About Harold Rhode
One of the finest objective experts on Islam, Harold Rhode is a protégé of the great scholar and historian of the Middle East, Bernard Lewis, and former senior official in the Pentagon, who has dedicated his life to exploring Islam and its historical richness. As a young student, Harold lived and studied in Iran, Turkey, and many parts of the Arab world. As a Pentagon official working in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Harold observed the reemergence of Islam and the threat that it would pose to liberal democracies around the world.
Rhode—nearly three decades of Pentagon service later, a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute in New York, and Senior Fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs—sees clearly that the conflict between Islam and the West is far from over. From an Islamic point of view, such conflict can only end when the entire world converts to Islam. Notwithstanding the complete subjugation of the West, we will remain locked in an unending power struggle, unless the Muslims reexamine their sources and devise ways to live with non-Muslims. This amounts to nothing short of a "Thought Revolution” within Islam, one that is devoted to reforming its radical conceptions and casting aside calls for the destruction of the West. Sadly, this seems unlikely for the foreseeable future.
In the West, many progressives fail to appreciate religion, so they are incapable of comprehending the theological roots of these Islamic threats; what's more, they remain unable to imagine or combat them. The key to our success, Rhode contends, is rooted precisely in understanding the nature of Islamic violence—not as it has arisen these past 30 years (whether in the form of state-sponsored terrorism, mass murder, beheadings, rape or slavery), but rather how these crimes against humanity are being perpetrated in Mohammed’s name, since Islam was founded over fourteen centuries ago.
While remaining true to the principles of liberal democracy, in the spirit of his mentor, Bernard Lewis, Rhode grapples with Islam’s history and culture, and finds why so many of its adherents are committed to conquering and destroying the West. Harold's analysis and recommendations are honest attempts to understand the basis of Islam—in the hope that they will allow those who are confused to see the danger Islam poses to freedom and liberty around the world, and to show those have suffered under the terrible oppression caused by Islam what must be done to take a stand against it.
Iranian leaders fear only strength and the credible willingness to use it. The threat posed by the Iranian regime is far from over. Iranian leaders have mastered the art of patience, procrastination, and opportunism — waiting for the right moment to strike. Although weakened, the regime is not mortally wounded. As long as it remains […]
What’s REALLY happening inside Iran? This week on True East, IDF Spokesperson (Res.) Doron Spielman sits down with Dr. Harold Rhode, a distinguished senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute, to break down exclusive, secretly recorded footage from inside Tehran, and the shocking reality it exposes. Inside this True East episode: Iran’s crumbling economy vs. the […]
It is difficult for Westerners to understand the logic that leads many to believe that God saved Trump so Trump might pursue a divine mission. It is essential for us to understand how Muslims perceive the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Why? Because many Muslims will draw their own conclusions as to what it means […]
Political leaders make policy based on their perceptions, not those of others. Americans/Westerners tend to believe that people who speak good English think like Americans. They don’t. Even worse, some of the West’s worst enemies speak superb English; they use this skill against us. We ignore this fact at our peril. Javad Zarif, Iran’s then-foreign […]
One of the most moving pieces I have ever read. Fiamma Nirenstein in her “Barbarians at the Gates of Israel” takes the reader into the mindset of both the terrorists who committed the October 7th atrocities, and into the mindset of the victims, their families and the people of Israel. Barbarians at the Gates of […]
Regime change in Iran is the only viable way to stop Iran from trying to destroy Israel, it’s Sunni Arab Neighbors, and eventually the Western world. From an Iranian Perspective, given what happened last Saturday night, Israel should respond ASAP. The best way to do so is go after the regime’s sources of revenue – […]
Periodically, the United States or Israel makes a concession to an adversary, planning—or hoping—for reciprocity. The underlying assumption is that, as the stronger party, they can afford to be generous and even, on occasion, to miscalculate. This is a fundamental misreading, not of the strength of the American or Israeli position, but of how the […]
The idea that compassion is between man and man, not just God and man, barely exists. The origins of Islam are twofold. It was a revealed religion, but grew out of pre-Islamic Arabian tribal—that is, Bedouin—culture. When Bedouin cultural values conflicted with Islam, Bedouin culture almost always won out. Over time, Islam and Bedouin culture […]
The idea of a two-state solution being pushed by the U.S. State Department does not attract the Palestinian Arabs. They are not interested in the benefits Arabs have in Israel as opposed to in the surrounding states. So why did the Palestinian Arabs sign the Oslo Accords? Signatures on documents do not mean much in […]
The key to discussing the Middle East is understanding the cultures and languages. In Hebrew, you have the root “P-T-Ch,” corresponding to “F-T-Ch” in Arabic. The root has the general meaning of “open.” But in Arabic, there is an additional meaning: opening up a land to Islam. So the leader in battle is called “fatih” […]
All of the so-called wars since the early 20th century with regional Muslims are battles in Islam’s unending war against the Jews. Unless Islam undergoes a theological revolution, the Islamic views of the Jews will not change. The only way this revolution could happen is when the Muslim world undergoes a devastating defeat by Israel. […]
Exclusive Interview With Dr. Harold Rhode: Understanding The Middle East Requires Knowing The Difference Between Shalom And Salam I had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Harold Rhode. Dr. Harold Rhode has a Ph.D. in Islamic history and lived for years in the Muslim world. He served as an advisor on the Islamic world to […]
In the Middle East, marriage is a way to strengthen alliances and bury the hatchet. On June 1, 2023, Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein—son of King Abdullah bin Hussein—married Rajwa al-Seif, a Saudi royal whose maternal grandmother is a first cousin of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. The king and al-Seif are part of […]
We refuse to see Muslims as they see themselves. Much hope has been placed in an eventual normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. On July 15th, President Biden travelled to Saudi Arabia in an attempt to help cement relations between the two countries and to find another source to lower the cost of gas for Americans […]
Muslims are usually determined to avenge humiliation, and they know how to be patient. Most non-Muslims have difficulty understanding why they are not allowed to enter Mecca. Israeli journalist Gil Tamari certainly appears to have lacked understanding when he secretly entered the city after covering U.S. President Joe Biden’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia, causing […]