New Book Explores Immigration and Jihadist Strategies
In a recent book titled The Invisible Coup: How American Elites and Foreign Powers Use Immigration as a Weapon, investigative author Peter Schweitzer discusses how jihadist leaders, particularly from the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamist Alliance, view immigration as a strategic means of conquest. Rather than seeing it purely as a humanitarian issue, they consider it a method to infiltrate and potentially undermine U.S. society from within.
Schweitzer’s analysis is rooted in the movement’s own teachings, tracing the ideology back to its foundational Islamic beliefs and illustrating how these principles are applied in contemporary Western contexts.
He points out that the Muslim Brotherhood cites the Prophet Muhammad for its justification of using immigration strategically. This concept, known as hijrah, is seen as an essential aspect of Islamic expansion. For Schweitzer, hijrah is more than mere movement; it’s linked to Dawa, which is about spreading Islam and establishing political power within the host nation.
He emphasizes the significance of the year 622, when Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Yathrib (later named Medina). Schweitzer argues that this event was pivotal, marking Muhammad’s shift from a wandering prophet to a political and military leader. Interestingly, the Islamic calendar begins with this migration, underscoring its importance.
Schweitzer asserts that for Islamists, historical references are not mere recollections; they constitute binding ideological tenets. He cites several hadiths that portray hijrah as an ongoing duty and a crucial tool against Western powers.
Some teachings suggest that hijrah continues until a community achieves “conquest,” while others imply that emigration will persist indefinitely. The emphasis on organized efforts is evident in operational directives like “Assemble, listen, obey, migrate and wage jihad for Allah.”
Transitioning from doctrine to real-world implications, Schweitzer notes that groups akin to the Sanctuary City movement have admitted Central American refugees to foster change, which parallels Islamist attempts to import revolutionary ideas. He points to the R-1 Religious Worker Visa Program, initiated in 1990, as a primary means for mosques to bring in foreign religious workers. Schweitzer notes that many imams serving U.S. mosques are trained abroad and may carry extremist ideologies.
A historical example includes Sheikh Omar Abdelrahman, involved in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, who entered the U.S. on this visa. Schweitzer also cites other contexts, such as the Holy Land Relief and Development Foundation, which was linked to Hamas, and several key personnel who entered through similar channels.
Highlighting vulnerabilities, he references a 2007 investigation by the Department of Homeland Security that identified a notably high rate of fraud within the R-1 visa program, particularly among applicants from Muslim-majority countries.
He provides instances from the U.S., such as Imam Osama Abdulghani, who openly encourages his followers to combat Western civilization, viewing the current system as fundamentally flawed.
Furthermore, Schweitzer notes that concerns regarding the exploitation of migration routes originate internally within the Muslim community. Adnan Khan, a former leader of the Pakistan Council on American Affairs, echoed fears that religious visas are being misused to propagate extreme views, which may later inspire detrimental actions against the U.S.
Warnings from European leaders, like Czech President Miloš Zeman, indicate that the Muslim Brotherhood might aim to control Europe through structured immigration and, presumably, might have similar ambitions in the U.S. Although Schweitzer believes the U.S. is still in the early stages, he insists that it is not immune to similar challenges.
He also contextualizes acts of violence, suggesting that events like the 2015 New Year’s assaults in several European nations must be viewed through this ideological lens. According to Schweitzer, such attacks are not random but could be interpreted as an extension of organized conflict against Western societies.
He concludes by pondering the future of the alliance between progressive movements and Islamist factions, questioning how long this partnership can endure to achieve mutual objectives. Schweitzer reinforces his perspective by referencing Ibraheem Samira, who connected modern alliances to historical strategies used by Muhammad himself.
In The Invisible Coup, available for pre-order, Schweitzer presents these ideas as not merely historical reflections but as a contemporary framework for understanding the interplay between immigration and global Islamic strategies.
