[Jeb Stuart Thurmond]

Remember September 2001? Remember the sort of things you were thinking? What you thought about Muslims? "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity" was a typical quote.

Some of us, the honest ones, admitted to a sort of grudging admiration. Later on, "Jihad-Envy" would slowly spread throughout conservative thought, rising up to higher levels of leadership.

First the American Family Association stated that God was with Saddam Hussien's Christian regime.

Then the Republican Party adopted a taliban-inspired strategy to sabotage Obama's government.

Then The National Organization for Marriage teamed up with Islamists, helping them target gays.

Now there's a new novel arguing that the only way we'll get traditional values back is by converting to Islam:

The overt political teaching of “Submission” is that Europe is dying from the disease called liberalism, that it can be saved only by a return of hierarchy and patriarchy and patriotism and religion and probably some kind of monarchy as well, but that religion itself is primarily an instrumental good and so the point is to find a faith that actually convinces and inspires and works (and that’s, well, a little manly), and on that front European Christianity and particularly Roman Catholicism is basically a dead letter so the future might as well belong to Islam instead.

It's been an interesting ride but I never imagined that someone who showed Jihad-Envy as early as September 2001 would be among the top Republican presidential contenders.

I mean, I know GOP debates always have a token black and a token woman, but Carly Fiorina is an actual candidate. Who as early as September 2001 was publicly waxing poetic over an Islamic dictatorship that invaded Europe - that "invaded our countries, killed our leaders, and converted us to Islam".

Here's her speech, the with this bit at the end:

"There was once a civilization that was the greatest in the world.

It was able to create a continental super-state that stretched from ocean to ocean, and from northern climes to tropics and deserts. Within its dominion lived hundreds of millions of people, of different creeds and ethnic origins.

One of its languages became the universal language of much of the world, the bridge between the peoples of a hundred lands. Its armies were made up of people of many nationalities, and its military protection allowed a degree of peace and prosperity that had never been known. The reach of this civilization’s commerce extended from Latin America to China, and everywhere in between.

And this civilization was driven more than anything, by invention. Its architects designed buildings that defied gravity. Its mathematicians created the algebra and algorithms that would enable the building of computers, and the creation of encryption. Its doctors examined the human body, and found new cures for disease. Its astronomers looked into the heavens, named the stars, and paved the way for space travel and exploration.

Its writers created thousands of stories. Stories of courage, romance and magic. Its poets wrote of love, when others before them were too steeped in fear to think of such things.

When other nations were afraid of ideas, this civilization thrived on them, and kept them alive. When censors threatened to wipe out knowledge from past civilizations, this civilization kept the knowledge alive, and passed it on to others.

While modern Western civilization shares many of these traits, the civilization I’m talking about was the Islamic world from the year 800 to 1600, which included the Ottoman Empire and the courts of Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo, and enlightened rulers like Suleiman the Magnificent.

Although we are often unaware of our indebtedness to this other civilization, its gifts are very much a part of our heritage. The technology industry would not exist without the contributions of Arab mathematicians. Sufi poet-philosophers like Rumi challenged our notions of self and truth. Leaders like Suleiman contributed to our notions of tolerance and civic leadership.

And perhaps we can learn a lesson from his example: It was leadership based on meritocracy, not inheritance. It was leadership that harnessed the full capabilities of a very diverse population–that included Christianity, Islamic, and Jewish traditions.

This kind of enlightened leadership — leadership that nurtured culture, sustainability, diversity and courage — led to 800 years of invention and prosperity.

In dark and serious times like this, we must affirm our commitment to building societies and institutions that aspire to this kind of greatness..."

So what's going on?

It's a load of "damning with faint praise". She's basically saying "Hey, Islam was worthwhile - half a millenium ago". It's like saying "Honey, you had a healthy body weight - a few decades ago".

Sure, Muslims were great back in 1500 AD. So, if I ever find myself in 1500 AD, I'll sure know who to side with.

But until then, I'll be stuck HALF A MILLENIUM LATER, and I'll not be a Muslim fangirl, than you very much. Emulate the islamists, of course. Ally with them, sure, with caution. But convert? Sorry Carly Fiorina, you're either 500 years too late or 50 years too early for that one.