Week in review: Al Qa'eda denounced by Libyan group

Paul Woodward

Jihadist ideology is now under attack from some of its erstwhile proponents. A Libyan group has issued a new religious document denouncing the tactics used by al Qa'eda as illegal under Islamic law.

"In May 2007, Sayyid Imam al Sharif, better known as Dr Fadl, a former member of the al Qa'eda leadership, attacked its tactics of mass slaughter, arguing that this inevitably led to the deaths of innocents, and was therefore un-Islamic," wrote Michael Smith in The National.

"He was particularly critical of the way in which Muslims lived freely within western societies, then attacked the very people who had given them shelter.

Fadl's attack was dismissed by his fellow Egyptian, and former fellow student, al Zawahiri, as having been written while Fadl was in prison in Egypt.

"But last week saw a fresh attack, this time not from just one man, but from a complete militant movement previously aligned to al Qa'eda. The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), issued a new religious document denouncing the tactics used by al Qa'eda as illegal under Islamic law."

The text featured in a new documentary, "The Jihadi Code", which aired on CNN on Sunday.

Omar Ashour, writing for the Carnegie Endowment, described what he calls a second wave of modern Islamist de-radicalisation, which is being laid out through a process of ideological revision in a corpus of writings.

"The new body of literature, which is composed of more than 30 books, mainly deconstructs the eight major arguments of jihadism: al hakimmiyya (God's exclusive right to legislate), al riddah (apostasy, mainly of ruling regimes), al jihad/qital (fighting) for the Islamic state, jihad al daf' (defensive jihad), ahkam al diyar (rules of conduct in the 'abode of Islam' and the 'abode of infidelity'), methods for sociopolitical change, the inevitability of confrontation, and the 'neo-crusader' arguments.

"Deconstructing those arguments in the post-jihadist literature entails an inference shift. The theological arguments of jihadism rest on the idea that literal orders from God supersede any rational calculations or material interests. In other words, al nass fawq al maslaha (the text is above interests); believers are to follow divine commands literally and leave the consequences and results to God. This usually translates into an impetus to engage in armed confrontations against much stronger powers.

"In post-jihadist literature, there is a shift to the idea that interests determine the interpretation of religious texts. If a confrontation, or any other behavior, is likely to lead to negative consequences, it must be forbidden and should be avoided. In other words, it is theologically sanctioned pragmatism."

Johann Hari, in The Independent, tracked down some of Britain's best known former jihadis to find out what had led to their change of heart.

They included Maajid Nawaz who had been a prominent member of the pan-Islamist political group, Hizb ut-Tahrir.

More at the National

Nidal Hasan and Fort Hood: A Study in Muslim Doctrine (Part 2)

Raymond Ibrahim

Click here to read part one.

Amongst learned infidels, jihad is the most recognized and notorious of all Muslim doctrines.

Literally meaning to “struggle” or “strive,” jihad can take on any form, though its most native and praiseworthy expression revolves around fighting, and killing, the infidel enemy — even if it costs the Muslim fighter (the mujahid) his life:

“Let those who would exchange the life of this world for the Hereafter fight in the path of Allah; whoever fights in the path of Allah — whether he dies or triumphs — we shall richly reward him” (Koran 4:74). And “Allah has purchased from the faithful their lives and possessions, and in return has promised them the Garden. They will fight in the path of Allah, killing and being killed” (Koran 9:111).

The hadith also has its fair share of anecdotes advocating the “one-man jihad.” Zawahiri’s treatise, “Jihad, Martyrdom, and the Killing of Innocents,” (AQR p. 137-171), spends much time justifying the desperate solo jihad — otherwise known as the “martyrdom operation” — including by offering the following hadith: “A Muslim asked Muhammad, O Messenger of Allah! If I plunge myself into the ranks of the idolaters and fight till I am killed — what then, to heaven? He [Muhammad] said yes. So the man plunged himself into the ranks of the idolaters, fighting till he was slain” (AQR, p. 153).

The learned ulema agree. According to al-Qurtubi (d. 1273), “There is no wrong for a man to singlehandedly attack a mighty army — if he seeks martyrdom — provided he has the fortitude.” Others indicate that one of the reasons making the one-man jihad permissible is that it serves to “terrify the foe” (AQR, p. 155).

And there it is: When all else failed, when Hasan’s forthcoming deployment into Muslim land forced him to expose where his true loyalty (wala’) lies, pretense (taqiyya) gave way to full-blown struggle (jihad).

Hasan, who sacrificed many years to become a psychiatrist and a U.S. Army major, in the clear words of the Koran “exchange[d] the life of this world for the Hereafter.”

Evidence also indicates that he believed “martyrdom operations” were not only valid but laudable acts of courage, writing “YOUR INTENTION IS THE MAIN ISSUE” (capitals in original).

Zawahiri puts it more articulately: “The deciding factor is … the intention.”

Is the mujahid killing himself “to service Islam [laudable martyrdom], or is it out of depression and despair [forbidden suicide]?” (AQR, p. 157).

(Unfortunately and, no doubt, much to Hasan’s chagrin, infidel medics ensured his failure to achieve martyrdom.)

The greatest proof that, at least in his own mind, Hasan was waging a jihad is the fact that he utilized that immemorial jihadi war cry — Allahu Akbar! — which has served to terrify the infidel denizens of the world for centuries.

Here’s an example from Muslim history (circa the early 8th century): “The [non-Muslim] inhabitants of eastern Anatolia were filled with terror the likes of which they had never experienced before.

All they saw were Muslims in their midst screaming ‘Allahu Akbar!’ Allah planted terror in their hearts. … The [non-Muslim] men were crucified over the course of 24 km” (from Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk).

More at Pajamas Media

Muslim Writer Decries Weak Response to Zawahiri

Following up on our story about CAIR's quick and easy condemnation of the Ayman al-Zawahiri tape in which Al Qaeda's No. 2 man slurs President-Elect Barack Obama, blogger Abdur-Rahman Muhammad shows us some groups aren't even capable of taking such an easy shot. He asks:

"Where is the Muslim Alliance of North America (MANA), ostensibly the representative of Black Islam in this country, to stand up and defend the honor and reputation of the millions upon millions of Black folks, indeed all of Americans, who voted for this brilliant young man?"

Muhammad then lists a series of Black Muslim leaders including the Muslim American Society's Mahdi Bray, who, at the time of his posting, had not been heard from about Zawahiri's slur:

"The absence of any public indignation on the part of these so-called leaders is truly a disgrace, and if it were any people other than the Muslims would have been a scandal. In my judgment, if there are any "house negroes" around, it is these servile, supine, completely useless leaders who allow their people to be abused in this ugly manner without a word!"

Muhammad often confronts the conventional wisdom of self-proclaimed spokesmen for the American Muslim community. He read the evidence and court filings about Sami Al-Arian and challenged those defending him. Saying it was his "duty to tell the Muslims that they are blindly defending someone who admitted to helping terrorists." (Author's emphasis)

He even posted this internal Muslim Brotherhood document from 1991 defining the group's role in America as "a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within."

It prompts some interesting debate and some name calling by Muhammad's critics. For those of our readers who view Islam as monolithic, Muhammad's blog, A Singular Voice, is an eye opener.

Source: IPT Blog

Al-Qaeda: Iran must stop crediting Israel for 9/11

Bin Laden deputy slams Tehran for purporting Israel behind terror attacks on US, says Shiite rule Iran trying to discredit Sunni group's 'successes'

Osama Bin Laden's chief deputy in an audiotape Tuesday accused Shiite Iran of trying to discredit the Sunni al-Qaeda terror network by spreading the conspiracy theory that Israel was behind the Sept. 11 attacks.

The comments reflected the increasing criticism by al-Qaeda's No. 2 leader Ayman al-Zawahri against Iran, which al-Zawahri has accused in recent messages of seeking to extend its power in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and through its Hizbullah allies in Lebanon.

Al-Zawahri spoke in a two-hour audiotape posted on an Islamic militant Web site, in which he replied to hundreds of questions submitted on the Internet by al-Qaeda sympathizers. One of the questioners asked about the theory that has circulated in the Middle East and elsewhere that Israel was behind the 2001 suicide airplane hijacking against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Al-Zawahri accused Hizbullah's Al-Manar television of starting the rumor. ''The purpose of this lie is clear - (to suggest) that there are no heroes among the Sunnis who can hurt America as no else did in history. Iranian media snapped up this lie and repeated it,'' he said. Read more ...

Source: AP