The following passage occurs on Winston Churchill’s book, “The River War”, first edition, Vol II, pages 248-250

“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. 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 child, 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.

“Individual Muslims may show splendid qualities, but the e influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force 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.”

I read “The River War” years ago and at the time thought this passage was way over the top and that, had he not been so well-connected, he would have been forced to rescind this passage. But now his words seem increasingly prescient, given the Saudi-financed activities of al-Queda, the growing Wahabi influence throughout the moslem world, the subversion, for instance, of Pakistani education, the swarm of radical mosques popping up all over the place, manned by Saudis, the terrorist attacks in Europe and the deliberate radicalization of moslem youth in the West. While all this is going on, the West, less than ever “sheltered in the arms of science” in the age of Trump, pussy-foots around the middle Eastern moslem governments, terrified of offending them because of oil.

If the muftis, mullahs, sheiks and preachers think the God really intends the murder of innocent women and children, in their own countries or abroad, then there is something very wrong with the religion. The same can be said of radical Hindus. One answer is Epicureanism, which is peaceful and moderate, not a religion steeped in tribal custom or a vehicle of intolerance and mass death. CanIslam reform itself and cast aside the violence? We could help by removing our military and leaving the region alone.