Academics debate the legitimacy of the term Islamophobia while completely missing the new disorder, Islamist Stockholm syndrome. Coined in 1973, Stockholm Syndrome — also known as capture-bonding — is a psychological phenomenon in which hostages exhibit both empathy and sympathy, and gradually develop positive feelings towards their captors. In many instances, the victims themselves defend their abductors and refuse to cooperate with the authorities.
The positive feelings developed by the victims are completely irrational — victims misinterpret a lack of immediate harm from their abductors for kindness. Outside of hostage situations, this traumatic bonding can also develop as a victim’s response to trauma. Psychologist Ian K.Mackenzie explains that “identifying with the aggressor is one way that the ego defends itself. When a victim believes the same values as the aggressor, they cease to be perceived as a threat.”
We’ve now discovered a specific iteration of Stockholm Syndrome: Islamist Stockholm Syndrome or ISS. It began with the rise of Islamist extremism and society’s lack of judgment when faced with its wrath. The heinous barbarism of the Islamic State’s actions — in the name of a peaceful religion — has undoubtedly captured and captivated the world. Adding fuel to this jihadi fire is the Obama administration’s inability to call this radical ideological trend Islamist extremism, or to even publicly acknowledge ISIS, or Daesh, has anything to do with Islam. If this terrorist group isn’t Islamic, or doesn’t act in the name of Islam, why do their chosen acronyms (IS, ISIS and ISIL) begin with I for Islamic?
Victims who suffer from (or acquire) Stockholm Syndrome usually come to identify with, and eventually care for, their abductors because they are in survival mode. Victims experience an unconscious act of self-preservation characterized by their desperation to survive. Similarly, Islamist Stockholm Syndrome victims are desperate to survive and not be subjugated to Sharia law.
The repeated refusal to call a spade a spade makes me wonder: exactly how many people suffer from Islamist Stockholm Syndrome, or ISS? The phenomenon of Islamist Stockholm Syndrome is appearing everywhere: from academia to journalism to Hollywood. It’s even made its way past the Secret Service and into the Oval Office.
Psychiatrist and political commentator Dr. Charles Krauthammer observes that, “Obama seems to want to contain the situation until the end of his term and then hand it off.”
Is the president acting to preserve his legacy, identifying with the aggressor to defend his ego, or does he not perceive Daesh as a legitimate threat? Even if the current Secret Service’s discipline may raise eyebrows, the president isn’t concerned for his own personal safety. President Obama simply doesn’t have the heart to “degrade and ultimately destroy” his opponents, as he claimed. ISS can make people do wacky things. After his resignation, former CIA Director and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta admitted that President Obama had “kind of lost his way” in critical decision making that has led to the advance of Daesh.
Not convinced? During the National Prayer Breakfast this month, President Obama shocked audience members by defending Daesh’s actions by saying Christians are no better. “Lest we get on our high horse,” he lectured, “during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ.” Yes, the president of the United States publicly compared present day radical Islamic terror to past Christian transgressions. Yes, the leader of the free world drew a moral equivalence between Daesh and the defensive Christian response to Muslim imperialism in the Middle Ages. Yes, President Obama’s case of Islamic Stockholm Syndrome is worsening, and he is in complete denial of his disorder.
ISS has also made its way into American classrooms. At UCLA, Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History James L. Gelvin revealed his affliction: “In spite of international coalition waging war against the Islamic state, it is extraordinarily fragile and will very likely collapse anyway under its own weight … I believe that Barack Obama is repeating George W. Bush’s mistake, inflating a minor problem into something that is an existential threat to the United States.”
This taxpayer-funded professor wants everyone to leave Daesh alone so they can live in peace. How about we try a little peace through strength instead?
Following a series of Islamist terrorist attacks in Paris and Libya, Carlos van Meek, an executive at Al Jazeera America, sent his staff a reminder email that detailed the network’s frowned-upon words. “Extremist — Do not use. Avoid characterizing people. Islamist — Do not use. Terrorism/Terrorists — One person’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter. Jihad — Do not use this Arabic term.”
Meek appears to be suffering from both Islamophobia and ISS because he is fearful of offending his viewers and is also not able speak directly about Daesh.
Hollywood is usually at the forefront of all disorders and Stockholm syndrome has been a theme in countless films, from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” to the infamous classic “King Kong.” Celebrities must be suffering quietly with the new disorder ISS because we have only seen one case on public display. Last October on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Ben Affleck angrily called the host’s views on radical Islam, “gross, racist, and disgusting.”
Rarely do we get good footage of an ISS episode on full display, and this was a special treat. Mr. Affleck’s symptoms appeared when he felt Muslims were slighted. His symptoms (generally assumed to reflect emotional stress) included flushing, perspiration, and extreme agitation. Unfortunately, more severe cases of ISS are incurable, and these lost causes with no chance of recovery include people who are anti-Semitic and people who think we can negotiate with Daesh.
An unexpected celebrity wild card has spoken out against Daesh on Twitter. Flavor Flav of Public Enemy fame needs further examination because he is immune to this ISS mass hysteria. “Isis needs to be exterminated at once,” Flav tweeted. “All of nations that’s United should all pitch in together and go in there and wipe them out….It’s the only way that we can wipe them out,,, together!!!! Together we stand Divided we fall,,,Remember that United Nations.”
I’d like to take this moment to nominate Flavor Flav for the inaugural position of U.S. Ambassador to Daesh. I can hear his opening remarks now: Welcome to the Terrordome, booooyyyyeee!
As the epidemic spreads, it’s only a matter of time before it is in full swing with the Hollywood elites and coming to a Redbox near you. Alternatively, maybe these Islamist Stockholm Syndrome victims are onto something. Ignorance is bliss after all, and if we all come to develop ISS, we can sit back, relax, and enjoy the next crop of romantic comedies: “Sleepless in Syria,” “You’ve Got Sharia,” “When Haroon Met Salwa,” and “10 Things I Hate About Jews.”
تمر على الفشار ، كما يرجى (Translation: Pass the popcorn, please).