Do Some People Seem Impossible to Reach?

Below are two comments by Tallulah, posted on the article, A Manual For Citizen Warriors. Although they're a great sales pitch for our book (Getting Through) I post them here for the intelligent and useful commentary about something crucial in the counterjihad movement — how well we are able to reach those people who still hold out hope that Islam is a religion of peace (people who should be our allies but who are inadvertently helping Islam's advance).

Here is the first comment by Tallulah:

I finished the book a couple of days ago, and like others here will read it more than once. It's so thoughtful, insightful, and psychologically intelligent.

I've been unhappy with the way so many people approach skeptics and lefties in comment sections when it comes to Islam. Getting through to people is so crucial to the future of our liberty, lives, happiness, and sanity, and I see too many people keep throwing away opportunities to plant growable seeds *because they indulge themselves in emotional venting*.

I also object to the way people assume that it's hopeless to get through to certain people, instead of assuming that perhaps if they patiently plant a seed, even in politically correct soil, that it may grow later if planted in a thoughtful way. Sometimes I get the impression that a given counter jihadist is just so angry that venting has become more important than winning the war.

While I'm sure these people are serious about the threats we face, they don't seem to have thought about how the opposition thinks and how to get around the barrier. And getting around it is the only way. Any attempt to bash through it will only make the target harden his defenses.

That's why I was so thrilled with this gem of a book. I'm recommending it at Jihad Watch and every appropriate place.

If I think of any good suggestions to include in the next edition, I'll let you know. But at the moment I'm just so happy with it as it is! :)

Thank you, Citizen Warrior, for all your hard work for the counter jihad, and for the wisdom of your approach.


A few days later, Tallulah added this comment:

I've thought of a suggestion for the next edition! Actually, I don't remember whether the present edition touched on this or not. I think perhaps it did. But here's an approach I've been using that seems to open some people right up to what I have to say.

A while back I realized that a great way to understand how Muslims relate to their religion — to see the varied ways that real, actual Muslims see Islam — would be to read lots and lots of testimonies and watch videos by *former* Muslims. I figured that former Muslims would be more likely to tell things as they really see them without fudging anything. So I started on that project and it's been a very productive project for me.

One benefit has been that by telling some of the personal stories I've read and listened to I really personalize the issues *and* Muslims for people — because among the former Muslims are people who run the gamut from former lax Muslims to people who for a time even supported the Islamic State. Using real-life examples of former Muslims' experiences, what they used to believe, what they believe now, and what they have to go through before and after coming out of the apostate closet is quite gripping. A person who can tell these stories and shows sympathy for these people cannot be a bigot, because you have to see that the same ex-Muslim that you're supporting with sympathy now was once a Muslim whose *ideology* you're presently warning against. But it's the same human being.

It's a human being who has gone through a long process of experience and thought down a long and difficult road that many other Muslims are traveling every day. (And other Muslims are not.)

The best way to gain understanding of any subject is to explain principles/ideology with real-life examples. Former Muslims make those examples profoundly personal and real. Gather stories to tell. Turn people on to investigating Muslim apostates for themselves. If you can't convince someone to read the Koran, one of these apostates just might be able to do it for you.

The book Tallulah is talking about is: Getting Through: How to Talk to Non-Muslims About the Disturbing Nature of Islam. You can also learn more (and contribute ideas) at the website: Talk About Islam Among Non-Muslims.