Obama Gives ISIS Street Cred by Calling Them ISIL—And He Knows It

January 13, 2016

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Why is it that most of us refer to the Islamic State as ISIS while the president and his administration use ISIL? It's no accident. In fact, it's very intentional and meaningful.

"I-S-I-S is Islamic State of Iraq and Syria," Glenn explained. "I-S-I-L goes beyond Iraq and Syria, and it goes into the Levant."

So just what is the Levant? It's a group of regions that includes Israel. While ISIS is controlling great portions of Iraq and Syria, they have not yet conquered Israel, a key part of the Levant. So when Obama uses "ISIL" he is intentionally giving a nod of respect to ISIS, recognizing their place in Islamic prophecy.

"[As] part of their [stated] prophecy, they're going to cobble together an army in Iraq and Syria, and they're going to take over the Levant," Glenn further explained. "Well, they haven't taken over the Levant yet, but our president is recognizing basically their prophecy and saying, 'Yep, that's you. You're the ones. You're the ones that the Prophet Muhammad has been talking about.'"

Glenn also revealed chilling details in recent ISIS propaganda---ISIS Safety and Security Guidelines for Lone Wolf Mujahideen---that specifically instructs radicals how to blend into Western societies and avoid being detected before carrying out a terrorist attack.

"I want to show you the ISIS Terror Manual," Glenn shared. "I found it on Truth Revolt today. The instructions include avoiding mosques, shaving your beard and wearing Christian crosses [so as] not to appear Muslim."

The how-to guide relies heavily on the "importance of surprise when launching an attack to cause maximum impact."

What does the president say every time we have a lone gunman? That it's not part of ISIS. It's not part of jihad. It's not part of Islam. Why? Because they're a lone wolf.

"If this president says this is definitely not happening and you're a fool or conspiracy theorist that needs to be mocked and ridiculed if you believe it is," said Glenn, "take that to the bank that the opposite is true.

Enjoy this complimentary clip from The Glenn Beck Program:

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.

GLENN: Did anybody have a problem that the president is still calling ISIS ISIL?

STU: I don't. I mean, they committed to it a long time ago. They've been consistent -- the one thing they've been consistent here --

GLENN: Is their trashing of Israel?

STU: Well, okay, that. But also their hatred for individual rights, but other than that.

GLENN: The one thing he is really consistent on is his trampling of the Constitution and his hatred of Israel.

STU: Okay. Certain things, consistency has not been an issue for this president, I will grant you.

GLENN: Yes.

STU: But ISIL, they have been -- from the beginning, they've picked ISIL instead of ISIS and have stood by it the entire time.

GLENN: Well, the reason why you would pick ISIL is because you want to include the Levant. And the Levant includes Israel.

STU: That's the L, in case you don't know. It's been a while since we covered that.

GLENN: Yeah. I-S-I-L is HEP Levant. I-S-I-S is Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. I-S-I-L goes beyond Iraq and Syria, and it goes into the Levant. It also speaks that the Levant is Israel. It also speaks to their prophecy.

And here's the one thing -- I don't care if you believe in their prophecy or not. I don't. In fact -- well, I kind of do. I actually believe their prophecy is from the gates of hell. I do believe that their philosophy because I've studied what they believe the end times to be, and then I know what we believe the end times to be, and the stories match. It is almost as if you took the Book of Revelation and said, "This is going to freak them out. I'm going to make their bad guy, our good guy, and their good guy, our bad guy." It's literally like that.

It is, their good guy comes up out of nowhere, gathers an army, the world begins to bow to him, those who don't bow to him are beheaded and killed and rounded up. And the world is washed in blood. This is their good guy. And he washes the world in blood. And anyone who won't bow and declare that Allah is God and Muhammad is his prophet is beheaded and killed.

Well, that pretty much is the Book of Revelation. It doesn't say it's Allah. But that's the Book of Revelation. Then the Messiah comes. They agree, Jesus comes. They actually agree with that. Jesus does come.

But when Jesus comes, he testifies to the Christian world that they're wrong and that Allah is God and the prophet is Muhammad. And then Jesus grabs the sword and he starts beheading anybody who doesn't agree. That's the way their story ends.

Our story is, okay. There's a guy. He kind of comes out of nowhere. He starts to cobble together an army. He gets all of the world to fall in with him. Anybody who doesn't fall in with him, he starts to kill and behead and crucify. And then Jesus comes. And Jesus says, "You're wrong, and I'm going to bind you up for 1,000 years. But you're wrong." That's the way -- so the same story, except their guy is the good guy, and their guy to them is the good guy. And he's our bad guy.

So that's what they believe. Now, I don't have to believe that Jesus is coming back right now. I don't have to believe that these are the end times. I don't have to believe any of these things. I won't be have to believe that they believe it. Because they're saying it. And part of their prophecy is, they're going to cobble together an army in Iraq and Syria, and they're going to take over the Levant.

Well, they haven't taken over the Levant yet. But our president is recognizing basically their prophecy and saying, "Yep. That's you. You're the ones. You're the ones that the Prophet Muhammad have been talking about. Yep. That's you. Because even though you don't have the Levant yet, you're going to get it. Because that's what the prophecy says."

Their prophecy also says that we all have to gather at a place called Dabiq, and that is where Armageddon happens. And they are going to deliver a massive blow to us in Dabiq. All of the world's nations will gather together, and we will come to this -- what is only just a little small farming town, and we will gather there and they will have a massive battle with us. And as the Prophet Muhammad says, "They will win."

PAT: It's not far from Des Moines, is it?

GLENN: No, you're thinking of HEP Dabuke.

PAT: Oh.

GLENN: Yeah, it's a little different. This one is in the Middle East.

PAT: Okay. All right. So it's a different farming town.

GLENN: Yes. Yes. But a farming town, nonetheless.

PAT: I was confused for a second.

And you talk about adding legitimacy, which he continually does. Because if we say that they're Islamic terrorists, that gives them the legitimacy they seek. You're telling me that calling them ISIL and adding Levant to it doesn't give them the legitimacy they want?

GLENN: And every nation that joins gives them the legitimacy. And by us not wiping them out, they say, "See. The world is afraid of us because they know our prophecy and they know that Allah is on our side and we're going to sweep." So by not wiping them out, by not hitting them really hard, by not breaking the chain of their prophecy, we're fulfilling their prophecy.

And it doesn't matter if it's real or not. That's the way -- you know, he always talks about. That's just a recruiting tool. That's just a recruiting tool. The biggest recruiting tool in the Middle East is, "This is the time the prophet foretold, where we take over the entire world." This is the time -- this is why they call themselves the army HEP of Armageddon. This is the time of Armageddon.

STU: Continued success, essentially, is their greatest recruiting tool.

GLENN: Yes. Yes.

STU: The longer you let them hang out and control this area --

GLENN: The longer you don't go in with with guns a blazing -- and we can do it all from the air. You can do it from the air.

JEFFY: I mean, we have. He told us last night. With our 65 other partners, we've been bombing the bad guy.

GLENN: And the secret number for them is 80. Got to be 80 partners. That's the secret -- so we want to build this coalition, good, they want us to. They want 80 flags coming against them in Dabiq.

And so the more we talk about, "Hey, well, we've got this coalition," the more they're saying, "Of course, you have this coalition. That's what the prophet said you would."

STU: Now, to hear the president tell the story last night though, the problem with us not being able to defeat ISIS is because Congress will not legitimize this effort.

GLENN: Since when?

STU: So he wants to be super tough on ISIL, but Republicans are getting in the way. That's the problem. That was a new wrinkle on this conversation.

GLENN: Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.

STU: His hands are tied. Because he just cares so much about congressional approval over the things he does, he can't possibly -- can't possibly do this!

GLENN: So the other thing he always says is that it's always a lone wolf. Right? Always a lone wolf. There's nothing to worry about. This is just one guy. It's just this one guy.

These guys are just nothing but a bunch of guys in the back of a truck. Back of a truck. No big deal. And that shooter, he has nothing to do with Islam. It's just one guy. He's a lone wolf. How many times have you heard that? This is just a lone wolf.

I want to show you the ISIS Terror Manual. The ISIS Terror Manual. We now have it from sources at Great Britain. I found it on True Revolt today.

The terror manual that is now circulating among the refugees in Europe instructs jihadists on how to blend in with the West and avoid being detected before carrying out a terrorist attack.

The instructions include avoiding mosques, shaving your beard, and wearing Christian crosses not to appear Muslim. The how-to guide -- I'll give you the name here in a second -- relies heavily on the, quote, importance of surprise when launching an attack to cause maximum impact.

It has now been translated into English. It explains how to go to nightclubs because they are full of loud music and drunk people and they are the perfect place to discuss terror plans without being recorded or spied on.

If you can avoid having a beard -- I'm quoting now the terror manual -- if you can avoid having a beard, wearing, is it kwamas? HEP Kwamas? Using -- using HEP Miswhack. I don't even know what that is. Or having a booklet with you, it's better.

It is permissible for you to wear a necklace showing a Christian cross. As you know, Christians or even atheist westerners with Christian background, wear crosses on their necklaces. But don't wear a cross necklace if you have a Muslim name on your passport, as that will look strange.

If you want to use perfume, don't use the oily nonalcoholic perfume that Muslims use. Instead, use generic alcohol perfume as everyone else does. If you're a man, use perfume for men.

If you're wearing a watch, do not wear it on your right hand, as this is a sign that you're religious. If you have an engagement ring or something like that, it's better to wear one in gold or better yet, not wear anything at all. A silver ring tells people that you are religious as Islam forbids the wearing of gold rings for men.

In all, the booklet with burning buildings illustrated on the cover is intended for operatives already in the West, those that know their surroundings and how to behave normally day by day as a European.

What does the president say every time we have a lone gunman? That it's not part of ISIS. It's not part of jihad. It's not part of Islam. Why? Because they're a lone wolf.

The name of the terror manual from ISIS Safety and Security Guidelines for Lone Wolf HEP Mujahadines.

If this president says this is definitely not happening and you're a fool or conspiracy theorist that needs to be mocked and ridiculed if you believe it is, take that to the bank that the opposite is true.

Featured Image: Pat, Glenn, Stu and Jeffy settle in for a long night of Political Science Theater 3000 to watch President Obama’s final State of the Union address on Tuesday, January 13, 2016. (Photo Credit: TheBlaze)

Civics isn’t optional—America's survival depends on it

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn's Show Prep

Obama Gives ISIS Street Cred by Calling Them ISIL—And He Knows It

Civics isn’t optional—America's survival depends on it

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Taking up the torch

Start small and local

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Picking up his torch

Two turning points, decades apart

A time for courage

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

From Muhammad to Marx

Gifts from God, not the state