The "religion of peace" struck again Saturday night in London, when three terrorists drove a van into a crowd of pedestrians on London Bridge, then jumped out and reportedly shouted, "This is for Allah," as they stabbed passersby with knives.

With seven more dead and 48 more wounded in the latest attack, it's hard for many to believe Islam is truly a religion of peace, as many politicians and media figures have claimed.

But Islam is a religion of peace, according to a former Homeland Security officer who specialized in Islamic theology and the strategy and tactics of the global Islamic movement. It's just that the Muslim definition of peace is different than the Western one.

"Peace is defined by pledging loyalty to Shariah law," said Philip Haney, who worked in Customs and Border Protection. "They define everything that they do based on their loyalty to the principles of Shariah law, and it's a component of Shariah that peace is not possible within this world we live in until Shariah law is established. So I tell people tongue-in-cheek that Islam is a religion of peace, just not right now. It will be when Shariah law is implemented, but not until then."

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Haney, co-author of "See Something, Say Nothing: A Homeland Security Officer Exposes the Government's Submission to Jihad," said the Quran mandates warfare until the entire world submits to Islam – and once everyone lives under Shariah law, that will be the definition of peace.

As for those Muslim nations that are not currently fighting wars against non-believers, Haney said they are simply in a state of temporary truce, not actual peace, with non-believers.

Author and filmmaker G.M. Davis, who wrote the book "House of War: Islam's Jihad Against the World," said Muslims do not perceive a contradiction between their stated commitment to "peace" and their commitment to fight in the name of Allah.

"Muslims as a rule do see their religion as one of peace, even while many might simultaneously say it is a religion of fighting and of death in battle," Davis told WND.

"While we might imagine that there is a psychological disconnect between imagining one's religion is a religion of peace and committing violence in its name, this does not seem to be the case. Islam is Allah's religion for the world and Shariah is its constitution; together they form (in the mind of the believer) a perfect, unbreakable unity, that together bring the promise of peace and happiness for all mankind – at least for all of those willing to accept it.

Davis said those who do not accept Islam, and especially societies that do not, "declare war on Allah and his faithful and must be brought into submission by force if necessary."

"For the believing Muslim, the violence done is on the part of the unbeliever, for it is the unbeliever who violates the will and law of Allah; the jihadist, who fights or carries out an attack, is merely a passive instrument of Allah's predetermining will," he said. "Because Allah has foreordained Islam to one day cover the globe, jihadists now are merely bowing to Allah's will and helping in this divine process."

CNN reported reported one of the London Bridge attackers, Khuram Butt, appeared in a 2016 TV documentary about jihadis in Britain. Butt, who went by the name "Abz," was filmed in a park unfurling the black flag commonly associated with ISIS.

After Butt unfurled the flag, he and his fellow Muslims could be seen bowing before the flag as if in prayer.

But they weren't praying, according to Haney. Rather, they were most likely pledging Bay'at to the global Islamic movement.

"Bay'at" refers to a pledge of spiritual allegiance. According to AlaHazrat.net, it means "to surrender yourself totally to a Spiritual Master (Murshid) to guide you to Allah."

In this case, Haney believes the jihadis were surrendering themselves to the global Islamic movement, which is far bigger than ISIS. So, in his view, the Bay'at is the reason Butt carried out the London attack and the reason why countless jihadis around the world carry out attacks in the name of Allah.

"They've pledged allegiance to the global Islamic movement, and at the current time in history this is what the global Islamic movement is asking them to do," Haney said. "'You want to be good jihadi soldiers? Go after the unbelievers using trucks and cars and knives. Now is your time; go for it.' That's exactly what they're doing. So there's a reason behind it; it's not arbitrary."

Haney is running out of patience with counter-terrorism officials in Western countries who act befuddled every time a Muslim carries out a terrorist attack.

"These people keep saying, 'We don't know what their motives were,'" Haney said. "Yes, you do. They told you what their motives were; over and over, they've told you. You just don't want to accept it."

Your government is not doing all it can to protect you – hear it straight from a DHS whistleblower. Get "See Something, Say Nothing: A Homeland Security Officer Exposes the Government's Submission to Jihad" now at the WND Superstore!