Dennis in Dialogue with Bernard Lewis

Dennis and Bernard Lewis, emeritus Princeton professor and renowned authority on Islam discuss the current state of the Islamic world. Lewis focuses on the history and objective facts of Islam. Prager emphasizes the very real threat Islamic extremism poses to the civilized world.

Major points by Bernard Lewis include:

1. Osama Bin Laden has stated openly for years that United States must be destroyed. It’s the last bulwark of Western Civilization.

2. Different societies have different ways of defining themselves. The western world is defined by the nation-state, and the Arab world is defined by its religion.

3. There are stirrings of moderation in the Arab World. People are growing more and unhappy with religious extremism.

Major points by Dennis include:

1. Dennis does not judge religions, he judges its practitioners. Currently the dominant force within Islam is extremism and terrorism.

2. People who argue that all forms of extremism are equally dangerous are fools. Islamic extremists are the only group who believe that access to heaven is granted by killing innocent women and children.

3. The ongoing Israeli/Palestinian crisis provides a sharp contrast between Islam and the West. One side, Israel, values life over death. The other side, the Palestinians, value death above life.

Time: 1:45:20