---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ISIS may be a perversion of Islam, but…"
description: "\"ISIS may be a perversion of Islam, but Islamic it is, just as Christian beliefs about the sanctity of the unborn child explain why some Christian funda..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/peter-bergen-1880_abortion_isis-may-be-a-perversion-of-islam-but-is_1231585.png"
---

#  ISIS may be a perversion of Islam, but Islamic it is, just…

![“ISIS may be a perversion of Islam, but Islamic it is, just as Christian beliefs about the sanctity of the unborn child explain why some Christian fundamentalists attack abortion clinics and doctors.” quote by Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/peter-bergen-1880_abortion_isis-may-be-a-perversion-of-islam-but-is_1231585.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/peter-bergen-1880_abortion_isis-may-be-a-perversion-of-islam-but-is_1231585.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/peter-bergen-1880_abortion_isis-may-be-a-perversion-of-islam-but-is_1231585.png)

> “ISIS may be a perversion of Islam, but Islamic it is, just as Christian beliefs about the sanctity of the unborn child explain why some Christian fundamentalists attack abortion clinics and doctors.”

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Extremist groups can distort religions to justify violence, similar to how some Christians misuse doctrine to oppose abortion.

**In simple terms:** Extremists pervert religion to justify violence.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and challenge ideological distortions.

Themes

religion extremism politics ethics

Mood

critical analytical

Type

political educational

When to use this quote

- policy analysis
- community education
- interfaith dialogue

Key Concepts

radicalization moral reasoning social influence

Questions to Reflect On

- What mechanisms allow religious texts to be twisted?
- How can societies counteract extremist reinterpretations?

A Different Perspective

Extremist narratives often exploit fear and identity, limiting rational debate.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Abortion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abortion/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Christian Beliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-beliefs/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Isis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isis/) [Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Sanctity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanctity/)

## Related quotes

> [The term 'Muslim Brotherhood'... is an umbrella term for a variety of movements: in the case of Egypt, a very heterogeneous group, largely secular,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clapper/the-term-muslim-brotherhood-is-an-umbrella-term-for-a-variety-of/)

[James Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clapper/)

> [Does the terror threat we're facing grow out of a perversion of Islam, or does it represent and extreme, but durable, strain of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/does-the-terror-threat-we-re-facing-grow-out-of-a-perversion-of-islam/)

[Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/)

> [Rather than being a 'perversion' of Islam, it is truer to say that the version of Islam espoused by ISIS, while undoubtedly the worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/rather-than-being-a-perversion-of-islam-it-is-truer-to-say-that-the/)

[Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/)

> [The enemy is not Islam, the great world faith, but a perversion of Islam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cornyn/the-enemy-is-not-islam-the-great-world-faith-but-a-perversion-of-islam/)

[John Cornyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cornyn/)

> [In the eyes of the Associated Press, American Christianity, which springs from the Protestant Reformation, is fundamentalist. And Christian Fundamentalists, radical Muslims, Hindu extremists,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/in-the-eyes-of-the-associated-press-american-christianity-which/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [There are a lot of Christian fundamentalists; there are a lot of Muslim extremists. Every religion - Mormonism - has something way on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-wilson/there-are-a-lot-of-christian-fundamentalists-there-are-a-lot-of/)

[Patrick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-wilson/)

> [Christian fundamentalists seek to roll back women's right to choose in the United States, and then also insist that money against Aids must not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/christian-fundamentalists-seek-to-roll-back-women-s-right-to-choose/)

[Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/)

> [An Associated Press report by Chicago-based reporter Sharon Cohen in May 1993 examined Christian fundamentalists and concluded that they were prone to 'riots, terrorism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-e-reed-jr/an-associated-press-report-by-chicago-based-reporter-sharon-cohen-in/)

[Ralph E. Reed, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-e-reed-jr/)

> [“Ultimately, the concept of a religious left is problematic at its core because the Bible (or for that matter the Koran, Torah, etc.) cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sikivu-hutchinson-in-moral-combat-black-atheists-gender-politics-and-the-values-wars/ultimately-the-concept-of-a-religious-left-is-problematic-at-its-core/)

Sikivu Hutchinson in Moral Combat Black Atheists Gender Politics and the Values Wars

> [Whatever their defects, Christian fundamentalists have lived peacefully among us in America for several hundred years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-gallagher/whatever-their-defects-christian-fundamentalists-have-lived/)

[Maggie Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-gallagher/)

> [One of the Christian fundamentalists' goals seems to be to rebuild the Temple, which means destroying the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which presumably means war with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/one-of-the-christian-fundamentalists-goals-seems-to-be-to-rebuild-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [“Since 9/11 what we have seen, and now increasingly understand in more depth than Christians in past generations, is that the final enemies of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-price/since-9-11-what-we-have-seen-and-now-increasingly-understand-in-more/)

[John Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-price/)

> [Not only did secular scientists rout the Christian fundamentalists, they placed themselves in the posture of knowing more, on the basis of their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vine-deloria-jr/not-only-did-secular-scientists-rout-the-christian-fundamentalists/)

[Vine Deloria Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vine-deloria-jr/)

> [Candidates With Deeply Held Christian Beliefs Are Unfit and Disqualified From Serving As A Federal Judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/candidates-with-deeply-held-christian-beliefs-are-unfit-and/)

[Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/)

> [There was a man named Robert Dear who in court said he was a warrior for the babies, whose ex-wife talked about his Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/there-was-a-man-named-robert-dear-who-in-court-said-he-was-a-warrior/)

[Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/)

## More by Peter Bergen

> [So Pakistan is a country that I'm very fond of and have spent a lot of time, but it is a country where conspiracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/so-pakistan-is-a-country-that-i-m-very-fond-of-and-have-spent-a-lot/)

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

> [The Trump administration launched the cruise missile strikes in Syria, an act of war, without a U.N. resolution or Congressional authorization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-trump-administration-launched-the-cruise-missile-strikes-in-syria/)

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

> [The deep problems that afflict the Middle East are not easy to fix, but they must be dealt with if we are not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-deep-problems-that-afflict-the-middle-east-are-not-easy-to-fix/)

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

> [The dirty little secret of the intelligence world is that much of what you really need to know isn't exactly a secret anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-dirty-little-secret-of-the-intelligence-world-is-that-much-of/)

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

> [Abedi appears to be one of the many thousands of Western Muslims who have embraced militant Islam, often as a way of trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/abedi-appears-to-be-one-of-the-many-thousands-of-western-muslims-who/)

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

> [Trump has claimed he knows more about ISIS than America's leading generals. Clearly, this is also total nonsense; he doesn't seem to have done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/trump-has-claimed-he-knows-more-about-isis-than-america-s-leading/)

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

> [If you don't understand what al Qaeda was trying to do on 9/11, if you don't have a sense of who Osama bin Laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/if-you-don-t-understand-what-al-qaeda-was-trying-to-do-on-9-11-if-you/)

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

> [As early as 1993, members of bin Laden's group had been planning an attack on the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/as-early-as-1993-members-of-bin-laden-s-group-had-been-planning-an/)

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

> [The reality is that Trump's focus on immigrants is to misconceive of the terrorist problem that exists in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-reality-is-that-trump-s-focus-on-immigrants-is-to-misconceive-of/)

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

> [ISIS despises the Russian government for its support of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, and so it's no surprise that ISIS began targeting Russia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/isis-despises-the-russian-government-for-its-support-of-the-syrian/)

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

> [The Sunni militants that make up ISIS are not the underlying problem in Syria and Iraq, but rather they are a symptom of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-sunni-militants-that-make-up-isis-are-not-the-underlying-problem/)

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

> [Keeping a relatively small, predominantly U.S. Special Forces presence in Afghanistan to continue to train the Afghan army past December 2016 is a wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/keeping-a-relatively-small-predominantly-u-s-special-forces-presence/)

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

> [One of the themes of 'The Longest War,' my book, which came out before the Arab spring happened, was how al-Qaida and bin Laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/one-of-the-themes-of-the-longest-war-my-book-which-came-out-before/)

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

> [Because 9/11 was carried out by 19 foreign-born Arab hijackers, many assume that all terrorists who attack the West are foreigners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/because-9-11-was-carried-out-by-19-foreign-born-arab-hijackers-many/)

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

> [I was the only outsider to visit the Abbottabad compound where bin Laden lived before the Pakistani military demolished it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/i-was-the-only-outsider-to-visit-the-abbottabad-compound-where-bin/)

[Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

[Explore all 201 Peter Bergen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/)

## More Abortion quotes

> [“Conception is the beginning of human life. From the time that an ovum is fertilized a new life begins that is neither that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/conception-is-the-beginning-of-human-life-from-the-time-that-an-ovum/)

Declaration on Procured Abortion Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1974

> [Hey everyone, in case y'all didn't hear, I'm pregnat, and after discussing it w/ my family, I've decided to get an abortion, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-badesheim/hey-everyone-in-case-y-all-didn-t-hear-i-m-pregnat-and-after/)

Madison Badesheim

> [There was no mistake in us making abortion legal and available on demand. That was what we call progress. Just like it was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/there-was-no-mistake-in-us-making-abortion-legal-and-available-on/)

[Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/)

> [My favorite Founding Fathers, Christians like John Adams, were absolutely appalled by slavery, and did not own slaves. I think we're going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/my-favorite-founding-fathers-christians-like-john-adams-were/)

[Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/)

> [“David Bereit, Founder of Forty Days for Life, points out that any abortion clinic in America should have a sign in its window that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-price/david-bereit-founder-of-forty-days-for-life-points-out-that-any/)

[John Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-price/)

> [The Chinese describe themselves as political refugees. Many base that claim on China's strict population laws, which allow them to have only one child.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/the-chinese-describe-themselves-as-political-refugees-many-base-that/)

[Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/)

> [I'm a pro-life candidate because I believe that science is proving us right every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/i-m-a-pro-life-candidate-because-i-believe-that-science-is-proving-us/)

[Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/)

> [I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion…has been born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-noticed-that-everyone-who-is-for-abortion-has-been-born/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [We talk a lot about how abortion is a medical procedure, but actually if you look at what the other side is doing, they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-northup/we-talk-a-lot-about-how-abortion-is-a-medical-procedure-but-actually/)

[Nancy Northup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-northup/)

> [“The Vatican won't prosecute pedophile priests but I decide I'm not ready for motherhood and it's condemnation for me? These are the same people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-renee-taylor/the-vatican-won-t-prosecute-pedophile-priests-but-i-decide-i-m-not/)

Sonya Renee Taylor

> [Pro-lifers have long been castigated for bringing private values into the public square. But actually it is the pro-abortion position that is based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/pro-lifers-have-long-been-castigated-for-bringing-private-values-into/)

[Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/)

> [I am 100 percent pro-life and have been my whole life. That means I am opposed to abortion at any stage of pregnancy, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hawley/i-am-100-percent-pro-life-and-have-been-my-whole-life-that-means-i-am/)

[Josh Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hawley/)

> [Any woman should have the right to a safe and legal abortion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-ford/any-woman-should-have-the-right-to-a-safe-and-legal-abortion/)

[Betty Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-ford/)

> [“For Republicans, life begins at conception but ends at birth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-adam-snyder/for-republicans-life-begins-at-conception-but-ends-at-birth/)

[J.Adam Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-adam-snyder/)

> [I think fundamentally, the real power behind the anti-choice movement in regard to abortion and the opposition to the rights of LGBT Americans is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-w-lynn/i-think-fundamentally-the-real-power-behind-the-anti-choice-movement/)

[Barry W. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-w-lynn/)

[Browse all 1,629 Abortion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abortion/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "ISIS may be a perversion of Islam, but Islamic it is, just as Christian beliefs about the sanctity of the unborn child explain why some Christian fundamentalists attack abortion clinics and doctors.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Peter Bergen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/isis-may-be-a-perversion-of-islam-but-islamic-it-is-just-as-christian/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Abortion"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/isis-may-be-a-perversion-of-islam-but-islamic-it-is-just-as-christian/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/peter-bergen-1880_abortion_isis-may-be-a-perversion-of-islam-but-is_1231585.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/peter-bergen-1880_abortion_isis-may-be-a-perversion-of-islam-but-is_1231585.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/peter-bergen-1880_abortion_isis-may-be-a-perversion-of-islam-but-is_1231585.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“ISIS may be a perversion of Islam, but Islamic it is, just as Christian beliefs about the sanctity of the…” — Peter Bergen",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Peter Bergen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "ISIS may be a perversion of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/isis-may-be-a-perversion-of-islam-but-islamic-it-is-just-as-christian/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/isis-may-be-a-perversion-of-islam-but-islamic-it-is-just-as-christian/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
