It depends what the definition of 'is' is

Barack Obama has continued to insist the target of his bombing campaign in Syria and Iraq, which calls itself Islamic State, which Obama calls ISIL and which the rest of the world calls ISIS, is not only not Islamic, but some horrible aberration of everything for which "the religion of peace" stands.

Somehow it makes me nostalgic for what seem like the good old days of the 1990s when we had a president who parsed his words in more equivocating fashion. If asked if ISIS were Islamic, Bill Clinton might say something like: "It depends what the meaning of 'is' is."

Of course, they'd both be wrong.

ISIS is certifiably Islamic. It's orthodox. It's fundamentalist. It's true to the Quran and the Hadith. Its beliefs and strategies are based on the actions of Muhammad and his immediate disciples. To paraphrase an expression familiar to Americans, ISIS is as Islamic as an imam's baklava.

This is how Islam became one of the fastest-growing empires in the history of the world – and the very largest ever.

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Please consider that statement carefully. I am being very precise here: Islam swept through the Arabian Peninsula within a lifetime following Muhammad's death by emulating his savagery, which included killing all male opponents, raping their wives and daughters and enslaving their sons, as Muhammad had done in conquering the Jewish city of Medina.

As Islam spread into Africa, Europe and Asia, Islam became the largest empire in the history of the world – both in land mass captured and peoples under its rule.

In India alone, the Hindu population lost some 80 million lives during the 500-year Islamic siege. If those numbers are accurate, it would be among the world's greatest genocides.

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Wherever Islam attacked, it generally did so in fast-moving, cavalry-style armies of a few thousand that would kill, loot, rape and burn everything in their path to strike fear into the hearts of enemies so they might faint without providing too much resistance. Beheading was common and traditional. Taking hostages is a long-standing Islamic tradition,

What exactly Barack Obama sees in ISIS that is a departure from jihadist Islam of the past is really a question he should be asked. However, I won't hold my breath waiting for the politically correct beltway media to ambush him with that one.

You cannot read the history of the spread of Islam without recognizing the crystal-clear parallels between what those successful armies of the past did and what ISIS is doing today.

Islam conquered by the sword.

The only choice enemies were ever given was to convert, die or serve in a form of slavery or indentured servitude known as dhimmitude. Dhimmitude status has often been regarded by Islam-friendly historians as part of the religion's "golden age" of tolerance. Anyone familiar with dhimmitude understands it is far less hospitable than "second-class citizenship."

So, ISIS looks like, sounds like, walks like and smells like Islam's conquering armies of the past.

How exactly is it different?

In the eyes of Obama and other multiculturalists, a group that finds something good about every culture in the history of the world except the American culture, Islam is just a misunderstood, peaceful religion that probably got the short end of the sword from Christians and Jews.

That's really their view in a pistachio nutshell.

That's where Obama is coming from – wishful thinking, imaginary history, distorted reality, bad intel.

And that's how we're marching off to war against ISIS.

It's not a good prescription for quick victory.

Worst of all, Obama and other multiculturalists are so certain in their willfully ignorant view of the past, present and future that it reaches the level of arrogance.

By not recognizing that the appeal of Islam is precisely what makes ISIS such a threat, Obama is ensuring it is not defeated.

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