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Raymond Ibrahim: Al-Qaeda — Defender of Christians?

Feb 4, 2014 1:28 pm By Raymond Ibrahim

Zawahiri

Muslim persecution of Christians is the “Achilles Heel” of the global Islamic movement’s image—the surest way of exposing its supremacist and intolerant elements and one of the main reasons the major media and establishment rarely report or address it.

The logic (fully explained here) can be summarized as follows:

Islamic and jihadi attacks targeting the West or Israel pose no problem to the image of Islam.  No matter how violent or brutal, no matter how many Islamic slogans are shrieked—“Allah commands the subjugation of infidels!”—Muslim violence against the West and Israel will always be dismissed as desperate acts of disempowered, oppressed, and frustrated Muslims—the “underdogs,” which the West tends to romanticize.

And so they will always get a free pass, without further reflection.

But if jihadis get a free pass when their violence is directed against those stronger than them, how does one rationalize away their violence when it is directed against those weaker than them—in this case, the millions of Christians being persecuted today by Muslims across 41 nations?

This is the dilemma that none other than Ayman al-Zawahiri, chief of al-Qaeda, understands.

A few days ago, the Associated Press reported that:

It was a rare call by Ayman al-Zawahri in defense of Christians, who largely supported the popularly backed coup against Mohammed Morsi and were subsequently targeted by a wave of violence.

In an audio message posted on militant websites, al-Zawahri said it was not in the interest of Muslims to be engaged with the Christians because “we have to be busy confronting the Americanized coup of (Gen. Abdel-Fattah) el-Sissi and establish an Islamic government instead.”

El-Sissi is Egypt’s defense minister who overthrew Morsi after millions of Egyptians protested to demand he step down. The head of the Coptic church supported the coup along with other groups.

“We must not seek war with the Christians and thus give the West an excuse to blame Muslims, as has happened before,” al-Zawahiri said.

Although Maamoun Youssef, the AP reporter who wrote this story, portrays it as “a rare call by Ayman al-Zawahri in defense of Christians,” and although the report is titled “Al-Qaida leader opposes fighting Christians,” in fact, Zawahiri’s communique has nothing to do with “defending Christians” or “opposing” the overall jihad on them.

Indeed, Zawahiri himself played an important role in inciting mass violence against Coptic Christians following the anti-Islamist June 2013 Revolution—leading to the destruction of some 80 churches, some with al-Qaeda flags planted atop them.

Moreover, Zawahiri’s like-minded brother and Salafi front-man, Muhammad, allegedly called ousted president Morsi while he was still in office, insisting that the latter take measures to force Christians to pay jizya and live in abject humiliation, according to Koran 9:29.

Instead, Zawahiri’s rationale for this communique “in defense of Christians” is that, in his own words, “We must not seek war with the Christians and thus give the West an excuse to blame Muslims.”… Keep reading

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Filed Under: Al-Qaeda, Muslim persecution of Christians


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Comments

  1. mortimer says

    Feb 4, 2014 at 2:43 pm

    Exactly. The demonization of Christian European white males is the basic program of Cultural Marxism.

    White males are the devil to be destroyed. Therefore brown males have permission to be misogynistic and intolerant, but white males don’t.

    Islamic misogyny, savagery and ethnic cleansing are getting a free ride as long as they destroy Christianity and European males.

  2. mortimer says

    Feb 4, 2014 at 2:50 pm

    So in other words…the Islamic jihad against Christianity has to wait until the MUNAFIQOON (the Islamic hypocrites) are slaughtered…then they can go back to slaughtering Christians.

    • EYESOPEN says

      Feb 5, 2014 at 5:59 am

      mortimer said: “So in other words…the Islamic jihad against Christianity has to wait until the MUNAFIQOON (the Islamic hypocrites) are slaughtered…then they can go back to slaughtering Christians.”

      Right you are, mortimer. You get a cookie! This is all an attempt at PR, to further pull the wool over the dhimmies’ eyes. As Raymond said, the operative words are: “For now”.

  3. CogitoErgoSum says

    Feb 4, 2014 at 3:19 pm

    The zebibah on Mr. Z’s head is quite impressive…..no wearing of a cap, headband or other covering due to any modesty on his part. Nope, that prayer bump is right out there for all to see as a sign of how pious he must be. Yes, he bangs his head against the floor at least five times every day with a great deal of force. Still, I have to wonder about a person who is willing to abase himself to such a degree. I think…..if he abuses himself that violently would he have any qualms about abusing others perhaps even more? Could that bump be an indicator that this man has no respect for himself and most likely none for anyone else who does not agree with his way of thinking? To my way of thinking Ayman al-Zawahri is very much an enthusiastic servant of the imposter god and is a defender of no one…..not even his own soul.

  4. Champ says

    Feb 4, 2014 at 4:11 pm

    What? …is Ayman al-Zawahri now all lovey-dovey towards Christians? Nah!

    Hey with friends like al-qaeda “defending” Christians who needs enemies?

  5. Bamaguje says

    Feb 4, 2014 at 4:52 pm

    “We must not seek war with the Christians and thus give the West an excuse to blame Muslims.” – Ayman al-Zawahiri

    So it’s a tactical retreat to deflect criticism from the West… , not a principled stand in support of religious freedom.

  6. eib says

    Feb 4, 2014 at 5:04 pm

    Quote:
    “We must not seek war with the Christians and thus give the West an excuse to blame Muslims, as has happened before,” al-Zawahiri said.
    end

    Well, Sir, Christians certainly do not seek war with you.
    The problem is that your scriptures tell you two things– that you are to worship the God of the Christians and Jews, and to respect their scriptures.
    The Ummah does neither.
    Your religious culture and imagination are corrupted by the power to do violence.
    Repudiate these.
    Immediately.

  7. eib says

    Feb 4, 2014 at 5:06 pm

    He sounds like a child.
    I did it, but don’t blame me.
    Yeah right.

  8. Islamisdeath says

    Feb 4, 2014 at 7:51 pm

    They are all so creepy looking. Like the mutants in “The Hills” i am Christian and I know these creeps will come after us now or later. Satan demands that they do.

  9. Salah says

    Feb 5, 2014 at 12:04 am

    Too little, too late. THEY HAVE LOST EGYPT. Period. They are in a position of weakness and they will stay that way for a very long, long time.

    Egypt, June 30, ARSH 2013: The Biggest Demonstration in History (33 million)
    The end of the Muslim Brotherhood rule in Egypt, its birthplace, and soon worldwide.

    http://crossmuslims.blogspot.ca/2013/07/the-end-of-muslim-brotherhood.html

    • eib says

      Feb 5, 2014 at 10:52 am

      It speaks very well for the people of Egypt, who value civilization and humanity more than death and nihilism.
      “Radical Islam” is nothing more than modern populist nihilism.
      Violence is its only value.
      Blood is its only currency.

  10. gravenimage says

    Feb 5, 2014 at 11:45 pm

    Raymond Ibrahim: Al-Qaeda — Defender of Christians?

    But if jihadis get a free pass when their violence is directed against those stronger than them, how does one rationalize away their violence when it is directed against those weaker than them—in this case, the millions of Christians being persecuted today by Muslims across 41 nations?
    ………………………………

    Alas, this is not always how this is perceived by many in the West—especially leftists—who usually associate Christians not with a vulnerable minority—which is the reality in the Muslims world—but with well-off Westerners, especially conservative Americans.

    Never mind that this makes no sense whatsoever—but many Westerners simply cannot conceive of Christians as a vulnerable and threatened group.

    More:

    It was a rare call by Ayman al-Zawahri in defense of Christians, who largely supported the popularly backed coup against Mohammed Morsi and were subsequently targeted by a wave of violence.

    In an audio message posted on militant websites, al-Zawahri said it was not in the interest of Muslims to be engaged with the Christians because “we have to be busy confronting the Americanized coup of (Gen. Abdel-Fattah) el-Sissi and establish an Islamic government instead.”
    ………………………………

    Poster Bamaguje is right—al-Zawahri just wants to focus on “hypocrites” and “apostates” for now—plenty of time to oppress and slaughter Christians once the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Qaida retake Egypt…

    More:

    “We must not seek war with the Christians and thus give the West an excuse to blame Muslims, as has happened before,” al-Zawahiri said.
    ………………………………

    Notice he doesn’t actually have a moral problem with Muslims slaughtering Christians—it’s just impolitic right now if even a few in the West notice the genocide.

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