Daniel Pipes
Full Name and Common Aliases
Daniel Pipes is a prominent American historian, author, and commentator.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on September 9, 1949, in Bournemouth, England; still active in public life.
Nationality and Profession(s)
American historian, author, and commentator. He has worked as a journalist, professor, and director of various organizations focused on Middle Eastern studies and Islamist movements.
Early Life and Background
Pipes was born to a Jewish family, his father being an engineer who moved the family to Montreal, Canada, when Daniel was young. Pipes' interest in history developed early, and he began studying it at McGill University in Montreal. He later pursued his graduate studies at Harvard University, earning a Ph.D. in medieval history.
Major Accomplishments
Pipes has held various significant positions, including:
Director of the Middle East Forum (MEF), an organization focused on promoting American interests and security in the Middle East.
Member of the U.S. Institute for Peace's Advisory Committee on Islamic Affairs.
Professor at several institutions, including the University of Chicago, Harvard University, and Pepperdine University.Notable Works or Actions
Some notable works include:
"The Rushdie Affair: The Novel, the Ayatollahs, and the West" (1990), which examined the controversy surrounding Salman Rushdie's novel "The Satanic Verses".
"In the Path of God: Islam and Political Power" (1981), a study on the relationship between Islam and politics.
As director of MEF, Pipes has been instrumental in shaping public discourse around Islamist movements and their impact on Western societies.
Impact and Legacy
Pipes' work has significantly contributed to the understanding of Islamist movements and their influence on global affairs. He is known for his critiques of radical Islamism and advocacy for a more informed public discussion about these issues.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Pipes is widely quoted due to his expertise in Islamist movements, Middle Eastern history, and politics. His writings and statements have been featured in prominent media outlets such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and CNN. His organization, the Middle East Forum, continues to play a significant role in shaping public opinion on these matters.
As an expert commentator, Pipes has appeared frequently on television programs and podcasts discussing issues related to Islamism and global security. His work serves as a resource for policymakers, journalists, and scholars seeking to understand the complexities of Islamist movements and their impact on international relations.
Quotes by Daniel Pipes
In the long term, the United States could greatly benefit Islam by uniquely freeing the religion from government constraints and permitting it to evolve in a positive, modern direction. But that’s the long term.
You can’t just read the Koran to understand Muslim life. You have to look at history, at personalities, at economics, and so on.
Diplomacy in general does not resolve conflicts, ... Wars end not due to peace processes, but due to one side giving up.
Western European societies are unprepared for the massive immigration of brown-skinned peoples cooking strange foods and maintaining different standards of hygiene. All immigrants bring exotic customs and attitudes, but Muslim customs are more troublesome than most.
Anti-Islamist Muslims - who wish to live modern lives, unencumbered by burqas, fatwas and violent visions of jihad - are on the defensive and atomized. However eloquent, their individual voices cannot compete with the roar of militant Islam's determination, money (much of it from overseas) and violence. As a result, militant Islam, with its West-phobia and goal of world hegemony, dominates Islam in the West and appears to many to be the only kind of Islam.
Integrationists are delighted to live in a democratic country where the rule of law prevails, whereas chauvinists wish to import the customs of the Middle East and South Asia.
The Jewish connection to Jerusalem is an ancient and powerful one. Judaism made Jerusalem a holy city over three thousand years ago and through all that time Jews remained steadfast to it.
It’s a mistake to blame Islam, a religion 14 centuries old, for the evil that should be ascribed to militant Islam, a totalitarian ideology less than a century old. Militant Islam is the problem, but moderate Islam is the solution.
The Koran is a not 'a product of Muhammad or even of Arabia,' but a collection of earlier Judeo-Christian liturgical materials stitched together to meet the needs of a later age...A few scholars go even further, doubting even the existence of Muhammad.