Islamist Ideology and Terror

American Jewish Committee
The Jacob Blaustein Building
165 East 56 Street
New York, NY 10022
The American Jewish Committee publishes in these areas:
• Hatred and Anti-Semitism • Pluralism • Israel
• American Jewish Life • International Jewish Life
October 2006
• Human Rights
$5.00
www.ajc.org
“
The leaders of the Islamic world need to be brave and announce:
Islam and Western democracy have nothing in common.
Islam has nothing in common with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Islam has nothing in common with Western liberalism and that kind of freedom.
Islam stands in opposition to these ideas.
”
hasan abassi, theoretician of the iranian revolutionary guards corps
Islamist Ideology and Terror
Part I: Words
AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE
Table of Contents
1. Introduction…………………………………………………………............. 2
2. Islamic Extremism
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Children and Martyrdom……………………………………………..
Women’s Rights………………………………………………………..
Homosexuality………………………………………………………....
Convert or Die……………………………………………………….....
Reestablishing the Islamic Caliphate………………………………...
Down with the West…………………………………………………...
3
5
10
14
15
16
3. Acknowledgments……………………………………………………….... 21
1
Introduction
Islamists are Muslim extremists who subscribe to an ideology of the supremacy of Islam, which they seek to spread, when they deem appropriate, through violent actions around the world. While radical Islamists represent only a fraction of the broader Muslim population, they are hijacking their religion for their own destructive politico‐religious ends. Contrary to some popular impressions, their movement did not spring from a class of disaffected youth protesting their lot in life. In fact, many of their leaders come from the upper, better‐educated classes of society. Their ideological commitment drives their actions. Their goal is not merely the destruction of Israel; that is only one stop on their path to an extremist‐dominated world. Islamist leaders speak openly about their designs to reestablish a Islamic caliphate across several continents and their desire for Sharia (Islamic law) to be imposed throughout the world. This is not the stuff of fantasy, but a massively funded, loosely connected terrorist network using sophisticated communications networks to help achieve these goals. This work is divided into two parts. This first part examines the words and beliefs of Islamic extremists. We are indebted to the invaluable work of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) for providing much of the material for this portion. The second part explores some of the violent actions around the world inspired by the Islamist rhetoric expressed in this section.
2
Children and Martyrdom
Islamists teach children to aspire to martyrdom.
On Egyptian TV, an Egyptian cleric instills the “value”
of martyrdom by telling a story about a “courageous”
child who became a martyr at fifteen years old. “Let’s listen to a very beautiful story to learn about the courage of a child, and how, when a child is brought up in a good home, and receives proper education in faith, he loves martyrdom, which become like an instinct in him….
“My friends, when a martyr dies, his clothes serve as his shrouds. They shroud him in his clothes and they do not wash him, because he is washed by the angels.”1
“Muslims must … educate their children to jihad … educating the children to jihad and to hatred of Jews, the Christians, and the infidels; educating the children to jihad and to revival of the embers of jihad in their souls. That is what is needed now.”2
‐‐ Saudi government preacher Sheikh Majed ‛Abd Al‐Rahman Al‐Firian
[1] Clip No. 1185, Middle East Media Research Institute, June 15, 2006.
[2] Special Report No. 12, Middle East Media Research Institute, December 20, 2002.
3
Children and Martyrdom
Islamists use a variety of “gimmicks” to inspire children to kill themselves in the name of Allah. This cartoon, aired on Iranian television, uses animation to glorify suicide bombing to a younger audience.
In this story, a boy avenges the death of his mother by joining a terrorist group. The boy decides, at the end of the cartoon, that the best way to take revenge is to kill “the enemies” by blowing himself up on their convoy. Suicide bombing and martyrdom are common themes on Iranian television.
[Source] Clip No. 906, Middle East Media Research Institute, June 15, 2006.
4
Women’s Rights
Women are exploited as vehicles to produce future martyrs.
“The Palestinian woman’s womb is a factory for the conflict; it produces fighting children. After this fighting child is produced, he is taught: ‘This is your land, this is your country, you will fight for it, stand on it, and die for it.’
Therefore, a very important connection exists between motherhood, land, and blood.”1
‐‐ Syrian author Dr. Georgette Attiyya
A young child participating in an Al‐Qaeda terrorist training exercise. Found on the Web by Middle East Media Research Institute.2
[1] Clip No. 715, Middle East Media Research Institute, June 15, 2005.
[2] Clip No. 971, Middle East Media Research Institute, December 2005.
5
Women’s Rights
Women are told that they have weaker minds than men have.
Sheikh Jassem Al‐Mut’awa explains on a Saudi Arabian television program that women’s minds work differently than men’s: “In a man, thinking is number one and talking is number two. This is how a man moves, thinks, and speaks…. For a woman, talking is number one. Talking precedes thinking. Thinking comes only after she talks. That is why, in many cases, a woman speaks … she begins, for example, with a sentence or two, or maybe three, and then we see a woman say, after she already started talking, ‘No, no, no, this is not the subject I am talking about.’ And she starts another subject that she really wanted to talk about.”
Source: Clip No. 55, Middle East Media Research Institute, May 4, 2004.
6
Women’s Rights
Muslim extremists limit a woman’s role in society.
“A woman has no need to go out to work because the wise Islamic law ruled that her expenses should be paid by her father, husband, or guardian. If a woman is forced to go to work, she is obliged to receive her guardian’s permission; she must wear a veil as required by Islamic law; she must avoid mixing with men;
she must avoid work forbidden by Islamic law; her work must not cause her to overlook her duties.”1
‐‐ Sa’ud Aal ‛Abd Al‐Latif, commenting on a Saudi religious channel, Iqra TV
“Human rights in the West are tainted by contradictions…. These laws that presume to call for women’s rights neglect the natural differences between man and woman and give the woman rights she is incapable of bearing.”2
‐‐ Sa’d Al‐Breik,
lecturing on human rights, Iqra TV “Permitting women to leave the home, so that they rub up against men in the marketplaces and talk with people other than their chaperones—with some even exposing parts of their bodies prohibited from exposure—are forbidden acts, a disgrace, and lead to destruction.”3
‐‐ Sheikh Muhammad Al‐Nimr, speaking at a mosque in Saudi Arabia
[1] Clip No. 169, Middle East Media Research Institute, July 25, 2004.
[2] Clip No. 126, Middle East Media Research Institute, June 22, 2004.
[3] “Friday Sermons in Saudi Mosques,” Middle East Media Research Institute, September 26, 2006.
7
Women’s Rights
The Islamists limit women’s mobility and condone abuse.
“[Those who call to allow women to drive] want to destroy society, corrupt it, and drag it down into the depths of decay and permissiveness, like in Western societies.”1
‐‐ Saudi cleric Dr. Abd Al‐’Aziz Al‐Fawzan, speaking on Saudi television, Al‐Majd TV
“Because of his natural ability and his responsibility for providing for his family, the man is the head of the house and of the family. He is entitled to the obedience and cooperation of his wife, and accordingly, it is not permissible for her to rebel against his authority, causing disruption. Without a captain, the ship of the household will flounder and sink.
“If the husband senses that feelings of disobedience and rebelliousness are rising against him in his wife … it is permissible for him to beat her lightly with his hands, avoiding her face and other sensitive parts.”2
‐‐ Sheikh Yousuf Al‐Qaradhawi, one of the most influential clerics in Sunni Islam, in his book, The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam.
[1] Clip No. 735, Middle East Media Research Institute, June 17, 2005.
[2] Special Report No. 27, Middle East Media Research Institute, March 22, 2004.
8
Women’s Rights
Extremists view women’s rights as a Western weakness. “Two Lovers,” by the Persian artist Riza, circa 1500. Here the lovers are inextricably bound together, connoting a very different interpretation of male‐female relationships than the extremism revealed on the right.
“The intelligent people in the [West] admit that a woman does not feel comfort and is not happy unless she’s under a man who commands, forbids, controls, and leads. This is the nature of people according to Allah’s creation…. It is not surprising, then, that a French woman came before a judge in the land of false freedom and equality [the West] and said: ‘I don’t want this husband.’ The judge asked her: ‘Why?’ and she replied: ‘He didn’t lead me, didn’t oppress me, didn’t castigate me, didn’t talk to me violently, didn’t say: Don’t do this, do that.’ The judge replied: ‘Don’t [his actions] support those who call for equality between man and woman?’ The infidel woman answered, ‘No, no, I don’t want him to compete with me. I want a man who leads and rules me.’”1
‐‐
From a Friday sermon on Qatar TV
[1] Clip No. 244, Middle East Media Research Institute, September 3, 2004.
9
Homosexuality
Government‐sponsored fundamentalism punishes homosexuality by death.
An interview on Al‐Jazeera with Sheikh Yousuf Al‐Qaradhawi
Interviewer: “How should a homosexual or a lesbian be punished?”
Two teenagers, above, were executed in 2005 in Iran for homosexual activity. Homosexuality is punishable by death in that country.2
Al‐Qaradhawi: “The same punishment as any sexual pervert—the same as the fornicator…. The schools of thought disagree about the punishment…. Some say we should throw them from a high place, like God did with the people of Sodom. Some say we should burn them…. The important thing is to treat this act as a crime.”1
[1] Clip No. 1170, Middle East Media Research Institute, June 5, 2006.
[2] “Iran: Two More Executions for Homosexual Conduct,” Human Rights Watch, November 22, 2005.
10
Homosexuality
Homosexuals are ranked below animals by Islamic extremists.
“The clerics determined how the homosexual should be killed. They said he should be stoned to death. Some clerics said he should be thrown off a mountain. This is an abominable act in human life, and so the punishment is severe….
“If moral values sink to this level, man becomes lower than a beast. Therefore, the punishment was extremely severe, and the position of Islam was clear and courageous. There should be no lenience in this case, and government and countries must enforce the law strictly against anyone committing such an abomination. No one should say it is a matter of genes or a personal issue that doesn’t concern us. This could cause the deviation of society as a whole.”1
‐‐ Islamic cleric Tareq Sweidan,
speaking on Qatar TV
The gay pride parade in Israel. This is the only such parade permitted in the Middle East.
[1] Clip No. 674, Middle East Media Research Institute, April 22, 2005. 11
Homosexuality
Extremists view homosexuality as a weakness in Western culture.
“When Western culture sinks to the level of marrying a woman to another woman and a man to another man—this is destructive human and moral corruption. They [the West] can never be proud of their culture in light of this depravity and perversion of nations.”1
‐‐ Lebanese cleric Muhammad Al‐Jozo
“Human beings in the West need to change. Homosexuality has become a way of life.... If the homosexuals don’t want to live under such a system [in England], by all means, they can leave.”2
‐‐ Omar Bakri Muhammad, a leading London Islamic extremist, who was later deported from the U.K. for inciting violence
Malik Ayaz (in green) was a slave who later became a king as a result of his relationship with the Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi (in red). In ancient Persia, Ayaz came to be recognized as the ideal beloved. The two have gained pride of place among the favorite pairs of lovers in Persian literature. This acceptance of homosexual relationships is in sharp contrast to the views expressed on the left.
[1] Clip No. 244, Middle East Media Research Institute, September 3, 2006.
[2] Sarah Wilson, “The London Militants Who Are Guided by Allah,” Scotsman, September 3, 1996.
12
Homosexuality
Islamist ideology extends even to secular governments.
In May 2001, 52 people were arrested in Cairo for homosexuality. After spending six months in jail awaiting trial, 23 of those men were eventually jailed for terms of up to five years. While there is no specific law against homosexuality in Egypt, the courts avoided this problem by charging the men with “contempt of religion, falsely interpreting the Koran and exploiting Islam to promote deviant ideas.”1
Egyptian law‐enforcement officials guard men arrested on charges of homosexuality
In May 2002, President Hosni Mubarak annulled the verdict of 50 of the 52 men tried in 2001 in connection with their alleged sexual orientation and, as a consequence, 21 prisoners of conscience were released. However, Mubarak upheld prison terms imposed on two men in the same case by an (Emergency) State Security Court for Misdemeanors. Sherif Farahat was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and Mahmud Ahmed ‛Allam
Daqla to three years’ imprisonment.2
[1] “Egypt Jails ‘Debauched’ Gays,” Guardian, November 15, 2001.
[2] Issandr El Amrani, “Egypt’s Leader Dumps ‘Debauchery’ Verdict against Gays,” Guardian, May 31, 2002. 13
Convert or Die
Islamic extremists give non‐Muslims two choices—convert or die.
“To America and the rest of Christendom, we say: Either repent for your misguided ways and enter into the light of truth, or keep your poison to yourself, and suffer the consequences in this world and the next.”1
‐‐ American Al‐Qaeda operative Adam Gadahn
Adam Gadahn,
an American Al‐Qaeda operative
“And may Allah lengthen our days to allow us to infuriate the enemies of Allah, kill them, and strike them by the sword until they either join the religion of Allah or we kill every last one of them.”2
‐‐ Abu Hajjer, a confidant of Osama bin Laden, in an interview on Voice of Jihad Al‐
Qaeda’s online magazine [1] Special Dispatch Series No. 1281, Middle East Media Research Institute, September 6, 2006.
[2] Special Dispatch Series, No. 601, Middle East Media Research Institute, October 31, 2003.
14
Reestablishing the Islamic Caliphate
Islamists seek to reclaim lost Muslim territories as far as Andalusia, Spain.
“Any land, any piece of land … which at a certain point belonged to the Muslims—as far as we are concerned, plundering and occupying such land is forbidden, and it is the duty of all Muslims to do what they can to liberate this land, wherever it may be. True, many precious Muslim lands are under occupation today. They have been forgotten, and Andalusia is one example. Nevertheless, it is the duty of the Muslims to liberate them.”1
‐‐ Sheikh Muhammad Ali, a Palestinian Islamist,
interviewed on Al‐Manar TV
A Catholic church in Malaga, a part of Andalusia that the Islamists seek to reclaim
“The war with Israel is not about a treaty, a cease‐fire agreement, Sykes‐Picot borders, national zeal, or disputed borders. It is rather a jihad for the sake of God until the religion of God is established. It is jihad for the liberation of Palestine, all Palestine, as well as every land that was a home for Islam, from Andalusia to Iraq. The whole world is an open field for us.”2
‐‐ Ayman al‐Zawahiri, a senior Al‐Qaeda leader, posted on a jihadist Web site
[1] Special Dispatch Series No. 967, Middle East Media Research Institute, August 23, 2005.
[2] “In their Own Words: What Terrorists Believe, What They Hope to Accomplish, and How They Intend to Accomplish It,”
Whitehouse.gov, September 2, 2006.
15
Down with the West
Islamist ideology promotes a clash of civilizations.
Libyan leader Mu’ammar Al‐Qadhafi
“All people must be Muslims….
“We have fifty million Muslims in Europe. There are signs that Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe—without swords, without guns, without conquests. The fifty million Muslims of Europe will turn it into a Muslim continent within a few decades….
“Europe is in a predicament, and so is America. They should agree to become Islamic in the course of time, or else declare war on the Muslims.”
‐‐ Libyan President Mu’ammar Al‐Qadhafi,
speech aired on Al‐Jazeera
[Source] Clip No. 1121, Middle East Media Research Institute, April 10, 2006.
16
Down with the West
Extremists openly admit that they do not believe in human rights, and celebrate their terrorist tactics.
“The leaders of the Islamic world need to be brave and announce: Islam and Western democracy have nothing in common. Islam has nothing in common with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Islam has nothing in common with Western liberalism and that kind of freedom. Islam stands in opposition to these ideas.
“... If one can cause the infidels and God’s enemies to tremble in fear, then that is a point of pride for us. We are proud of this terrorism. The terrorism that rocks the infidels foundations.”
‐‐ Hasan Abassi, head of the Center of External Security Doctrinal Analysis of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, lecturing at Tehran University
Iranian women burning a U.S. flag on a Tehran street
[Source] Clip No. 251, Middle East Media Research Institute, May 23, 2004.
17
Down with the West
America and the West would be obliterated if Islamists had their way.
“America has reached her peak, we admit it, America has reached a peak but, by Allah’s will, it is on the way to the Abyss.”
‐‐ Ibrahim Mudayris, an official in the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs,
speaking on Palestinian television
“Annihilate the infidels and the Polytheists. Your [God’s] enemies and the enemies of the religion. God, disperse their gathering and break up their unity, and turn on them the evil adversities. God, count them and kill them to the last one, and don’t leave even one.”
‐‐ Palestinian Imam Sulman Satari, speaking the day after the London bus and subway bombings
[Source] Itamar Marcus, “A Compendium of Palestinian Authority Hatred of America,” Palestinian Media Watch, 2006.
Image from: Itamar Marcus and Barbara Cook, “PA and Hezbollah,” Palestinian Media Watch, August 16, 2006.
18
Down with the West
Extremists revel in destruction and pray for the annihilation of the West.
“Oh, Allah, destroy America and its supporters and collaborators. Oh, Allah, destroy Britain and its supporters and collaborators.”
‐‐ A Palestinian mufti making a radio address “A divine blow will be dealt soon to the U.S. …
by Allah’s will. The believers will rejoice with Allah’s victory.”
‐‐ Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Razek, a Palestinian religious leader, on Palestinian TV ”God willing … this oppressive country America will disappear. The oppressive country Britain will disappear.”
‐‐ Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Maadi, Palestinian preacher, in his weekly sermon on Palestinian TV
[Source] “Hatred of the United States and the West,” Palestinian Media Watch, 2006.
19
Down with the West
Non‐Islamic religions are deligitimized.
“Today we will talk about one of the distorted religions, about a faith that deviates from the path of righteousness …
about Christianity, this false faith, and about the people whom Allah described in His book as deviating from the path of righteousness. We will examine their faith, and we will review their history, full of hate, abomination, and wars against Islam and the Muslims.”
This ancient Persian painting (circa 1200) depicts the Hebrew version of a popular Muslim poem, “Khosrow va Shirin.” This painting reflects a one‐
time symbiotic relationship between Jews and Muslims in ancient Iran.
‐‐ Sheikh Abd Al‐Muhsin Al‐Qadhi, in a Friday sermon delivered in a central mosque in Saudi Arabia
“The Jews and Christians are infidels, enemies of Allah, his Messenger, and the believers.”
‐‐ Sheikh Marzouq Salem Al‐Ghamdi, speaking in Saudi Arabia
[Source] “Saudi Sermons in Saudi Mosques,” Middle East Media Research Institute, September 26, 2002.
20
Acknowledgments
Researched and written by: Maxine Kaye
Senior Assistant to the Executive Director,
American Jewish Committee
Julia Levy
Research Assistant, Tanner & Co. Ari Fridman
Legacy Heritage Fellow, American Jewish Committee
Conceived and supervised by:
David A. Harris
Executive Director, American Jewish Committee
21
Works in this Series
A Diminished World Body:
An Overview of the UN and Israel (February 2006)
Hatred Unmasked: Hamas Speaks (February 2006)
Iran in its Own Words (March 2006)
Israel in the European Media:
A Case Study, 2000-01 (April 2006)
Rationalizing Terrorism:
A Case Study of the Immediate Aftermath of 9/11 (April 2006)
How Can There Be Peace in the Middle East?:
A Study of Anti-Israel and Anti-Semitic Cartoons in the Arab Media (May 2006)
An Incubator of Hatred:
Pervasive Anti-Semitism in MAUP, a Leading Ukrainian University ( July 2006)
Over a Barrel: How America’s Dependence on Foreign Oil
Endangers our National Security, Economy, and Environment ( July 2006)
Hezbollah:
The Face of Global Terror ( July 2006)
Talking Sense: Selected Views
on the Israel-Hezbollah Conflict ( July 2006)
Syria: Brokering Hate
on Israel’s Border (August 2006)
Islamist Ideology and Terror:
Part I: Words (October 2006)
Islamist Ideology and Terror:
Part II: Actions (October 2006)
Available at www.ajc.org or by contacting Dan Larson at (212) 891-1366.
American Jewish Committee
The Jacob Blaustein Building
165 East 56 Street
New York, NY 10022
The American Jewish Committee publishes in these areas:
• Hatred and Anti-Semitism • Pluralism • Israel
• American Jewish Life • International Jewish Life
October 2006
• Human Rights
$5.00
www.ajc.org
AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE