Jihad has always had an international character. Islamic theology stipulates that defensive jihad is fard ayn, or obligatory on every individual Muslim. Since a large number of jihad attacks throughout history, and the overwhelming majority of jihad activity today, is deemed defensive, it has been a recurring phenomenon throughout history that Muslims travel from far and wide to take part in jihad. In The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) I recount some incidents of this taking place at the time of the Crusades. Today we all see how Iraq has been a magnet for the mujahedin, as were Bosnia and Afghanistan before it. And here is another example. “Rebels linking up with foreign jihadists, says PNP official,” from ABS-CBN, :
A lethal mix of militant groups is emerging in Mindanao, a senior police intelligence official said, warning of attacks as foreign and local jihadists share resources, talents and capabilities, a Reuters report said Monday.
The intelligence official, who declined to be identified, said foreign Islamic militants, mostly Indonesians, were building alliances with several homegrown Moro rebels to survive government offensives in the south.
Since July, troops backed by US aerial surveillance vehicles have been combing coastal and mountain villages in Maguindanao province for about 30 rebels from the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, who are thought to be operating with a handful of Indonesian militants.
“These militants are now crossing organizational lines to exchange and share manpower, expertise and resources,” the intelligence official told Reuters late on Sunday.
“If governments in the region are cooperating to eliminate these threats, we are now seeing that terrorists are also sharing their ‘best practices’ to fight back”.