America’s Islamic Ribat Problem by Raymond Ibrahim 11/27/2023

The Stream : We were recently introduced to the Arabic term ribat. Historically, it referred to those areas where invading Muslims, having been halted or pushed back to, maintained a presence and created a base whence they continued waging jihad on the non-Muslim frontier.

Gaza can be seen—and indeed portrays itself—as a modern day manifestation of the ribat: bordering against Israel, Hamas and other jihadists use it as a frontier base from which to attack the infidel.

Embryonic ribats also proliferate all across Western Europe: in several major cities, Muslim enclaves have formed. There, Islamic culture and “radicalization” prevail—including forms of sharia; there, the European infidel host society and their ways are unwelcome.

It is, in short, a takeover by a militant demographic that has absolutely no intention of assimilating but rather in forming Islamic outposts—ribats—in the heart of Europe. What about America? Is this same ribatist dynamic evident?

In fact, it is, even if at a slower—and therefore intentionally downplayed—rate than in Europe. There currently exist a number of Muslim-majority enclaves all throughout the U.S.  One site purports to list 35 “Muslim enclaves in America.” Nor is this a new situation.   Since 2004, Daniel Pipes has been keeping track of the establishment, and troubling aspects, of these Muslim neighborhoods.

Over 13 years ago, researcher Ryan Mauro gave several examples, including Gwynn Oak, which was “created in Baltimore, Maryland, consisting of Muslim immigrants and African-American converts.”  According to its Muslim leader, this and other enclaves are solutions to the problem that “Muslim communities are ruled by Western societal tenets, many of which clash with Islamic norms.”  Accordingly, “the Gwynn Oak enclave follows specific moral rules based on Islam and people there speak Arabic.”

After mentioning a few more seemingly innocuous examples, Ryan adds that “Far more radical groups than these are now taking the lead in promoting and creating Islamic enclaves on U.S. soil.”  One of these is Muslims of the Americas, which, as of 2010, admitted

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