There is nothing particularly new in this statement from the jihadist leader Abu Asaid Al-Iraqi: he rejoices and thanks Allah that he has been able to kill many Americans. However, it was sent to me this morning around the same time that I received the latest round of an ongoing exchange I am having with a prominent moderate Muslim — which should be published in a few days, once I write my response. The contrast couldn’t be more striking: the moderate Muslim excoriates me for not sufficiently appreciating the successes of moderate Muslims around the world.
I confess that is true that I am underwhelmed, and this piece is one example of why. Here is a blood-soaked terrorist commander thanking Allah that he has killed many Americans and Iraqis. Clearly he sees these killings as part of his religious duty. So do the people at Jihad Unspun who posted his message. What headway are Muslim moderates around the world making against such people, to convince them to lay down their arms and adopt a different understanding of Islam? Not bloody much. And the reason for that is one that I have repeated for several years now, ever since I first pointed it out in Islam Unveiled, but I have yet to see more than a handful of self-proclaimed moderate Muslims acknowledge: that the passages of the Qur’an and Sunnah enjoining violent jihad are so many and so clear that a Muslim who argues against their clear meaning is easily refuted as a hypocrite or apostate by the jihadists. This is an enormously important point, as it is the linchpin of jihadist recruitment — but in the American media, even those who don’t blame America for today’s global jihad refuse to look squarely at it and examine its implications. Thus they cut off at the knees the prospects for Islamic reform that they profess to support. No reform is likely to come at all, but it certainly won’t come when no one is willing to admit what exactly needs to be reformed in the first place.
“The Jihad Market Is Open: Al-Qaida’s Commander In Iraq Responds To Zarqawi’s Call,” from the jihadist site Jihad Unspun, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist:
Sheikh Abu Asaid Al-Iraqi, the Commander of the military wing of Al-Qaida in the Land of the Two Rivers has responded to Friday”s statement released by Abu Mesaab Zarqawi, Amir of al-Qaida’s Iraq operations with a tape recorded statement of his own.
In it, he addresses the significant number of successful strikes against the Americans and their collaborations over the weekend. This Arabic tape is also available on the sidebar on the JUS front page under “Uncensored News”.
Sheikh Al-Iraqi’s response explains the sharp rise in attacks following Zarqawi’s statement and addresses him as follows:
“My beloved Sheikh and Amir, I have received your message, in which you asked us not to let night fall on us without having our swords dripping from blood of the enemies of Allah. I have already sent out the best lions of your soldiers to pound the castle of the cross worshippers and their collaborators. Alhamdulillah, the catch was great, American casualties were in the tens, apostate Iraqi casualties were even more, by the Grace of Allah.”…