Zarqawi: "It is a Crusade war"

The assumption that the 9/11 attacks were perpetrated by a tiny minority of extremists who have hijacked a peaceful religion is still held uncritically by most people. However, it has lost a lot of ground: even some Muslim reformers acknowledge that theirs is a minority position, and here and these even mainstream media sources have admitted that in Islamic theology the jihadist perspective dominates today.

Still, many Islamic spokesmen and their allies in America tell us glibly that the 9/11 attacks are condemned by Islam because Islam forbids the killing of innocent civilians. Now here is Zarqawi offering an Islamic refutation of that view, centering particularly on the fact that Muslims are killed in his "martyrdom operations." I ask all who identify themselves as Muslim moderates -- Khaleel Mohammed, Jamal Badawi, Stephen Schwartz, Ibrahim Hooper, anyone -- to supply, please, a reply to this piece by Zarqawi, reasoning from Islamic principles. For if Islamic moderates convince non-Muslims that Islam is peaceful, those non-Muslims will go home reassured, but that is all: only if the moderates can convince their fellow Muslims will there be any weakening of the jihadist initiative.

"Zarqawi: And The Grandchildren Of Ebn Al-Alqami Have Made A Come Back," from the pro-jihad site Jihad Unspun, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist:

The Media Department of Al-Qaida in the Land of the Two Rivers presents the following statement by Mujahid Sheikh Abu Mesa’ab Al-Zarqawi, may Allah preserve him.

In The Name Of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

{Soon will you remember what I say to you (now. My (own) affairs I commit to Allah: for Allah (ever) Watches over His Servants.} 40:44

Praise be to Allah, whose Help glorifies Islam, whose Irresistibility humiliates Shirk (rejection of oneness), whose Command manages all affairs, whose Planning draws the Kafirs (unbelievers) in little by little, whose Justice causes days of blessings and days of suffering to alternate, and whose Grace makes final victory belongs to the pious. And peace and prayer be on the one that with his sword, Allah elevated Islam status.

The constant struggle between righteousness and falsehood since the beginning of creation till the Day of Judgment has been the practice of Allah. Past history has shown us various forms of this struggle.

We are now witnessing a renewal of one chapter of this struggle, at the hands of the cross worshippers, who have announced it loud and clear: It is a crusade war.

They came and spread mischief and oppression, violated Muslim sacred symbols, spread their Kufr (rejection of faith) system, and transgressed all bounds against Muslim honor and dignity. They were and still are being aided by their allies from Shia. The Shia sect has always spearheaded any war against Islam and Muslims throughout history.

All this is happening while the rulers of this Ummah (nation) are in a state of apostasy, the wicked scholars have looked the other way and sold their Deen (religion) for a miserable price in this life, and while righteous people were unaware of the nature and scope of the current campaign against Islam.

The True Mujahideen have stood up to defend this Deen (Islam) and protect Islam’s honor and dignity. They were outnumbered, outgunned, and out-supported. But they decided to answer the call of Allah to go for Jihad to eradicate Kufr and Kafirs.

They were faced with the most powerful, indecent, and arrogant military machine in modern times. But the practice of Allah dictates that in these kind of confrontations, the falsehood is superior in numbers and armor so that Allah tests His Servants and separates the true believers from the rest. This also illustrates that victory can only be realized by the Grace of Allah. Therefore, this will lead the true believers to invoke Allah to come to their aid and they will have no doubt that Allah is sufficient for them.

The huge gap between what the enemy of Allah has (in terms of personnel, weapons, logistic support, etc.) and what they (the Mujahideen) have, led them to conclude that they must come up with an effective way to make up for their deficiency in order for the torch of Jihad to stay lit. Martyrdom operations were the answer. Therefore, the Martyrdom Seekers Brigade came into existence. Graduates of this Brigade, have wasted no time and sped as fast as they can towards the enemies of Allah in order to pound their shelters, spread terror in their heart, and win the pleasure of Allah. They raced as far as they can on the road to paradise. They inflicted very heavy casualties on the enemies of Allah and expose the true weakness of the American military machine. By the Grace of Allah, the Mujahideen have dismantled the myth about “the American super power”, and have proven that the US can no longer claims that it has an unbeatable military force. The results of those martyrdom operations renewed hope on the part of many Muslims, Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah).

However, the defeatists from our own skin decided to stab the true Mujahideen in the back and throw doubts about the permissibility of their operations. They have in fact directly or indirectly helped the cross worshippers in their campaign against Mujahideen. The defeatists, the unfaithful, and the ill-intentioned people from our own skin, have criticized our operations against the enemies of Allah on the bases that some of these operations results in killing so called “innocent civilians”.

The Mujahideen carry out their operations under strict adherence to the rules of engagement as set forth by Allah, His messenger, our prophet Muhammad, and his companions. And why not? After all, the Mujahideen took to the battle fields only to establish the Deen of Allah (Islam), to make the word of Allah high above any others, and to gain the pleasure of Allah.

In this address, I will put forth and clarify the judgment and the rules of Allah’s Sharia’ah (Islamic Jurisprudence) in connection with those incidents in which Muslims are killed as a result rather than the main target of Mujahideen operations. I do not intend to address the legality of martyrdom operations for it has been decided by more than one scholar already.

The origin of this address is taken from a research study done by our Mujahid, Sheikh Abu Abdulallah Al-Muhajir, may Allah preserve and sustain him (2).

My success can only come from Allah.

There is no doubt that Allah commanded us to strike the Kuffar (unbelievers), kill them, and fight them by all means necessary to achieve the goal. The servants of Allah who perform Jihad to elevate the word (laws) of Allah, are permitted to use any and all means necessary to strike the active unbeliever combatants for the purpose of killing them, snatch their souls from their body, cleanse the earth from their abomination, and lift their trial and persecution of the servants of Allah. The goal must be pursued even if the means to accomplish it affect both the intended active fighters and unintended passive ones such as women, children and any other passive category specified by our jurisprudence. This permissibility extends to situations in which Muslims may get killed if they happen to be with or near the intended enemy, and if it is not possible to avoid hitting them or separate them from the intended Kafirs.

Although spilling sacred Muslim blood is a grave offense, it is not only permissible but it is mandated in order to prevent more serious adversity from happening, stalling or abandoning Jihad that is. If one says that we must not allow the killing of Muslims under any circumstance, especially in light of modern war tactics, this means nothing except stalling or permanently abandoning Jihad. This will lead to handing over the land and people to the unbelievers who are full of hate for Islam and Muslims. The unbelievers will have a free hand to humiliate and persecute Islam and Muslims and Muslims will be forced to live by Kafir rules and be treated like slaves. Many Muslims will be pressured or forced to give up their religion, Islam will be altered, modified, and replaced with another form that will be totally different from that which was revealed to the one who was sent with the sword, peace and prayer be upon him.

This is exactly what they (the unbelievers) are aiming for. They are doing their best to accomplish their goal, and they are being aided by many of so called “Muslims” and the Ulama (scholars) of money and corruption. So which adversity is more dangerous in the sight of Allah?

Zarqawi goes on to quote hadith and various Islamic scholars. To dismiss him as being "not an Islamic scholar" is not enough: moderate Muslims must formulate an answer to this kind of Islamic argumentation. The world is still waiting.