The Wall Street Journal is very pleased that the U.S. military is using ex-jihadists to fight against those who are still jihadists in Afghanistan. It’s all in “U.S. Teams Up With Ex-Mujahedeen” by Yochi J. Dreazen, October 10.
And in the course of the article there is the obligatory denial that those who are waging war in the name of Islam and jihad are actually waging war for Islam and jihad. In this article it’s put this way:
He said that there are key differences between the two generations of
Islamic fighters. Capt. Suleimanjan says that while the mujahedeen
tried to avoid harming civilians, the Taliban have killed Afghan
engineers working on roads and burned down several schools. “They use
the name of Islam, but it’s fake,” he said.
So it appears that Captain Suleimanjan is angry that the Taliban kills Afghan engineers — i.e., their fellow Muslims. This is in accord with the Koran: “It is not for a believer to kill a believer unless (it be) by
mistake” (4:92). The Taliban, of course, would argue that in fighting against them or aiding the resistance to them, these engineers had rendered themselves enemies of Islam, and thus lawfully to be killed. But in any case, while disagreement may stand on that point, what does Captain Suleimanjan think when the Taliban kills Infidels? That doesn’t seem to play a part in his indignation over what the Taliban does — at least from what can be seen in this article.
It’s too bad that there are no reporters on the Wall Street Journal staff or anywhere else who would know to ask people like Captain Suleimajan such questions, or dare to do so.