Musharraf vows jihad to wipe out terror

Embattled Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has called for a jihad against terror. Doesn't he know that jihad is just a spiritual struggle to bring the soul into conformity with God's will? How can he wipe out terror by calling on Pakistanis to try to become more spiritual and avoid temptation? The report comes from Sify News:

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf took his campaign against extremism and terrorism to a new level at the weekend, calling for a jihad against the menace in his first address to a stormy session of the parliament that was marred by opposition heckling. . . .

Musharraf said Pakistan was blamed for terrorist attacks from its tribal areas in neighbouring Afghanistan, for terrorism across the disputed border in Kashmir and for nuclear proliferation and was considered an intolerant, extremist society.

"We have to tackle with full force such foreign elements who can cause terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan," he said. . . .

"I appeal to you and the people of Pakistan to wage a jihad (holy war) against extremism," Musharraf said.

Musharraf has to be aware that jihadis don't think of themselves as terrorists or extremists in the first place. They consider themselves to be just that — jihadis. As I show in Onward Muslim Soldiers, they use an abundance of traditional Islamic theology and law to justify their actions. Does Musharraf mean that he is going to confront and repudiate that, initiating a large-scale reform of Islam? I doubt it.

Posted by Robert at January 18, 2004 9:07 AM
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