Former Muslim Speaks Out On Why The West Misunderstands Islam

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

Okay, first, before we give you the facts of the day, Run, Hide, Fight, Infidels is streaming now only on Daily Wire. It's an ode to the great action movies of the 80s and 90s. There's even a love story which nobody expected. And you can support Daily Wire's mission to continue making movies that people actually want to watch. Go check it out.

SPEAKER_2 (0:17)

You know what's wild? Most people are still overpaying for car insurance, just because it's a pain to switch. That's why there's Jerry.

Jerry is the only app that compares rates for over 50 insurers in minutes. And it helps you switch fast with no spam calls or hidden fees.

Drivers who save with Jerry could save over $1,300 a year.

Before you renew your car insurance policy, do yourself a favor. Download the Jerry app or head to jerry.ai/wire.

SPEAKER_3 (0:46)

Folks, in Florida, hurricane season is just a fact of life. So prepping before a storm is on the horizon. That's crucial. You got to do it. Review your home and flood insurance coverage, create a photo or video inventory of your property, secure important documents in a waterproof container, keep cash on hand after a storm, report damage to your insurance company as soon as possible, and document any emergency repairs. And of course, make sure to call the Florida Department of Financial Services Division of Consumer Services to help you through that insurance claim process. They're here to help when you need it most. Visit myfloridacfo.com or call 1-877-MyFLCFO to make sure you are prepared for a hurricane. Hurricane season is June 1st through November 30th. Do not wait, be prepared. A public service message from the Department of Financial Services and Florida Chief Financial Officer, Lais N'Golia.

SPEAKER_1 (1:34)

Islam and its role in American political life has been a huge and growing part of the national discussion just in this past month with characters like Mayor Zoran Mamdani and Abdul El-Sayed making regular headlines.

John Bickley (1:46)

But our guest today argues that most Americans don't actually understand what drives Islam and that DC in particular needs to look at it in a different light. I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. This is a weekend edition of Morning Wire.

Joining us now is Danny Bermawi, the CEO of the Ideological Defense Institute. Danny, thank you for coming on the show.

Danny Burmawi (2:09)

Thank you for having me.

John Bickley (2:10)

So tell us about your story first, because I think this obviously is driving what you do at your institution. You were originally a Muslim.

You have now converted. If I understand this correctly, tell us about your story.

Danny Burmawi (2:26)

Yeah, I converted 20 years ago.

I know that many people, they get excited when they hear a story about someone converting from Islam to Christianity, and especially when Christians, because, oh my goodness, this is great. But I want to be clear that what I do today has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I converted. It is based on knowledge, on research. But yes, I converted from Islam to Christianity almost 20 years ago, and I had to leave my country of urgent Jordan to Lebanon. Lebanon is the only country in the Middle East where you can practice your faith freely. Of course, if we don't mention Israel, because Israel is completely on a different level.

But in the Arab world, Lebanon is different. At least it was different when I moved, but freedom has been deteriorating there. Anyway, I moved to the United States in 2023, just a couple months before October 7, October 7 happened. And that's when I decided to, because I was shocked from the scenes on the streets of the West. So I started the Ideological Defense Institute. And this month we are leading this initiative, the Infidel Awareness Month.

John Bickley (3:46)

So you actually formed this Institute as a result of watching how particularly in America, people responded to October 7th.

Danny Burmawi (3:56)

Yeah, in North America and in Europe, across the West, there has been re-branding of Islamic Jihad. Islamic Jihad using the lexicon of the left has been re-branded as liberation movements, response to imperialism and so forth and so on. So it was everything, but not the real thing, which is a religious war to establish the rule of Allah over all the world. So that's why I decided to educate policy makers, the church and the public about the real threat. And especially this Islam Left Alliance, which is single-handedly is gonna take the West down if the West doesn't respond properly.

SPEAKER_1 (4:40)

Now tell us about your organization. Is it, where is it based and what kind of activities do you engage in to further this mission?