Elisabeth's Trial Has Begun

THE FIRST hearing in Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff’s case took place yesterday (November 23rd, 2010) in the court of Vienna, Austria. Charges were brought against Elisabeth because of a seminar she taught.

An eight-hour recording of her seminar will be the central piece of evidence in the trial. The entire audio recording from the seminar will be played in court, permitting the prosecutor to explain in detail what cannot be permitted to be said in public, and why the "religiousness" of Islamic teachings makes it impermissible.

The defense will seek to prove the accuracy and truthfulness of what Elisabeth said in her seminar, thus focusing on the core question: Is it illegal to speak the truth about Islam?

My interest in Elisabeth's case is threefold: First, this is the front line in the war on freedom of speech waged against people who are trying to educate the public about Islam's prime directive, Sharia law, and the third jihad. Her case is similar to Geert Wilders', who is on trial in the Netherlands for similar reasons.

The second reason this case interests me is that Elisabeth used excerpts from the Citizen Warrior article, Why I Am Worried About Islam But Not Christianity, in her seminar. The content you've been reading is on trial. Read more about that here.

The third reason is that Elisabeth is a sweet, soft-spoken, kind-hearted woman, entirely devoid of hatred or bigotry, devoid of rabble-rousing rhetoric, who was simply teaching basic, established, mainstream principles of Islam, calmly, reasonably, in a classroom setting, and she is being charged with a crime for doing so!? The whole idea is an outrage.

The following is an edited version of a blow-by-blow report of the first day of Elisabeth's trial, brought to us by Henrik Clausen, as posted on the Save Free Speech website:

9:41: Austrian TV shows up with a camera crew.

The room has seats for 15, but 25 spectators are there. Austrian TV asks for comments from Elisabeth, but on advice of her lawyer, she says, ”No comments now; talk to me after the hearings.”

The judge informs Elisabeth about her rights: Anything she says can be used against her.

The public prosecutor makes a short summary of various conclusions from Elisabeth's seminar, and, taken out of the context from, they sound ominous, like speaking of a "Burqa ghost" (which you'll find out about in a moment), comparing her statements to those of Susanne Winter, mentioning that Muhammad married a child of six, as well as saying we risk eventually having a civil war.

Elisabeth's defense lawyer talks of the principles of gender equality, freedom of religion and the lack of reciprocity that exists in Islam (for example, other religions cannot be freely practiced in several Islamic countries). The lawyer mentions that Elisabeth grew up in Islamic countries and has experienced the situation of women there directly.

He continues to explain that the statements mentioned were taken seriously out of context, and that some were not public, thus not relevant to the case. And that we should play the entire eight hours of recordings to understand the context.

He proceeds to invoke three expert witnesses who will testify that Elisabeth has spoken the truth: Wafa Sultan, Hans Jansen, and Robert Spencer.

10:53: The judge asks if we are talking about "Islamic extremism" or about "Islam as such?"

Elisabeth explains that we are talking Islam as such, as defined by its scripture, and quotes Erdogan (Turkey's Prime Minister) that there is no moderate Islam anyway.

The judge accepts that we can play the tapes, then proceeds to ask about us being lied to 24 hours a day. Elisabeth explains the concept of taqiyya. The judge says: "That is your interpretation," to which Elisabeth responds: "No, this is the canonical interpretation."

Next question is: "Is Islam in a never-ending war with the West?"

Elisabeth refers to history and newspapers to document that yes, it is a never-ending war with the West and that jihad has at times been considered the sixth pillar of Islam.

11:15: The "burqa ghost" story is related. Elisabeth took a photo of a woman in a burqa in Vienna, and told about this in her seminars. It is difficult to figure out why the public prosecutor finds this offensive, not to mention illegal. The defense asks about this. Elisabeth explains a few things about freedom for women — all women — to decide for themselves.

A reference is then made to some debates Elisabeth participated in where she discussed child molestation, and says: Christian cardinals molest children in conflict with their religion, Muslims do it in line with theirs. As background, the marriage between Muhammad and Aisha is related, as documented by several Hadith authors.

Pedophilia is discussed, in light of Muhammad being the perfect example for Muslims, as stated in Quran 33:21. That means everything Muhammad ever did or said, which is in the hadith, is to be considered a model for behavior for orthodox Muslims.

Elisabeth explains what the hadith collections are, how they constitute an indispensable part of Islam, due to 33:21 and similar suras. And emphasizes that she is not making up statements, merely quoting canonical Islamic scripture.

11:34: The Judge opens a discussion by asking if we’re talking of "all Muslims" here.

Elisabeth says no because most Muslims do not know what is in the Quran, which is in a language (Arabic) they do not understand, and thus place their confidence in the imams for interpretations.

Judge: "Is every Muslim a jihadist?"

Elisabeth: "No, not at all. But jihad is an obligation for Muslims. This is about the teachings of Islam, not about Muslims."

Judge: "But you said 'Muslims' in the seminars?"

Elisabeth: "Yes, but I said it in a context which is needed to understand the relevance of this."

Judge: "What percentage of Muslims are jihadis?"

Elisabeth: "I don't know. Not the majority. One thousandth is enough to be a problem, though."

Then the quote about "Islam is shit" is debated. Elisabeth points out that she was debating and using visual quotes (with her fingers). And she asks if it is punishable to say "Islam is shit."

12:06: The defense lawyer goes through some point of the charges, asking Elisabeth:

Lawyer: You said: "Muslims kill due to Islamic teachings. Christians also kill, but not due to their religious teachings." Are there not verses in the Bible that encourage killing?

Elisabeth: Not in the New Testament, and not actively used today.

Her defense lawyer explains the death threats against Ayaan Hirsi Ali and the security she needs. Elisabeth tells about the killing of Theo van Gogh and the Quran quotes used to justify that.

Lawyer asks: Are there child marriages in Islamic countries?

Elisabeth: Yes, for example Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Afghanistan. Also the late ayatollah Khomeini recommended pedophilia, and the current Iranian President Ahmadjinedad recommends his teachings. According to Islamic law, these marriages are legal and justifiable.

Lawyer: Are corporal punishments, like chopping off limbs, part of Islamic law?

Elisabeth: Yes, this is described, for instance, in Reliance of the Traveller.

(Elisabeth and her defense lawyer have explained about the classical Sunni Islamic book, "Reliance of the Traveller," unwrapping a fresh copy in court.)

12:40: The lawyer continues to ask Elisabeth to explain various statements:

Lawyer: What is meant by, "We are decadent?"

Elisabeth: That's the point of view of Islamic fundamentalists.

Lawyer: What is meant by, "We do not want Sharia here, full stop?"

Elisabeth: Free, secular societies is what we want.

Lawyer: What is meant by, "Islamic law is not compatible with free societies, we need to understand this."

Elisabeth: Islam is a whole, and this whole is not compatible with free societies like the Austrian.

Laywer: Did you see any veiled Muslim men?

Elisabeth (laughing): No, this is an obligation just for women.

Lawyer: You were referring to Paris, Brussels, Rotterdam. What is the meaning of that?

Elisabeth: This is a reference to the no-go zones, where Sharia is effectively the law. There immigrant youth torch cars, throw stones at the police, etc.

Prosecutor: Are each and every one of these persons Muslims?

Elisabeth: The majority are.

Lawyer: What is meant when you say: "How many times have we been told that Islam is a religion of peace?" Is this an incitement to hate or violence?

Elisabeth: I do not mean to incite hatred or violence. We need to be informed, make people aware, inform our politicians and write letters to the newspapers.

Lawyer: What is meant by, "We do not want gender apartheid or polygamy."

Elisabeth explains polygamy in Islam, and the fact that this is a reality in Europe today. Elisabeth speaks about the First Amendment of the US Constitution, the absolute right to express ones’ opinions, as a fundamental prerequisite for a sound democracy.

At this point, more people have arrived. There are 18 seats for the audience, 30-35 listeners total.

14:00: The news journalist, Dolna, was called as witness. Technicalities of her recording equipment are discussed by the judge, including the fact that of the first seminar, only a half hour was recorded.

The judge asked if some of the statements quoted were from breaks, not from the seminar proper. The reason this is important is that three or four people heard those comments, not the 32 or more, which is the criterion for a statement being considered "public." This is a crucial question for legal reasons, as only statements made to a large group can be punishable.

The judge dug further into the methods of the journalist. Why did the journalist quote statements made in the breaks that were not part of the lecture? The journalist answers: "For journalistic reasons."

Further, the judge asked if it was made clear in advance that the journalist would be recording the seminars. She responded that she had not told anyone, as her work constituted "investigative journalism."

The lawyer probed further into the issue of the quotes being part of the prepared seminar, or offhand comments in the breaks.

Next, the events concerning the opera, "Idomeneo" were discussed. The performance of this classical Mozart piece scheduled to be performed at the famous opera house, Deutsche Oper Berlin, was cancelled due to Islamic pressure. The director had added decapitation of Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad to the original play. Fear of riots or violence caused the play to be cancelled. The well-known German magazine Focus had, in that context, written that we should under no circumstances cave in to pressure like this.

This rounded off the day after roughly three hours of hearings. Since there is a need to play the complete recordings (eight hours) from Elisabeth's seminar, the next hearing is scheduled for January 18th.

Read more about Elisabeth's case, and find out what you can do to help her out: The Leading Edge of Freedom: How to Support Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff.

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Reading the Quran is Like Being in an Auto Accident

Sometimes people don't "get it" until they see it for themselves. For example, try telling a cocky teenage boy he needs to be a more cautious driver. He will think, "Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before, but I'm such a skilled driver and I have such lightening-fast reflexes, I don't need to worry about it."

But watch what happens after he's in a horrible accident, or even sees one. Watch what happens when he makes a mistake while driving and the accident kills his best friend. It's the kind of experience that can change his attitude for the rest of his life. When he sees how dangerous driving can be, when he sees how one small mistake can lead to an unimaginable tragedy, it can change his attitude toward driving permanently and in an instant.

The same thing happens when people read the Quran.

I've told you before that you need to read the Quran because it will give you a solid feeling of authority when you talk to your fellow non-Muslims about Islam. And you should encourage others to read it for two reasons: First, the fact that you're pushing them to read the Quran will tend to give them more confidence in everything else you say about Islam. And second, because reading the Quran for themselves will have an impact on them that all your talking cannot have, in the same way witnessing an accident can change a cocky teenager into a cautious and responsible driver.

Focus on the Quran. It is the central text of Islamic doctrine. It is considered the holiest of books by Muslims around the world. And it will reveal pure Islam more directly and more palpably and with more authority than anything else. Use all the persuasion skills you can acquire to convince people to take the pledge and read the Quran.

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Training Course for Citizen Warriors

YOU WANT to educate your fellow non-Muslims about the terrifying brilliance of Islam and I have something to recommend that will help you: The Dale Carnegie Course: Effective Communications and Human Relations. It's the perfect training for a citizen warrior.

I can't believe I haven't thought of this before. I took the course about 23 years ago, and it made a huge difference. And it recently occurred to me that an important factor in my ability to educate people face-to-face is the training I got all those years ago — training available to you now.

Our most important task is to educate people. This requires an ability to persuade, to successfully connect with people, to organize your thoughts and get them across clearly, and ideally, to keep your stress level down. The Dale Carnegie course will help you in all of these areas.

The training takes place over a period of 12 weeks, one night per week, three and a half hours per night. And in every class each participant will give two short speeches. That's a lot of practice. And you get excellent coaching from the course leader. Of all the public speaking training I have gotten — and I've gotten quite a lot — by far the very best was the Dale Carnegie Course.

People graduate from the course with the ability to really communicate, not just the ability to make good gestures or use vocal variety or any of the other things a lot of public speaking programs focus on. The Dale Carnegie Course goes right to the core of communication and connection and will really teach you how to get your message across in a way that penetrates.

Dale Carnegie originally created a class to help people conquer their fear of speaking in public. But he noticed that most of the problems people talked about in their speeches were human relations problems. He thought he might teach some basic principles of human relations along with public speaking in the same course. So he looked around for a book on human relations but couldn't find one he thought was good enough, so he wrote one: How to Win Friends and Influence People, which became one of the bestselling books of all time. You will use that book and learn to apply those time-tested principles during the course.

One of the great things about the Dale Carnegie Course is learning to express yourself more freely. You'll gain that elusive quality known as charisma. Even if you are already charismatic, you'll become more so.

The course is especially good for people who have a fear of public speaking. You'll start out sitting in front of the class with three other people and all you have to do is answer the course leader's questions. It's very easy. Even if you're afraid to speak in public, this isn't stressful. And the course slowly progresses from there, step-by-step, allowing you to remain comfortable all along the way until you're standing up there by yourself giving a prepared speech and having no trouble whatsoever doing it. Many famous people have taken the course and swear by it (including Warren Buffet, which you can see here and here).

I would recommend this course to anyone, but it is especially valuable for those of us who wish to awaken our fellow non-Muslims about Islam's prime directive. You'll get the tools you need to be effective.

And I have something else to say. Although my focus here is making you a better citizen warrior, the Dale Carnegie Course will be personally good for you — you'll be happier and more expressive, you'll have more personal freedom of expression, and it will be great for your ability to bring people to our side.

Think about it. It's a substantial investment of time and money. But you will not regret it. I think you will, like me, come to think of it as the best money you've ever spent and the best investment of time you've ever made.

The Dale Carnegie Course is available almost anywhere. Check out their website to find a course in your area. I should get a commission on this; I'm giving a pretty good "sales presentation." The first evening of the course is free for everyone. If you like it, you can sign up. If not, you got a free class. And they actually teach you something useful the first night. And no, you are not put on the spot or asked to give a speech in the first class.

One of the most prominent features of the military is constant training. The military never stops training its soldiers. And we citizen warriors should also constantly focus on training, on getting better, on improving our skills, and the Dale Carnegie Course is one excellent way to do that.

More information:

• About the Course
• Find Training Locations

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Assumptions About Islam are Rampant

The following is an excerpt from the excellent book, The Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran, by Robert Spencer:

When reading the Koran, it is vitally important to keep in mind that Westerners, whether religious or not, and Muslims often have vastly differing frames of reference, even when considering the same individuals or concepts. Several years ago, former President George W. Bush and Karen Hughes, his former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, issued greetings to the world's Muslims on the occasion of the Islamic Feast of Eid al-Adha, which commemorates the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca, the Hajj, and Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son.

In December 2006, Bush issued a statement that read in part, "For Muslims in America and around the world, Eid al-Adha is an important occasion to give thanks for their blessings and to remember Abraham's trust in a loving God. During the four days of this special observance, Muslims honor Abraham's example of sacrifice and devotion to God by celebrating with friends and family, exchanging gifts and greetings, and engaging in worship through sacrifice and charity."

And the previous January, Hughes had declared:

Eid is a celebration of commitment and obedience to God and also of God's mercy and provision for all of us. It is a time of family and community, a time of charity....I want to read to you a message from President Bush: "I send greetings to Muslims around the world as you celebrate Eid al-Adha. When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Abraham placed his faith in God above all else. During Eid al-Adha, Muslims celebrate Abraham's devotion and give thanks for God's mercy and many blessings."

In speaking of Abraham, even when doing so in the context of Eid al-Adha, Bush and Hughes were probably thinking of Genesis 22:15-18, in which Abraham is rewarded for his faith and told he will become a blessing to the nations: "By your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice."

But the Muslim audiences that Bush and Hughes were addressing probably did not read Genesis. They read the Koran, in which Allah says that Abraham is an "excellent example" for the believers when he tells his family and other pagans that "there has arisen, between us and you, enmity and hatred forever, unless ye believe in Allah and Him alone" (60:4). The same verse relates that Abraham is not an excellent example when he tells his father, "I will pray for forgiveness for you."

Thus the Koran, in the passages cited by Bush and Hughes, holds up hatred as exemplary, while belittling the virtue of forgiveness. Bush and Hughes were therefore inadvertently reinforcing a worldview that takes for granted the legitimacy of everlasting enmity between Muslims and non-Muslims — and doing so, naively, while attempting to build bridges between Muslims and non-Muslims. This demonstrates once again how crucial it is for American policymakers to have a detailed understanding of Islam's theological and cultural frame of reference, and of the actual teachings of the Koran. For lack of this understanding, careless statements continue to be made, and policy errors keep multiplying.

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Aim for a Target in Your Conversations

You are more persuasive when you have a goal. Aiming at a particular target increases your ability to persuade. The question is, what's a good thing to aim for? My suggestion is to aim at something small that will help educate the person. Ideally something that doesn't cost anything.

If you live in America I think your best bet is to aim for getting the person to subscribe to ACT! for America's e-mail updates. The updates don't overwhelm subscribers with too much information and they choose good things to cover. And it's free. It's a small commitment and over time a subscriber will learn more about Islam's relentless encroachment.

I also suggest you set a target for how many people you will get to subscribe. Sales organizations often have contests, which turns the persuasion process into a game. Why do they do this? It helps keep the task interesting and fun. And people tend to accomplish more when they have a target they're trying to reach.

Set a target for next month: Say you will get 10 people or 20 people, or whatever seems possible for you, to sign up for ACT! for America's e-mail updates, and keep track. Have a chart on your wall. And when you get another person to sign up, make another hash mark. Reward yourself at the end of the month if you hit your target.

When you have a target, when there's something you're aiming at, it affects what you say and how you say it — affects it in a positive way. You'll automatically and quite naturally focus more on persuading and connecting than on arguing or "winning" or defeating the other person. Your orientation will be different. Different in a good way. You'll be more effective.

So choose a target. Choose something to aim at. If you're in a country where ACT! for America is not active, choose something else. The reason I chose ACT! for America is that their updates are good, but they tend to focus on events in the United States and Canada. So if you're not in one of those countries, that's probably not your best option for a target. But pick something like that. Get the person to subscribe to Jihad Watch, for example, or Europe News. Or get them to subscribe to Inquiry into Islam. Or get them to "like" your favorite counterjihad Facebook page. Or whatever. Pick something that will not be overwhelming, but will be informative.

If you have created your own counterjihad page on Facebook (and I sincerely hope you have), it would make your successes easy to keep track of. Facebook automatically emails you a weekly report telling you exactly how many fans you gained that week.

However you do it, get people to subscribe to something. It can help the person become more committed to the cause over time. Aim for only a small commitment at first. Let a greater commitment blossom from there.

The principal here is to have a target, and keep your target in mind. Keep aiming for your target. Remember your target while you're talking to someone, and always aim for that target in your conversations. This will improve your ability to persuade, it will help you keep a good attitude, and will ultimately lead to more awakened people.

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