There is jihad and there is jihad, you see. There are “illegitimate attacks against peaceful democracies” and then there are “legitimate acts of resistance against illegitimate regimes around the world.” In other words, in Jafar’s view terrorism is justified against, say, Israel, the Indians in Kashmir, and perhaps the Philippines in Mindanao, the Russians in Chechnya, and maybe even against southern Christians in Sudan. Oh, and let’s not forget the American-backed regimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This highlights the problem inherent in focusing exclusively on “terrorism” instead of on “jihad” or even on “Islamic radicalism.” If the British would declare that they are fighting against those who want to impose Sharia, whether by violent or peaceful means, in Britain and elsewhere, they wouldn’t have to deal with these kinds of objections.
And would the entire Islamic world then rise up against Britain — and America as well? This seems to be the great fear of all the pseudo-conservatives who would rule out of court any discussion of what in Islam needs reforming — and if such reform is even possible. But there are many Muslim states that depend on the United States for a great deal. Perhaps they could be induced to fight against the Sharia-and-caliphate jihadists within their own countries in order to keep that aid flowing. But no one in Washington seems particularly interested in tying the two together.
From AP, with thanks to Sr. Soph:
LONDON – A prominent British Muslim warned lawmakers Monday that proposals for tough new anti-terror laws could undermine the Muslim community’s willingness to cooperate in fighting terror.
Abdurahman Jafar, a senior member of the Muslim Council of Britain, expressed concern about the Terror Bill, which was drawn up in the wake of the July attacks on London’s transit system.
The bill would extend the maximum 14-day detention for terror suspects without charge to three months, outlaw attending terrorist training camps and make it an offense to glorify or encourage terrorism.
Addressing a meeting of Parliament’s joint committee on human rights, Jafar told lawmakers that he feared a “really horrific counter-productive effect” from the bill, partly because of the proposed glorification offense.
He said the measure threatens to merge “the issue of illegitimate attacks against peaceful democracies, with legitimate acts of resistance against illegitimate regimes around the world.”
Jafar, who is vice chairman of the legal affairs committee of the Muslim Council of Britain, also voiced concern about the plans to lengthen the detention period for terror suspects who haven’t been charged.
He said the legislation risked weakening the wider Muslim community’s commitment to fight terrorism in the wake of the July 7 attacks, which killed 52 commuters and four suicide bombers, who were devout Muslims.
The July 7 attacks killed four suicide bombers? What a strange way to put it: as if the suicide bombers were just hanging out at the corner cookstall enjoying a few jellied eels when suddenly the attacks happened.