This jihad etiquette is not written down, and for good reason. It varies as much in interpretation and practice as extremist groups vary in their goals. But the rules have some general themes that underlie actions ranging from the recent rash of suicide bombings in Algeria and Somalia, to the surge in beheadings and bombings by separatist Muslims in Thailand.
Some of these rules have deep roots in the Middle East, where, for example, the Egyptian Islamic scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi has argued it is fine to kill Israeli citizens because their compulsory military service means they are not truly civilians.
The war in Iraq is reshaping the etiquette, too. Suicide bombers from radical Sunni and Shiite Muslim groups have long been called martyrs, a locution that avoids the Koran’s ban on killing oneself in favor of the honor it accords death in battle against infidels. Now some Sunni militants are urging the killing of Shiites, alleging that they are not true Muslims. If there seems to be no published playbook, there are informal rules, and these were gathered by interviewing militants and their leaders, Islamic clerics and scholars in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and England, along with government intelligence officials in the Middle East, Europe and the United States.
Islamic militants who embrace violence may account for a minuscule fraction of Muslims in the world, but they lay claim to the breadth of Islamic teachings in their efforts to justify their actions. “No jihadi will do any action until he is certain this action is morally acceptable,” says Dr. Mohammad al-Massari, a Saudi dissident who runs a leading jihad Internet forum, Tajdeed.net, in London, where he now lives.
Here are six of the more striking jihadi tenets, as militant Islamists describe them…..
In contrast: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” (Rom 10:17)
Is there any doubt that those who practice the things spoken in the article are evil and so twisted by sin that they no longer can tell good from evil?
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
Let me add to this discussion by insisting that a person is a “suicide” bomber only if they kill themself. As soon as two or more persons are killed by the resulting explosion of a “suicide” bomber then they become a “HOMOCIDE” bomber. Nuff said!
Has the good Episcoislamist reverend seen this article?
Truly sick.
In Afghanistan, in the war on terror, a seven man SEAL detachment made a decision not to kill villagers who had stumbled across their “hide” position. They let them go free. As a result, all but one member of the detachment were killed by the Taliban. Yes, a few Afghanis did help one of the SEALs escape, but the SEALs raised in the American Judeo-Christian tradition did not kill those who had discovered them even though six of them payed for that act of mercy with their lives.
In Iraq, an Army Special Forces “A” detachment of approximately 12 men was discovered in its “hide” position by two young girls wandering through the area. Again, these Americans spared the lives of the two girls and let them go free. Shortly thereafter, they were attacked by a large Iraqi force and and in a highly involved ‘nip and tuck’ rescue operation barely escaped with their lives.
So when I read about these Muslims and their rationalizations regarding the murder of human beings, I came away with a deep sense of how Christ impacts the behavior of our armed forces and a sense of loathing for murderous Muslim intolerance.
Here’s one flaw in the article: “Islamic militants who embrace violence may account for a minuscule fraction of Muslims in the world…” Those who espouse the violent jihad may be about 10%, with another 20% or so who wouldn’t do it, but think it’s okay. That’s not a minuscule fraction. With one billion Muslims worldwide, that’s a whole lot of people. In addition, many in the majority who don’t espouse violent jihad are afraid to openly oppose it, for fear that the violence will hit them or their families.
We should not forget that Muhammad spread Islam at the point of a sword.
“Islamic militants who embrace violence may account for a minuscule fraction of Muslims in the world…”
Sadly, poll numbers throughout the world show that Muslims who SUPPORT the actions of these militants is much more than a “minuscule fraction”.