popular books, especially those of a secular humanist or scientific skepticism nature. ... The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (And the Crusades) is a book by best-selling author Robert Spencer, the director of Jihad Watch. ... Unfit for Command, published by Regnery Publishing. ... Onward Muslim Soldiers: How Jihad Still Threatens America and the West (ISBN#: 0895261006 is a topical nonfiction book by popular counter-terrorism author Robert Spencer, published in October 2003. ... Unfit for Command, published by Regnery Publishing. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline or one of the following guidelines for inclusion on Wikipedia: Biographies, Books, Companies, Fiction, Music, Neologisms, Numbers, Web content, or several proposals for new guidelines. ... Islam Unveiled is a book by Robert Spencer, the director of Jihad Watch. ... Encounter Books is a publishing house that has published books by many authors including Wesley J. Smith, Victor Davis Hanson, Melanie Phillips, William Kristol and Thomas Sowell. ...

Video clips

• Video of Robert Spencer on FoxNews

Movie

• Islam: What the West Needs to Know

References

Ibn Warraq is the pen name of an author of several books on Islam. ... Book cover The Myth of Islamic Tolerance: How Islamic Law Treats Non-Muslims is a controversial collection of essays, including 17 by Bat Yeor, edited by writer Robert Spencer, the director of Jihad Watch. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... FrontPage Magazine is a conservative internet publication edited by David Horowitz Link [1] Categories: Computer stubs | Magazines stubs ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Robert Spencer

• Robert Spencer's Front Page Magazine column archive
• JihadWatch weblog
• Dhimmiwatch weblog
• List of articles by Robert Spencer
• "Notes on the Ideological Patrons of an Islamophobe, Robert Spencer" by Professor Carl W. Ernst of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Robert Spencer Interview on C-Span
• A 40 minute Interview with Robert Spencer
• Audio: Robert Spencer discusses "The Truth about Muhammad" on Shire Network News (Part 1)
• Audio: Robert Spencer discusses "The Truth about Muhammad" on Shire Network News (Part 2)
• September 2007 Interview with Robert Spencer by The Liberal Institute