Enemy Within the Gates

American Thinker ^ | 9 Jul, 2025 | Lars Møller

[MtnClimber]

There was a time when the barbarians stood outside the city gates of Vienna and tried to storm it. That ranks as a defining moment in Western history. Since then, however, we have flung open the gates ourselves and willingly let the enemy in.

Image from Wikipedia Commons: The Turkish Siege of Vienna (August Querfurt, 1750s)

Kahlenberg is a hill outside Vienna. Known for its panoramic views of the capital, a peaceful vantage point covered with groves and vineyards, it is a favorite day trip destination for loving couples and families with small children. Nothing in this idyll, except a modest plaque dedicated to Polish King John (Jan) III Sobieski, bears witness to the fateful drama that unfolded here on September 12, 1683.

It is said that the Islamic advance beyond the Bosphorus Strait finally came to a halt at the gates of Vienna. For centuries, Ottomans had enjoyed nearly unbroken military success, conquering Christian territories in Anatolia and the Balkans. Initially, they bypassed the Byzantine capital, Constantinople, only to gather forces and storm the Theodosian Walls in 1453, finally capturing the dilapidated remains of the metropolis. The desecration of Hagia Sophia was a temporary low point in the history of Christendom. In 1683, however, the turning point seemed to have come for Catholic Vienna.

The Battle of Vienna followed a two-month siege of the city. On one side stood the Holy Roman Empire in alliance with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and on the other side the Ottoman Empire. That the battle did not result in another catastrophe for Christendom is rightfully attributed to the heroic intervention of the Poles. In recognition of his historical importance, it would have made perfect sense to erect a memorial in honor of the Polish king who commanded the Christian forces.

[MtnClimber]

In Vienna, as many as 41.2% of students in primary and middle schools identify as Muslim (compared to 34.5% Christians). This stunning observation renders Muslims the largest religious group in the public school system of the Austrian capital.

[PGalt]

The enemy on the planet.

[BobL]

Nice piece, but if you listen to European leaders all you hear is that it’s the Ruzzians at the gate. Perhaps Europeans are getting tricked...just perhaps. LOL!

[JeanLM]

Read a recent piece that an Austrian parent lamented the fact that his Austrian boy had no one to play with in his kindergarden class who spoke German and of course his son couldn’t understand the Arabic the rest of the class spoke.

I call this cultural climate change and it’s already here.

[Uncle Miltie]

Sometimes, it seems as if muslims in Arabia might be willing finally to accept Israel’s existence, while muslims in Europe effect a total takeover and murder anyone they choose.

[Uncle Miltie]

Sometimes, it seems as if muslims in Arabia might be willing finally to accept Israel’s existence, while muslims in Europe effect a total takeover and murder anyone they choose.

[PGalt]

1 step back, 10 steps forward.

[sauropod]

.

[circlecity]

“ "A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. For the traitor appears not a traitor — He speaks in the accents familiar to his victims, and he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation-- he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of a city--he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to be feared."

Marcus Cicero, 42 BC

[Tell It Right]

Sometimes, it seems as if muslims in Arabia might be willing finally to accept Israel’s existence, while muslims in Europe effect a total takeover and murder anyone they choose.

It certainly seems that way. Of course, the Muslims in Arabia could be applying taqiyya.

[JimRed]

It certainly seems that way. Of course, the Muslims in Arabia could be applying taqiyya.

To a committed Muslim taqiyya is not just a choice, it is a DUTY.

[Col Freeper]