The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
New statement from the Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan: "Self-Same Jirgas Have Been Convened By Former Communists"
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Last night, friend of the blog, DP, who writes at the al Sahwa Blog, wrote a post (which I urge you to read) about establishing a counter narrative strategy to hinder al-Qā’idah’s (AQ) message. DP asked me to respond to his post. It should be noted that I am in no way a counterterrorism or strategic communications expert, therefore what is written below should be taken as a few quick thoughts from one who has a more academic background. Further, some of the topics discussed in the below post are only briefly touched upon and not fully fleshed out or given an in-depth or nuanced treatment due to the brevity of this type of intellectual correspondance. If you would like more information about a particular issue discussed below in more detail feel free to email me. That said, comments are welcomed.
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The main thrust of DP’s post expounds upon the following question:
“Is AQ Muslim?” Can we not agree to define AQ as not Muslim?
DP responds by stating:
The US and its allies can not benefit (socially or economically) from considering AQ’s and AQAM’s thought and action as Muslim in nature. Indeed, AQ’s stance rests on a dis-illusionary system of motivation and justification that is insane and self-centered. If the AQ definition and practice of Islam is now and/or were to continue to be acceptable, their philosophy would remain on the spectrum as a religious choice. A CNS must (re)affirm that violence and oppression are not adequate and/or viable avenues of fulfillment, freedom, and happiness; that AQ is not a choice.
Indeed, there are valid points above, but I see one glaring problem, which is that it is not the role of the government to decide what is or is not a legitimate religious practice even if one disagrees with it. Obviously, the United States and other nations combating AQ and its associated movements (AQAM) should identify who the enemy is as mentioned in the post and as is correctly pointed out the United States should not include Islam as a descriptor when describing them. Doing so gives AQAM religious credence. This might seem counter to what was previously stated above, but it is not. In other words, one should not describe the activities of AQAM as “Islamic extremism,” “Jihadism,” and other similar descriptors since it provides a level of Islamic legitimacy to their actions and it might feed in to AQAM’s message that the United States is at war with Islam. This is due to the simple fact that most Muslims would argue that they perform jihād too, but in a non-violent matter. Rather the “Greater jihād” (جهاد الاكبر) of ones soul to be a better Muslim. Therefore, are they “Jihadists” too? It is also problematic due to other reasons, but due to the scope of this post it is not necessary to delve into the matter. At the same time, the government should not be the arbiter of what is a particular religion especially in the case of (Sunni) Islam because there is no centralized leader similar to Catholicism. Furthermore, one then gets in to the problem of narrowing in on only the violent aspects of AQAM and not the non-violent groups, which essentially have the same ideology, though, with different strategic aims and goals.
There is another angle one can take, though, without fully expunging AQAM of its links to Islam. First, one can describe AQAM as “Kharijites” or “Neo-Kharijites.” The Kharijites or in Arabic Khawārij (خوارج; those who go out or seceders) were a group of Muslims that were born out of the First Islamic Civil War or The First Fitnah (disturbance, upheaval, or anarchy; 656-661 C.E.). This group is universally viewed negatively by Muslims due to their fundamentalist and violent approach to Islam as well as the fact that they assassinated the fourth and the last of the rightly-guided Caliphs ʿAlī Ibn Abī Ṭālib. The actions of the Kharijites, though, not linked in any manner bear some resemblance to AQAM due to their egalitarian take on the interpretation of Islam.
Second, one can highlight the fact that members of AQAM are not experts in the Islamic sciences nor were they classically trained to perform any type of ijtihād (اجتهاد; a method of legal reasoning for Islamic scholars (علماء, ‘ulamā’); there are four levels of ijtihād). Obviously individuals in AQAM do not really care about classical Islam and the rules that govern who should be interpreting the Qur’ān (قرآن) and ḥadīth (حديث; pl. aḥādīth, احاديث). To make better sense of this, my Arabic professor from this past year (who is currently preparing his doctoral dissertation on Taqī ad-Dīn Ibn Taymīyyah’s thought) used an excellent metaphor to portray the problem of individuals in AQAM who interpret Islam’s holy sources. Paraphrasing what he said:
If someone read a few books or magazines about medicine would you allow them to operate and do surgery on you? Or would you prefer someone who was trained in medicine and received their M.D. to perform such a duty. Likewise, one should not take the word of someone who lacks classical training in the sciences of the Qur’ān and ḥadīth because they truly cannot begin to scratch the surface of the essence of its message.
As a result, a strategy that portrays AQAM as renegades of their own religion as well as coupling it with identifying how their religious credentials are in fact poor could be a jumping off point for a counter narrative strategy. In addition, one can also point to all of the failures AQAM has had by losing populations in various countries due to their vile and sadistic tactics including Egypt (1990s insurgency), Algeria (1990s Civil War), Iraq (the Ṣaḥwah movement), and others. By doing this it highlights that they have been marginalized or defeated and are not some special vanguard (as they describe themselves) that is about to conquer vast swaths of land similar to the original Islamic conquests following the death of Muhammad. Instead, they are a bunch of secularly educated misfits who do not understand their own religion and harness perceived grievances as slights by the West as an a front on Islam.
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Again the above thoughts are meant not as definites, but rather as possible ideas to be thrown out for discussion. Moreover, this discussion does not include other types of groups, such HAMAS or Hezbollah and non-violent or non-political Salafists that also have problematic ideologies that could potentially or have already grow(n) into problematic ideologies that are harmful towards the practice of Western liberalism.
NOTE: Jāma’at Tawḥīd wal-Jihād is a Palestinian jihādī-takfīrī group. The two messages they released were: “Regarding the Massacre of Humanitarian Aid Workers by the Zionists” and “Condolences for the Martyrdom of Sheikh Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid.” The messages are unedited below in their original Arabic form.
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Regarding the Massacre of Humanitarian Aid Workers by the Zionists
الحمدُ لله مُعِز الإسلام بنصره, ومُذل الشرك بقهره, ومُصرّف الأمور بأمره, ومُستدرج الكافرين بمكره, الذي قدّر الأيام دولًا بعدله, وجعل العاقبة للمتّقين بفضله, والصلاة والسلام على من أعلى الله منار الإسلام بسيفه؛ أمّا بعد:
في العام السابع من بعثة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم جمع الكفر أمره, وتمالأت قوى الشّرك لتضرب على الثُلة المؤمنة المتحلقة حول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حصارًا جائرًا, كان الخطوة الأخيرة بعد أن استخدم كُفار قريش كلّ وسائل الترغيب والترهيب مع المؤمنين, دون أن تُحقق لهم أدنى تَراجع أو تخاذل, وخِلال هذا الحصار ضَرب المؤمنون بقيادة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أروع صور الصبر والثبات على أمر الله, ولم يسجل التاريخ أن المسلمين آنذاك رغم شدة ما أصابهم من العوز والجوع والألم قد فاوضوا على دينهم، أو فرطوا في جزء من عقيدتهم, أو لجئوا لشرق أو لغرب ليفك الحصار عنهم، بل جاءهم الفرج من حيث لا يحتسبون, وهيأ الله لهم المخرج من حيث لا يظنون، وخرج المسلمون حَول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أعِزّة منتصرين, وكُتِب ثباتهم وصَبرهم بِمداد النور، ليكون سِيرة وعِبرة لكل لبيب ممن يدعي السّير على دَرب الحبيب.
أمّا اليوم؛ فإن كان حِصُار أهل غزّة يكاد يكون مُشابهًا في ظاَهره لحِصار النّبي صلّى الله عليه وسلم, إلاّ أنّ هُناك بَوناً شاسِعاً, فالـمُنفِّذون للحِصار اليوم لم يَقتصروا على أعداء الله مِن الكُفار الأصليين, بَل انضَم إلى الرّكب دُويلات العَرب المزعُومة, فأَوغَلوا في حِصار المقهُورين من أهل غزّة, وتَواطئُوا على ظُلمِهم, وأحكَموا الأسوار عليهم.
أما حالُ الـمُحَاصَرين؛ فشعبٌ مغلوبٌ على أَمره, ذاقَ ويلاتِ الحروبِ والنزاعاتِ والاعتداءات, تتحكَّم فِيه قياداتٌ وزعاماتٌ واهية, ما فَتئت تَتسلّق على جِراحَات المكلومِين, وتتباهى بصبرِ المقهورين, فهُناك حيث يَجثو أقطاب سُلطة أوسلو على كُرسِي الحُكم في رام الله تَتواصل اللقاءات السِّرية والعَلنية مع كيانِ يَهود, ويُلاحق المـُجاهدون ويُلاقون أشدّ صنُوف العذَاب في أقْبية سُجونهم, ويَخرج كُبراؤهم دون خَجلٍ ولا وَجل ليُعلنوا استئناف المفاوضات المباشرة أو غير المباشرة, في مَشهد مِلؤُه خِيانة الله ورسوله والمؤمنين.
وهنا في غزة، وما أَدراك ما هنا؛ حُكومة مُتسلطة على رقابِ المكلومين, تُمارس صُنوف القهرِ والاستغلالِ بحقهم, مُتبجحة بأَنها حُكومة المقاومة والممانعة, وهي في حقيقتها حكومة مقاومةِ المجاهدين، وممانعةِ الموحدين، والزج بهم في الزنازين, فلا يَخفى على أحدٍ تلك الهدنةُ المخزية التي يستمرُ بموجبها اعتداءُ اليهودِ على الآمنين, ويشتدّ حِصارهم الظالم عليهم, فِيما تتكفل حكومة غزّة بِمنع أي شَكل من أشكال الجِهاد في سبيل الله, ويَتفنّن أقطابها في مُغازلة الشيطان الأكبر أمريكا وحلفائها صباحَ مساء, في تماشٍ غير مستغرب مع سِيرة الإخوان المسلمين في كل مكان.
ويَشهد العالم اليوم ذلك التباكي والنُواح على ضحايا محاولةِ كَسر الحِصار على قطاع غزّة, وكان الأجدرُ بهؤلاء أن يَخجلوا من أنفسهم بعد أن خرج هؤلاء المتضامنون من أصْقاع الأرض وتحدّوا كل المخاطر, وتحمّلوا ما أحجَمت أمة المليار مُسلم عن تحمله, فركِبوا البحر وحاولوا الوصول إلى شواطئ غزّة المحاصرة, فكان ما توقعه كلُّ لَبيب وعَاقل, وأقدم اليهود على فعلتهم المشينة بحق هؤلاء, ولم تكن مستغربة فاليهود هم اليهود, الذين قتلوا الأنبياء, وتطاولوا على الله تعالى, ولم يرقبوا في مؤمن إلًّا ولا ذمة, فلا أقلّ من أن يَقتلوا بعض الأشخاصِ ثم يتهمونهم بالإرهاب في ظل الهوان العالمي في وجه التغطرس الصهيوني.
وهنا لابد من وضع بعض النقاط على الحروف فنقول:
:: إن ما حَدث مع هؤلاء المتضامنين لم يكُن ليحدث لولا أن اليهود قد أَحكمُوا سيطرتهم على كافة مفاصِل القُوة في العالم, وأمِنوا جانب العربِ والمسلمين عبر حكّام الردّة الذين تسلطوا على رقابِ الشعوب المسلمة, فهؤلاء الحكام وبمشاركة أحبارهم ورهبانهم من علماءِ السوء ومشايخِ البلاط هم أحدُ أهم أسباب الواقع المرير الذي تمر به أمتنا الجريحة, ولا حَل إلا بجهادهم وخلعهم وتوليةِ الصالح ليحكم الرعية بِكتاب ربّهم.
:: لتَعْلم أُمتنا المسلمة أن السّبيل لنصرة المستضعفين في غزّة لن يَكون بحال من الأحوال عبر مسيرات الشّجب والاستنكار, بل إن دَاء المسيرات أصبح جُزءًا من واقع الخور والهوان الذي تمُر به الأمة, فَلتعلم أمتنا أن نصرة إخوانهم في غزّة والذين يمثلون جدار الأمة الأخير في وجه الطغيان يكون بإمداد مجاهديهم الصّادقين بالمال والسّلاح والرجال, فأهلُ غزة ليسوا بحاجة للطعام واللباس, ولكنهم في أمسِّ الحاجة لدعم جهادهم ومجاهديهم في وجهِ أعداء الله اليهود ومن لفَّ لفهم.
:: أما أهلنا الصابرون المرابطون في غزة, فلكم الله يا أهلنا, لقد جرّبتم كل السبل لتتخلصُوا مما أنتم فيه, وما عادَ لكم العلمانيون ولا الوطنيون ولا الديمقراطيون ولا الخائرون ممن يدعون الإسلام زورًا إلا بمزيد من الذُّل والهَوان، والسقوط في أوحال التّبعية والرّجعية والانحِطاط, واليوم نقولها لكم بِصدق: والله لن يرتفع عنكم ذل الحصار ولا قهر الاحتلال بالحلول السلمية والمفاوضات، ولا بحملات للمتضامنين والمهرجانات، ولكن بالعودة إلى دينكم، والجهاد في سبيل ربكم، فهلاّ تحررّتم من أسرِ المعاصي والشهوات، ورفعتم لواء الجهاد، ونصرتم وساندتم أبناءكم المجاهدين الصادقين؛ قال تعالى:{وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَى لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا وَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ}[النور: 55].
{ وَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَكِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لا يَعْلَمُونَ }
الثلاثاء 18 جمادى الآخرة 1431
1 يونيو 2010
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Condolences for the Martyrdom of Sheikh Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
NOTE: Below is an essay written by an online jihādi about the Aceh Jihād in Indonesia. It was originally written on the website Arrahmah.com, which is not in English. The essay is unedited and reflects what the jihādi wrote. If you want a copy of Parts 1 & 2 feel free to email me.
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Formulating The Map Of Contributions Of The Islamic Ummah
The Mujahideen need to formulate the map of contributions of the ummahwhich is required for the establishment of Islam, in order to make sure that all elements of the ummah can play their roles according to interests and abilities. Because, in the reality such as Indonesia today (2010), it is unlikely that we can be imagining that the entire Islamic ummah are supporting jihad, let alone to go to the jihad arena.
Unless if the reality is like Iraq or Afghanistan, when the kafir enemies are savagely attacking the Islamic ummah, then as many cadres as possible are required to come to the jihad arena. In a situation like this, the most needed and effective contribution is the picking up of weapons to expel thekafir invaders as immediately as possible.
The map of contributions that we meant is, for example, on how to answer the query of a Muslim journalist; what kind of contribution could he give for jihad and the establishment of Islam if he does not plunge directly into the battlefield? As well as, a similar query from the traders, teachers, farmers, drivers, sailors, IT experts, engineers and all kind of human professions and expertise.
Does inflaming jihad in Indonesia mean summoning them all to abandon their professions and come in droves towards the jihad arena? Once again, in the case of a country with the size of Indonesia, where the total population is more than 200 millions, and with the absence of a “trigger” to ignite the fight, is that a wise choice of method in the establishment of Islam here?
Or will there be tolerance for them to pursue their professions but are still able to contribute for the establishment of Islam? If the answer is yes, then what they need is a map of contributions. They could still work in each of their field, while giving contributions in a chain of links that culminates in jihad fie sabilillah. As far as I know, there has never been a blueprint of the map of contribution made, which covers the entire fields and expertise of the Islamic ummah, at least in Indonesia.
The Islamic ummah in Indonesia have a number of websites which are incessant in voicing out the jihad theme and news, such as Arrahmah.com, Muslimdaily.net, Eramuslim.com and others. The Mujahideen do not need to provoke the admins of those websites to leave their posts and go to the battle hills. Because, the existence of those posts is very vital in educating the ummah about jihad and in advocating the Mujahideen from the cases that are ever ready to ensnare them.
The same goes with the doctors, whether it be the general practitioners or the specialists. Their expertise needs to be maintained in each of their workplace, to be used one day. The cadres of the ummah who are engaging in the technical and engineering field, let them develop in each of their workplace, because jihad really needs their expertise when the time comes one day.
In fact, the da’wah bodies which are alive in the midst of the ummah, with all their diversities and focuses of attention, are also required to be maintained. For example, the institution which focuses in eradicatingmunkar (FPI), pursuing educations for Muslim children (pesantrens and schools), specialization in dealing with the deviated sects (LPPI), specialization in fighting Liberalism and Pluralism (INSIST: Adian Husaini and Co.), specialization in fighting Shiah, specialization in fighting Christianization (FAKTA, etc.) and all other elements of the ummah which have the roles of guarding the big house from the gnawing of the rats ofmunkar and falsehood.
This paradigm is founded on the view that jihad is not the medicine for every disease. Jihad is not like the advertisement of a drink product:“whatever the food, the drink is always Sosro- the Bottled Tea.” To oppose the Shiah in Indonesia, it can’t be done by threatening them with weapons from the battle hills. Because, they are like a chameleon, cleverly infiltrating all lines of livelihood in the cities and villages. They have the kind of aqeedah called Taqiyah, i.e. the necessity of appearing just like the enemies in order to defeat them. The best and most effective way to disclose their guise is by al-kitab, not by as-saif.
Exposing their evils is through ‘ilm and da’wah, not challenging them to gunfights, whereas their own existence itself is hard to detect. Wasn’t Islam established on two mediums; al-kitab al-hadiy and as-saif an-nasir(the Kitab that functions as guidance provider, and the sword that functions as helper). The kitab symbolizes ‘ilm and da’wah, while the saifsymbolizes jihad fie sabilillah. Without the blend of both, the journey of Islam will be imbalanced. If only featuring the kitab, Islam will be abused by the enemies. If only featuring the saif, Islam will appear fierce like a gangster, thus people will be scared to approach it.
The region of Indonesia, with its Muslim majority, is best to be made as the object of da’wah, not the object of jihad yet. Not just any da’wah, but the da’wah that supports the journey of jihad. The ummah are guided so that they are able to understand, practice and defend Islam in the right way. If their expertise and professions are well managed, the strength of the ummah could be used to establish Islam in time, when the momentum has arrived. Unfortunately, mankind are always unable to subdue their true nature; isti’jal (in hurry). Wanting to establish Islam like a magician. Or at least wanting to achieve results like the thugs; point the guns, all will be done.
Careful In Recruiting The Jihad Cadres
The jihad that is interpreted as fighting in the battlefields, should choose the best cadres who have a high level of security. Because, it had already been repeated times that armed jihad was proclaimed in Indonesia, but it always ended up in pitiful arrests. We must always be careful and selective in choosing the cadres who are prepared to conduct jihad with weapons, because, the character of jihad is different from the character of da’wah.
Not all people whose speeches are sweet in supporting jihad are right to be invited to jihad in the battlefield. The intelligence are swarming about, many of whom looking very “salafi” and very “jihadi”. It is too difficult to tell those who are really truthful and safe to be invited for jihad from those we are harming jihad instead.
The intelligence are working very seriously in order to sabotage the ranks of the Mujahideen. We cannot just rely on the cadres of jihad by looking at the external appearances, but we must really feel safe and very familiar with the persons who would become our partners in jihad. Be careful with the questionable jihad cadres i.e. those who are only enthusiastic in talking about jihad, but are reluctant when invited to talk about the correct ways of making wudhu’ as per the sunnah of the Prophet SAW, about the subject of cleanliness (thaharah), and the subject of uncleanliness. They are averse and not enthusiastic in talking about the subject of jilbab on their wives and children, the subject of the school of choice for his children, the subject of the Islamic home interior, the subject of crying due to the fear of Allah, the subject of zuhd, the subject of wara’ , the subject of halal activities, the subject of riba, the subject of ittiba’ to Rasulullah SAW and so on.
Indonesia is not a place that is currently raging with conflicts like Afghanistan, Iraq or Somalia. In the regions of conflict, carefulness that is too tight is not really required in recruiting the cadres of jihad. Anyone who have enough bravery to come to the battlefield and who want to participate in jihad along with the Mujahideen, should be received with open hands.
But for a case like Indonesia, which is not a country of conflict, we cannot instantly feel safe working with the questionable cadres of jihad. Not all who show their interest in the theme of jihad are suitable to be invited to the jihad arena.
This is the character of jihad. Different from the character of da’wah, which is very open. Anyone could be invited to join in the ranks of da’wah. It is compulsory upon us to explain to anyone who enquires about Islam, we cannot refuse it. In fact, even if those enquiring are from amongst the intelligence who want to entrap a da’ie. Anyone who are interested inda’wah and spreading Islam, as long as their good faith is observed, we must appreciate them.
Meanwhile, in jihad, the ranks of Mujahideen can (in fact, must) refuse themunafiq who want to participate in jihad, if they would apparently harm the
You are a real hero
O Mustafa Abu Yazid
You spent your whole life fighting
Until you fell down Shaheed
You are a real terror
Against America
You sent their soldiers running
With shots of your Pee-Ka
You are a real Mujahid
To Allah you belong
Never did you give up
You were firm and you were strong
You are a Freedom Fighter
A Lion of Islam
You finally left this Dunya
And joined the Caravan
You are very lucky
To gain the Shahadah
Married to the Hooris
In the Gardens of Jannah
With the Lions that have fallen
In Kitaeb-ul-Qassam
Chechnya and Kashmir
Iraq and Afghanistan
Asadullah Alshishani salutes you
And he prays for the day
That he meets you in Jannah
And is killed as a Fidaye
And I pray
For the day, O that day
When I’m killed as a Fidaye
Audio File of Poem: https://bit.ly/atQXEH (FLV File)