Infidel Awareness Month launches on 9/11 anniversary

A coalition of Jews, former Muslims and Christians is launching Infidel Awareness Month from Sept. 11 to Oct. 7 to remember victims of 9/11 and the Oct. 7 massacre while arguing for open discussion of jihadist ideology. The effort is built around 27 days of programming and a call to name the threat without targeting Muslims as a whole.

Why it matters: - The observance links two of the deadliest recent attacks on Jews, Americans and other civilians: the Sept. 11 anniversary and the Oct. 7 anniversary. - Organizers say the campaign is meant to push public discussion toward ideology, not euphemism. - The effort frames the issue as a defense of free society and equal citizenship, while explicitly rejecting anti-Muslim bigotry.

What happened: - A coalition of Jews, former Muslims and Christians is launching Infidel Awareness Month as a national observance from Sept. 11 to Oct. 7. - The program begins on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and runs through the day after the Oct. 7 anniversary. - Founder and historian Richard Landes is leading the effort. - The initiative is partnered with the Ideological Defense Institute, founded and led by Danny Burmawi.

The details: - The campaign says its focus is to remember victims, examine the history and ideology behind the attacks, and ask why people remain reluctant to name the threat. - Landes said the observance is about “remembering, understanding and speaking plainly.” - Landes also said free society cannot be defended without naming an ideology that has repeatedly declared its opponents to be enemies. - Burmawi said the observance is aimed at confronting an ideology that demands submission and seeks to impose Sharia law across society. - Burmawi said the campaign is not a war on Muslims and that Muslims are among the first victims of the ideology and among its bravest opponents. - Organizers say the word “infidel” is central to the initiative. - The campaign defines “infidel” as anyone outside a supremacist reading of Islam, including Christians, Jews, secular people and Muslims who reject it. - The observance includes three days of context at the start and 27 Days of Truth in the middle. - The program is built around a record, a reckoning and a warning. - The “Record” asks participants to remember victims, name them and tell their stories. - The “Reckoning” focuses on euphemisms, censorship and fear of offense that made open discussion of jihadist ideology harder. - The “Warning” argues the ideology remained present after Osama bin Laden’s death and after ISIS lost its territorial caliphate. - The full program, daily schedule and additional information are available at the official website. - Interview requests are being handled through press@vitamindpublicrelations.com. - The coalition says the effort is independent and supported by private philanthropy.

Between the lines: - The launch reflects a broader push among some critics of political Islam to use direct language they say has been avoided in mainstream public debate. - The messaging is carefully separated from anti-Muslim sentiment, which appears aimed at widening the campaign’s appeal beyond a single religious or political camp. - Centering the term “infidel” turns a slur or exclusionary label into a reclaimed identity marker for the coalition.

What's next: - Infidel Awareness Month will unfold day by day through Oct. 7, with 27 themed days of programming. - The group is seeking interviews in New York City on Sept. 11, including remote or live in-studio appearances. - Organizers are directing readers to the official website and social accounts for updates and daily materials.

The bottom line: - Infidel Awareness Month is a remembrance campaign and an argument over language, ideology and how openly Americans should talk about jihadist threats.