In PJ Lifestyle this week I recall five basic truths that everyone, especially the directors of the 9/11 Museum, should know about 9/11. Most people, however, probably don’t know these things — and for that we have the mainstream media to thank.
A controversy erupted last week at the National September 11 Memorial Museum over exactly how the museum should depict what happened on that fateful day. So it’s time to give them a few unsolicited suggestions.
The New York Times reported that Muslim leaders in New York are angry about a film that is slated to be shown at the museum titled The Rise of Al Qaeda because it “refers to the terrorists as Islamists who viewed their mission as a jihad.” Sheikh Mostafa Elazabawy, the imam of Masjid Manhattan, wrote to the museum’s director: “The screening of this film in its present state would greatly offend our local Muslim believers as well as any foreign Muslim visitor to the museum.”
Wait – aren’t the “local Muslim believers,” as well as any given “foreign Muslim visitor,” supposed to be part of the vast majority of Muslims worldwide who abhor and reject al Qaeda? So why would a film about al Qaeda offend them? Because, Elazabawy explains, “unsophisticated visitors who do not understand the difference between Al Qaeda and Muslims may come away with a prejudiced view of Islam, leading to antagonism and even confrontation toward Muslim believers near the site.”
Akbar Ahmed, a professor at American University and a renowned and respected moderate Muslim, complained that people who see the film are “simply going to say Islamist means Muslims, jihadist means Muslims.” While he acknowledged that “the terrorists need to be condemned and remembered for what they did,” he warned that “when you associate their religion with what they did, then you are automatically including, by association, one and a half billion people who had nothing to do with these actions and who ultimately the U.S. would not want to unnecessarily alienate.”
But this is a sleight-of-hand: it is not the 9/11 Museum that is associating their religion with what they did. It was the 9/11 hijackers themselves who associated their religion with what they did. Elazabawy and Ahmed want the museum to ignore and whitewash that fact, and it will almost certainly comply: it has already begun to do so by removing mention of “Islamic terrorism” from its website.
In a just world, however, it would highlight these five truths:
5. The 9/11 hijackers were Islamic jihadists acting in accord with Islamic imperatives.
In March 2009, the masterminds of the 9/11 plot, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ramzi bin As-Shibh, Walid bin ‘Attash, Mustafa Ahmed AI-Hawsawi, and ‘Ali ‘abd Al-’Aziz ‘Ali – styling themselves as the “9/11 Shura Council” –wrote a lengthy communiqué titled “The Islamic Response to the Government’s Nine Accusations.”
In it, they wrote:
Many thanks to God, for his kind gesture, and choosing us to perform the act of Jihad for his cause and to defend Islam and Muslims. Therefore, killing you and fighting you, destroying you and terrorizing you, responding back to your attacks, are all considered to be great legitimate duty in our religion….We ask to be near to God, we fight you and destroy you and terrorize you. The Jihad in god’s [sic] cause is a great duty in our religion.
They quoted numerous Qur’an verses, including one stating that “to those against whom war is waged, permission is given (to fight,) because they are wronged and verily, Allah is most powerful for their aid” (22:39), and another commanding Muslims to “fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but be not the transgressor, Allah likes not the transgressors” (2:190). They even quoted the notorious “Verse of the Sword”: “Then fight and slay the pagans wherever you find them, and seize them, and besiege them and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush” (9:5).
To cinch their case, they used two verses enjoining Muslims to strike terror into the hearts of their foes: “Soon shall we cast terror into the hearts of the unbelievers, for that they joined companies with Allah, for which he has sent no authority; There [sic] place will be the fire; and evil is the home of the wrongdoers” (3:151); and “Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into the heart of the enemies of Allah and your enemies” (8:60).
Five years have passed, and no moderate Muslim authority has taken up this Islamic case for 9/11 and refuted it on Islamic grounds. This doesn’t mean that the jihadist argument is ipso facto correct, but for Elazabawy and Ahmed to pretend, and to demand that the 9/11 museum pretend, that the 9/11 plotters had no Islamic case and did not identify Islam as the motive and justification for their actions simply flies in the face of the facts.
4. The hijackers hoped to strike fear in the hearts of non-Muslims.
In accord with the Qur’anic imperative to strike terror into the hearts of the enemies of Allah, Mohammed Atta reminded himself in notes he wrote just before the attack to do just that:When the confrontation begins, strike like champions who do not want to go back to this world. Shout, “Allahu Akbar,” because this strikes fear in the hearts of the non-believers. God said: ‘Strike above the neck, and strike at all of their extremities.’ Know that the gardens of paradise are waiting for you in all their beauty, and the women of paradise are waiting, calling out, “Come hither, friend of God.” They have dressed in their most beautiful clothing.
The “Strike above the neck, and strike at all of their extremities” quote is also from the Qur’an (47:4). The gardens and women of Paradise are also spoken of in the Qur’an (52:17-20; 55:62-76; etc.), underscoring the fact that Atta and his companions saw their mission and goal in exclusively Islamic terms….
Read the rest here.
jack diamond says
Let them put up on the walls the written instructions given the hijackers, which Robert has quoted in the article and (in a slightly different translation) begins: “Remember: it is a raid for the sake of Allah. Recite the prayer. As you take the seat, recite the prayer. Mention Allah a lot. When the hijacking begins shout ‘Allah is Great(est)!’ because the shout strikes terror in the hearts of the infidels…seconds before the target your last words should be, ‘There is no god but Allah. Mohammad is His Messenger!'”
No religion there.
Then put up the words of bin Laden himself, for study:
“Muslims and especially the learned among them, should spread Sharia law to the world, that and nothing else…(Muhammad said) “I have been commanded to battle mankind until they declare there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah… he also said, per Berida “Call them to Islam, if they respond (convert) accept this… if they refuse to accept Islam, demand of them the jizya… if they refuse, seek the aid of Allah and fight them. Does Islam, or does it not, force people by the power of the sword to submit to its authority, corporeally if not spiritually? Yes.”
“In fact, Muslims are obligated to raid the lands of the infidels, occupy them, and exchange their systems of governance for an Islamic system, barring any practice that contradicts the Shari’a from being publicly voiced among the people as was the case at the dawn of Islam….divine foundations (are) built upon hating the infidels, repudiating them with tongue and teeth till they embrace Islam or pay the jizya with willing submission and humility. The Prophet was sent in the final hours with the sword so that none is worshiped but Allah, alone, partnerless.”
–Osama Bin Laden “Moderate Islam is a Prostration to the West”
Raymond Ibrahim, The Al Qaeda Reader
This was al Qaeda’s Islamic justification for 9/11 and instead of confronting it or refuting it (because the “moderates” cannot do so from the Qur’an and Sunnah) we are simply to remain silent about it because we risk “alienating” a billion Muslims and (look for it) will be causing potential acts of violence against innocent Muslims–antagonism and confrontation, i.e. “Islamophobia”– by presenting the truth of what happened on 9/11. The real question is what is owed the thousands who were murdered that day by those fighting in the cause of Allah, inspired solely by their book and the example of their prophet to do what they did, in exchange for paradise. What is owed them is to tell the truth. Period. Those who can’t deal with the truth can stay far, far away.
jack diamond says
The full quotation from bin Laden is better: “our talks with the infidel West and our conflict with them ultimately revolve around one issue–one that demands our total support, with power and determination, with one voice–and it is: Does Islam, or does it not force people by the power of the sword to submit to its authority corporeally if not spiritually? Yes. There are only three choices in Islam: either willing submission; or payment of the jizya, through physical though not spiritual, submission to the authority of Islam; or the sword–for it is not right to let him (an infidel) live. The matter is summed up for every person alive: Either submit, or live under the suzerainty of Islam, or die…the West avenges itself against Islam for giving infidels but three options: Islam, jizya, or the sword. Now, then, you (Muslim) intellectuals: Are these options a part of the faith or not? This is what the debates truly revolve around–so stop evading and dissembling the truth with lies!”
It’s still a good question Mr. Ahmed.
Saleem Smith says
Those handful of Muslims that joyfully brought down the Twin Towers in NYC took great pleasure in what they did!
In truth they were only following the instructions and example explained to them by Muhammad the psychotic false prophet of Islam.
We ex-Muslims know that Islam is a fraud.
Sahih Bukhari 4:52.220: “I have been made victorious through terror”.
http://www.faithfreedom.org/challenge/terrorist.htm
EYESOPEN says
Robert – and Jack Diamond – are absolutely correct. We owe it to those who were murdered on 9/11 to tell the truth about the reason for 9/11. What is more, we owe it to the largely ignorant masses here – and elsewhere – to plainly state the truth about 9/11. Anything less is cowardice, and yet another capitulation to islam’s supremacist and hate-filled “religion”.
mortimer says
And CAIR says: “You Americans can’t handle the truth.”
John Rgood says
This article should be standard text for American Junior and High School U.S. History. Although that may never happen I will make kids I know read and understand it.
eib says
9/11 was a Muslim attack against the West, in effect, a Muslim “crusade.”
Refuse to accept this reality, and the entire event has no context at all.
Jay Boo says
Them damn radicals from a non-specific monotheistic culture between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian ocean
El Cid says
The local Muslims might as well say that the Inquisition was not committed by Catholics.
Who are they kidding?
xyz says
Why dont u stupid Americans bow down to islam. Open your eyes. Its time to put them back in their place.. Deportation is the only way.. go back to ur war countries and kill each other.
Change a politician if he is pro muslim if he changes laws to side muslims..