Special Report - Jihad & Terrorism Studies Project
January 27, 2004
No. 25

Contemporary Islamist Ideology Permitting Genocidal Murder

Today, MEMRI's President Yigal Carmon presented this paper to the 2004
Stockholm International Forum on Preventing Genocide. The following is the
introduction to the paper, as well as the Table of Contents. To view the
speech in its entirety, including footnotes, please visit
memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=SR2504 .

Contemporary Islamist Ideology Permitting Genocidal Murder

Today, MEMRI's President Yigal Carmon presented the following paper to the
2004 Stockholm International Forum on Preventing Genocide: [1]

Introduction

Jews, Christians, and Sabians [2] are, according to Islam, 'Ahl Al-Kitab,'
or 'People of the Book,' and thus have special status. Their lives are
protected, although their status is inferior to that of Muslims. However,
non-Muslims who are neither Jews nor Christians are defined as infidels
belonging to 'Dar Al-Harb,' the camp which Muslims must fight until Islam
dominates.

Although these definitions are clearly set out by Islamic law, they are
disregarded by extremist Islamist circles, which brand both Jews and
Christians - that is, all the West - as infidels, whether because of their
religion, because of their actions or policies, or simply because they
believe in democracy, which some Islamists define as a religion. Muslims
whom they consider supportive of the West, either individuals or entire
regimes, also fall into this category. By declaring Jews, Christians, and
these Muslims to be infidels and enemies, they permit their murder, and
include them among those who, according to divine directive, must be fought.

Extremist Islamist circles believe that these infidels must be fought by
means of Jihad - and some feel that, in the context of Jihad, weapons of
mass destruction may be used to annihilate them. They find support for their
ideology in Islamic sources, such as Qur'anic verses, Hadiths from the
Prophet Muhammad, and Shari'a.

One major ideological source who is very influential in fundamentalist
Islamist thought is Sayyid Qutb. Qutb, an Egyptian, was active in the Muslim
Brotherhood movement, convicted of treason for plotting to assassinate
Egyptian President Gamal Abd Al-Nasser, and executed in 1966. He wrote
extensively on a wide range of Islamic issues. According to Qutb, "There are
two parties in all the world: the Party of Allah and the Party of Satan -
the Party of Allah which stands under the banner of Allah and bears his
insignia, and the Party of Satan, which includes every community, group,
race, and individual that does not stand under the banner of Allah." [3]

This article will examine contemporary Arab Islamist sources advocating this
approach to non-Muslims. It should be stressed that these views are held
only by extremist groups, and that the majority of Muslims adhere to
mainstream Islamic thought.

I. Defining the West as The Enemy of Islam

The perception of the West as the enemy of Islam is widely expressed in
extremist Islamist circles. It is manifested by portraying the West as a
threat to Islam, depicting all Westerners as infidels, and depicting Muslims
who assist the West as infidels as well.

A. Crusaders, Jews, Shi'ites, and Leaders of Muslim Countries Threaten Islam

Al-Neda, a website affiliated with Al-Qa'ida, [4] published a series of
articles about the war in Iraq. The 11th article in the series addressed the
dangers facing Sunni Islamists in the region, stating them as follows :

"The Crusaders Threat: This danger will be manifested primarily in the
expected missionary activities in Iraq, in addition to the military
activities that aim at 'uprooting Islam.'

"The Jewish Threat: This threat has two aspects: The first is a Jewish plan,
based on religious motives, to control Iraq. The second has to do with
ending the Iraqi threat to Israel's existence."

"The Threat to Islam From the Muslims Themselves:" According to the article,
"the believers," (i.e. Sunni Islamists) face popular as well as
institutionalized hatred, and "this hatred is no less [intense] than the
hatred from Jews and Christians. Sometimes it is a hundred times worse than
the hatred of the enemies of the nation, the Jews and the Christians." The
article stated that this threat emanates from the leaders of Islamic
countries and the clerics who serve them.

"The Secular Threat:" "There is no doubt," the article stated, "that one of
the greatest threats to the hegemony of Islam and the dominance of Shari'a
[Islamic law] is the American secularism that will be imposed forcefully on
the region. The Islamic world will change from dictatorship to democracy,
which means subhuman degradation in all walks of life."

"The Threat of Those Who Abandoned the Islamic Tradition:"The article
maintained that "since a large segment of Muslims" will oppose secularism,
the "Zionist-Crusader coalition" is encouraging large spiritual groups such
as the Sufis, "who are mostly infidels" and believe in monism, pantheism,
and re-incarnation and observe laws that "appeared in night-dreams, wishful
thinking, conscience, inspiration, and other endless falsehoods." Orders
such as the Sufis "oppose Jihad and do not oppose the infidels."

"The Threat of the Rational School:"The article asserted that British
imperialism planted this "deadly seedling that maintains that Islam is not
opposed to atheism, and that Islam must get close to the infidel and coexist
with him. This school of thought, which was established by Muhammad 'Abdu
[in the early 20th century] and maintains that logic takes precedence over
[the] text [of the Qur'an], may become the first stepping stone to
secularizing the region, because it is a mixture of secularism and Islam."

"The Shi'ite Threat:" The article paid particular attention to the issue of
the Shi'a: "The danger of the Shi'a to the region is no less than that posed
by the Jews and the Christians. Throughout Islamic history, the Shi'a helped
the Christians and the polytheists in their battles against Muslim
countries. The seemingly anti-Jewish and anti-Christian Shi'a hatred is
nothing but slogans used to export the Khomeini revolution.

".The threat posed by the Shi'a to the [Islamic] nation is equal to the
threat posed by the Jews and the Christians. They harbor the same ill will
against the nation, which needs to protect itself from them and from being
deceived by them. They pose a danger not only to Iraq, but to the whole
region. If the Shi'a have influence over Iraq, or if they obtain some kind
of autonomy in southern Iraq, they will be so much closer to extending their
influence. After all, they exist in considerable numbers in Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, and Bahrain. If these Shi'a get organized and if their initiatives
get support from countries that sponsor them - Iran, Syria, and Lebanon - it
will mean that they have reached advanced stages in their 50-year plan."

"The Muslims should be careful, because the Shi'a do not hesitate to
cooperate with the Crusaders and the Jewish enemies [of] the Sunna. The
Shi'a believe that the threat of the Sunna and their unbelief is greater
than the threat posed by the Jews and the Christians. Whoever follows
history knows that the Shi'a assisted the enemies of the nation who stabbed
it in the back. It is bad enough that the Shi'a defiled the sanctity of
Allah's house and stole the Black Stone [the Ka'ba] for 20 years, before it
was restored to its place. Those who are familiar with the beliefs of the
Shi'a can hardly fathom the depth of their evil and hatred. Beware [of]
them, Oh Muslims."

"We also caution against those who advocate befriending the Shi'a. Such [an]
approach can only cause further harm to the nation. To get close to the
Shi'a is more dangerous than getting close to the Jews, because the
animosity of the Jews is well known, while the Shi'a pretend [to be
friendly] and deceive the nation.How can we approach those who believe that
we should curse the followers of the Prophet Muhammad and accuse them of
unbelief? They, who curse the Prophet's wives and accuse [the Prophet's
wife] 'Aisha of prostitution?... If you advocate getting closer to people
with such beliefs, then getting closer to Christians is not as bad. [N]ot
everyone who maintains that he is Muslim is indeed a Muslim, if his deeds
completely nullify Islam ." [5]

B. The Christians and the Jews are 'Infidels' and 'Enemies of Allah'

While mainstream Islam considers both Jews and Christians to be "People of
the Book" - i.e. non-Muslims with special status under Islamic rule - many
extremist clerics, preachers, and other religious figures refer to them as
infidels, thus obliging Muslims to fight them. The notion of the Jews and
Christians as infidels appears also in Qur'an commentary by Sayyid Qutb. In
Fi Zilal Al-Qur'an, he states that the Jews and Christians argue that Allah
has offspring, which makes them polytheists and infidels. In addition,
Friday sermons across the Arab world are rife with references to Christians
and Jews as infidels.

A preacher at the Ka'ba Mosque in Al-Madina, Sheikh Abd Al-'Aziz Qari,
delivered a sermon saying: "Two groups - the Jews and the Christians - are
the main elements constituting the Camp of Kufr [unbelief] and will continue
to be its two foundations until Allah allows their downfall and annihilation
at the end of days...

"When the Prophet Muhammad was sent out, the Camp of Kufr declared war on
his message. At the center of this war were these groups, particularly the
Jews. These two groups will continue to serve as the grindstones of the
conflict and the war between belief and Kufr until eternity comes. The
conflict will end when Jesus the son of Mary, peace be upon him, arrives to
break the cross, and wipes it off the face of the earth, and kills the blind
[false] Messiah, the leader of the Jews and the tyrant whom they await.
Until that day, the conflict between us, the Muslims, and the Jews and
Christians will continue, and it will ebb and flow, one day ours, another
day theirs.

"The Jews are the objects of Allah's [promised] wrath, while the Christians
deviate from the path of righteousness. The Qur'an described the Jews as a
nation cursed by Allah, a nation at which he was angry - some of whom he
turned into apes and pigs." [6]

In a sermon at a Mecca mosque, preacher Sheikh Adnan Ahmad Siyami told
worshippers, "[Islam] believes that only Islam and the Camp of Kufr exist,
and that there is no way to reach Paradise and be delivered from Hell except
by walking in the path of our Prophet Muhammad and joining Islam. Any other
way leads to Hell. In light of this, my believing brethren, how can it be
claimed that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all paths leading to
Allah?!.

"Several years ago, a sinful call arose, which unfortunately garnered
support from some clerics and preachers of this religion, Islam. [a call]
for the unification of the monotheistic religions. They flaunted an empty
and false motto of 'religious harmony,' Christian-Islamic friendship, and
uniting the three religions into a global religion'.

"The call for the unification of the religions is a call for the abolition
of religious differences among people: No more Muslim and infidel. All will
come under the unity of human harmony. This accursed call has ramifications
that most certainly will shake Islam in the hearts of its people, leading
them to the lowest of the levels of Hell. This call will lead. to presenting
the infidels' schools of thought as correct, and to silence regarding them;
to permitting conversion to Judaism and Christianity with no shame
whatsoever; to the abolition of the vast difference between the Muslims and
others - a difference underpinning the conflict between truth and falsehood;
to the transformation of the religion of Islam into a religion like the
other, false religions, into a religion that has no advantage over the other
religions.; to refraining from calling [people] to join Islam, because if
the Muslim wants to do so, he must tell the truth about the infidels. This
will also facilitate the conversion to Christianity in Muslim lands...

"[This is] . a call to dismantle the pact among Muslims in all the corners
of the Islamic world and to replace it with an accursed alternative
harmony - the 'Harmony of the Jews and Christians.' This is, in truth, a
call to Muslims to stop accusing Jews, Christians, and other non-Muslims of
being infidels.

"There can be neither an agreement nor a meeting point between the people of
Islam and the Jewish and Christian People of the Book. How can we permit the
Catholic Pope's talk of a need to find meeting points and agreement between
Islam and Christianity, so that there will be peaceful coexistence between
the two religions and harmony between the two communities? Is it conceivable
that there should be agreement and a meeting point with those who fabricate
terrible falsehoods about Allah . claiming that Jesus, peace be upon him, is
his son?!." [7]

In a sermon at the Manar Al-Islam mosque in Mecca, preacher Sheikh 'Ali
Muhammad Al-Baroum stated: "The idea of intertwining religions and the claim
that the Jews and the Christians believe in religions of truth . are sinful
claims and deceitful ideas unacceptable to the religion [of Islam]. It is
forbidden to bring together Islam and the infidels, monotheism and
polytheism. Allah's path of righteousness and Satan's path of Kufr." [8]

At Al-Rahmah mosque in Mecca, preacher Sheikh Marzouq Salem Al-Ghamdi said:
"The Jews and Christians are infidels, enemies of Allah, his Messenger, and
the believers. They deny and curse Allah and his Messenger. How can we draw
near to these infidels .? They deny even the messengers sent to them. They
do not believe in Moses, they do not believe in Jesus - because if they
really believed in them, they would join Islam, because every prophet
heralded to his nation the coming of the Prophet Muhammad and the need to
believe in him.

"Some may say: 'How can the inventor of electricity be placed in Hell - he
illuminated the world for us.' Others may say, 'How can we be hostile to the
Jews and Christians when they invented and manufactured even the items we
use in our mosques?' Still others may say, 'The messenger of Allah left his
shield with a Jew and went to visit his sick Jewish neighbor. Why do you
preach to us to do differently?' The truth is that this is an inversion of
the facts, and deception. The Jew whom the Prophet considered a citizen had
accepted the agreement [that the Prophet Muhammad had concluded with the
Jews of Al-Madina] . and when his people violated that pact, and supported
the polytheists instead of the Muslims, their punishment was death,
captivity, and the expropriation of their assets.

"If the infidels live among the Muslims, in accordance with the conditions
set out by the Prophet - there is nothing wrong with it provided they pay
Jizya [9] to the Islamic treasury. Other conditions are . that they do not
renovate a church or a monastery [and] do not rebuild ones that were
destroyed, that they feed for three days any Muslim who passes by their
homes . that they rise when a Muslim wishes to sit, that they do not imitate
Muslims in dress and speech, nor ride horses, nor own swords, nor arm
themselves with any kind of weapon; that they do not sell wine, do not show
the cross, do not ring church bells, do not raise their voices during
prayer, that they shave their hair in front so as to make them easily
identifiable, do not incite anyone against the Muslims, and do not strike a
Muslim. If they violate these conditions, they have no protection." [10]

In a Friday sermon in the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Aal Nahyan mosque in Gaza,
broadcast live on official Palestinian Authority television, Sheikh Ahmad
Abu Halabiya, member of the PA-appointed Fatwa Council and former acting
rector of the Islamic University in Gaza, said:

"Have no mercy on the Jews, no matter where they are, in any country. Fight
them, wherever you are. Wherever you meet them, kill them. Wherever you are,
kill those Jews and those Americans who are like them - and those who stand
by them - they are all in one trench, against the Arabs and the Muslims -
because they established Israel here, in the beating heart of the Arab
world, in Palestine. They created it to be the outpost of their
civilization - and the vanguard of their army, and to be the sword of the
West and of the Crusaders, hanging over the necks of the monotheists, the
Muslims in these lands. They wanted the Jews to be their spearhead. Allah,
deal with the Jews, your enemies and the enemies of Islam. Deal with the
crusaders, and America, and Europe behind them, O Lord of the worlds." [11]

A Fatwa issued by Saudi Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Al-Athimein (d. 2000) stated:
"Allah stated in his book [i.e. the Qur'an] that the Jews and Christians are
infidels. Allah said: 'The Jews say Uzair is Allah's son; and the Christians
say: The Messiah is Allah's son; these are but their verbal assertions,
whereby they imitate the sayings of those who disbelieved before them. Allah
ruin them, how are they turned away from the truth! They have taken their
divines and their monks for lords beside Allah, and also the Messiah son of
Mary. They had only been commanded to worship the One God. There is no god
but He. Holy is He above that which they associate with Him' [Qur'an
9:30-31]. This proves that they worship other gods. Anyone who claims that
Allah will agree to the existence of another religion besides Islam in this
land is an infidel, and there is no doubt of his unbelief." [12]

In addition to the view that the Jews and Christians are infidels and
enemies of Islam, some Islamist clerics go further and say that America is
the leader of these infidels. In a September 21, 2001 essay on the events of
September 11, 2001, the Saudi Sheikh Ali Khudeir wrote: "It is known that
the infidel West, led by the Americans, is the greatest warrior against
Allah, Allah's Messenger, and the Muslims during this time. Moreover, they
fight against Allah, his Messenger, and the believers even more than Pharaoh
and his people, [who fought against] Moses, because Pharaoh's struggle
against Allah and [His Prophet] Moses took place within the borders of
Egypt, while the war of the West, and particularly that of America, is
against Islam everywhere, and the West is behind every war against the
Muslims and supports every government, group, or tribe in their war against
Islam." [13]

C. All Who Believe in Democracy, The Religion of Heresy, Are Infidels

Some Islamist writings portray democracy as a religion, and thus refer to
all those who believe in democracy as infidels. The book 'Democracy Is a
Heretical Religion ' was written by Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi, a pseudonym for
Asem Al-Burqawi. Al-Burqawi, Palestinian in origin, belongs to the Salafi
movement. He lived in Kuwait but was expelled to Jordan after the first Gulf
War, and in November 2001 was arrested by the Jordanian authorities. The
following are excerpts from his book:

"[Democracy is] heresy against Allah the Almighty, associating [other
deities] with [Allah,] the Sovereign of heaven and earth, and is contrary to
the religion of unity [i.e. Islam] and the religion of the prophets, for
many reasons, among them:

"First, [democracy] is legislated by the masses or the regime of tyrants,
and it is not the rule of Allah the Exalted. Allah commanded his Prophet to
act according to the law that Allah sent down to him, and forbade him from
following the desires of the nation or the masses and warned him that they
would divert him from part of the [precepts] sent down by Allah: 'Judge
between them by that which Allah has sent down, and do not follow their
wishes to deviate from it' [Qur'an 5:49]. This [appears] in the religion of
unity and of Islam.

"With regard to the religion of democracy and association [of other deities
with Allah, i.e. polytheism], those who worship it say 'Judge between them
by that which the people wish; be wary of deviating from what they want,
desire, and legislate'. This is what they say, and thus it is determined
that democracy is unbelief and association [of other deities with Allah] if
it is implemented.

"Second, the rule of the masses or the tyrants is in accordance with the
constitution, and not in accordance with the law of Allah, and thus say
their constitutions and their books, which they sanctify over the Qur'an.
Evidence of this is that the law [of the constitutions and books] is
preferred to the law [of the Qur'an], and the law [of the constitutions and
books] is higher [to them] than [the Qur'an's] laws. According to the
religion of democracy, the masses do not accept the judgments and laws .
unless they are based on the precepts and articles of the constitution,
because they see it as the father of the laws and the holy book. In the
religion of democracy, there is no consideration of the Qur'an verses or the
Hadiths of the Prophet, and laws cannot be legislated in accordance with
them unless they are compatible with the precepts of their holy book, the
constitution.

"Third, democracy is the vile fruit and illegitimate daughter of secularism,
because secularism is a heretical school of thought that aspires to isolate
religion from life or separate religion from state . and democracy is the
rule of the people or the rule of the tyrants. But in any event, it is not
the rule of Allah the Exalted, and it does not take the unswerving
legislation of Allah into account at all unless it is first compatible with
all the articles of the constitution, and then with the desires of the
people, and even before that with the desires of the tyrants or the masses.

"Therefore, were the entire people to tell the tyrants or the lords of
democracy: 'We want to act according to the law sent down by Allah, and then
no one - not the people, not the MPs, and not the ruler - will have the
right to legislate laws. We want to implement the law of Allah regarding the
one who abandons his religion [Murtadd], the adulterer, the thief, the
wine-drinker. We want to require the woman to wear a veil [Hijab], to act
modestly, to prevent [her] from adorning herself. [We want to prevent]
obscenity, corruption, adultery, sodomy and other abominations' - Were the
entire people to tell the tyrants this, then the tyrants would immediately
tell [those demanding it] that these demands are against the religion of
democracy and democratic freedoms." [14]

D. Jews Aren't Even Human - They're Apes and Pigs

Along with referring to Jews as infidels, whether because they are Jews or
because they believe in democracy, some Islamist clerics also consider the
Jews to be inhuman. To this end, they draw upon Qur'anic verses depicting
the Jews as the offspring of apes and pigs. [15]

The Imam of the Al-Haram mosque in Mecca, Sheikh Abd Al-Rahman Al-Sudayis,
explained in one of his sermons: "Brothers in faith, what do our Qur'an and
our Sunna say? What does our belief say? What does our history prove.? They
show clearly that the conflict between us and the Jews is one of belief,
identity, and existence.

"Read history and you will understand that the Jews of yesterday are the
evil forefathers of the even more evil Jews of today: infidels, falsifiers
of words, calf worshippers, prophet murderers, deniers of prophecies . the
scum of the human race, accursed by Allah, who turned them into apes and
pigs. These are the Jews - an ongoing continuum of deceit, obstinacy,
licentiousness, evil, and corruption.

"Oh nation of Islam, today our nation is at the height of conflict with the
enemies of yesterday, today, and tomorrow - the offspring of [the three
Jewish tribes of Al-Madina] Banu Qurayza, Banu Nadhir, and Banu Qaynuqa,
upon whom Allah's curse rests until Judgment Day. Do the sons of our people
realize the truth about the nation of wrath and deceit.? The insult to and
contempt of Arabs, Muslims, and their holy places reaches its height at the
hands of the rats of the world, the violators of agreements, in whose minds
abide treachery, destruction, and deceit and in whose veins flow occupation
and tyranny. They are indeed worthy of the curse of Allah, of the angels,
and of all people." [16]

"When will the sleepers awake?" asked Sheikh Bandar bin Khalaf Al-'Utaibi,
in a sermon at the Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq mosque in Al-Damam. "Is there any kind
of humiliation we have not tasted from the brothers of apes and pigs?!" [17]

Sheikh Muhammad Al-Saleh Al-'Athimein said in a sermon at the Great Mosque
in Al-'Unayza: "Oh Muslims, the Jews are treacherous and deceitful people
over whom lies the curse and anger of Allah. They permitted what Allah
forbade, with the lamest of excuses; therefore, He cursed them and turned
them into apes and pigs. Allah sentenced them to humiliation anywhere they
might be." [18]

"Oh Muslims, see the state of the nation today, after it deviated from the
path set out by the clerics," said Sheikh Mustafa Bin Said Aytim in a sermon
given at a mosque in Mecca. "[The nation] has made the offspring of apes and
pigs its stars; the hangers-on of the apes and pigs have become the centers
of influence and power. The Jews, Christians, and the hypocrites gnaw away
at the body of the nation and then carry out raids on it with the knights of
the destructive media and with the deadly weapon of globalization." [19]

In a sermon at the Sa'id Al-Jandoul mosque in Al-Taif, Sheikh Sa'd bin
Abdallah Al-'Ajameh Al-Ghamdi stated, "The current behavior of the brothers
of apes and pigs, their treachery, their violation of agreements, and their
defilement of places of worship . are connected to their forefathers' deeds
in the early time of Islam. This proves the great similarity between every
Jew living today and the Jew living during the dawn of Islam." [20]

II. Islam Must Fight the West

Since the West and its allies are defined as the enemies of Islam, many
writings call for fighting them, particularly the Jews and the Christians -
even though these religions have legitimate status in Islam due to their
monotheistic principles.

A. Jihad Against the Jews and the Crusaders

One example of this is Bin Laden's declaration of Jihad against the Jews and
Crusaders. On February 23, 1998 the London Arabic-language daily Al-Quds
Al-Arabi published bin Laden's declaration of Jihad which said that killing
the Americans and their allies is a commandment for every individual Muslim.
The following are excerpts of this declaration:

"Praise be to God, who brought down the Book, drives the clouds, defeats the
factions, and says in His Book: When the sacred months are over, kill the
idolaters wherever you find them, take them captive, lay siege to them and
lie in wait for them at every place of ambush [Qur'an 5:9]. Prayers and
blessings of peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, who said: I was sent with a
sword in preparation for the Day of Judgment when God alone will be
worshipped with none beside him. He assigned me a livelihood under the
shadow of my spear and he assigned humiliation and lowliness to those who
disobey my command.

"Killing the Americans and their allies - both civilians and military
personnel - is a commandment for every individual Muslim who can do this, in
any country in which he can do this, in order to free the Al-Aqsa Mosque and
the Al-Haram Mosque from their grasp, and so that their armies will leave
all the lands of Islam defeated and no longer a threat to any Muslim. This
is in compliance with the words of Allah: 'Fight the polytheists all
together, as they fight you all together [Qur'an 9:36]' and 'Fight them
until civil strife ceases altogether' [Qur'an 8:39].

"This is in addition to the words of Allah the Almighty: 'What keeps you
from fighting in the cause of Allah and of the weak from among men, women,
and children who supplicate: Lord, deliver us from this town whose people
are oppressors, and appoint for us from Thyself some helper?' [Qur'an 4:75]

"With Allah's help, we call on every Muslim who believes in Allah and who
wants reward to follow Allah's directive about killing Americans and
plundering their property wherever they find them, whenever is possible.
Similarly, we also call on the Muslim ulama, leaders, youths, and soldiers
to carry out a raid on the American soldiers of Satan and on Satan's aides,
who have become their allies.

"Allah also says, 'O ye who believe, what ails you that, when it is said to
you: Go forth, all together, to fight in the cause of Allah; you are held
down by your worldly interests? Is it that you prefer the hither life to the
Hereafter? If so, you must remember that all this life has to offer is of
little value in comparison with the Hereafter.[Qur'an 9:38]"

B. Killing the Infidels: Repayment in Kind [Al-Mu'amala Bil-Mithl]

Some Islamist clerics base the claim that infidels, and particularly the
U.S., must be fought on the principle in Shari'a law of repayment in kind,
or Al-Mu'amala Bil-Mithl - that is, infidels must be killed in the same
numbers that Muslims were killed by them.

When making these calculations, these clerics inflate the numbers in order
to justify the numbers of Westerners already killed and to incite to more
killing.

One example is articles by Al-Qa'ida spokesman Suleiman Abu Gheith backing
up his claim that his organization has the right to murder four million
Americans. In his three-part article "In the Shadow of the Lances," posted
on the web-site of the Center for Islamic Research and Studies, [21] Abu
Gheith wrote: "Allah said, 'He who attacked you, attack him as he attacked
you,' and also, 'The reward of evil is a similar evil,' and also, 'When you
are punished, punish as you have been punished.'

"The words of the sages on these verses are clear: Ibn Taymiyya [in his
book] Al Ikhtiyarat Wa-Al-Fatawa; Ibn Al-Qayyim in I'lam Al-Muwaqi'in and in
Al-Hashiya; Al-Qurtubi in his Tafsir, Al-Nawawi in Al-Muhadhdhab,
Al-Shawkani in Nayl Al-Awtar; and others, may Allah's mercy be upon them.

"Anyone who peruses these sources reaches a single conclusion: The sages
have agreed that the reciprocal punishment to which the verses referred is
not limited to a specific instance. It is a valid rule for punishments for
infidels, for the licentious Muslims, and for the oppressors.

"If by religious law it is permitted to punish a Muslim [for the crime he
committed] - it is all the more permitted to punish a Harbi infidel [i.e. he
who belongs to Dar Al-Harb, which Muslims must fight] in the same way he
treated the Muslim.

"According to the numbers I noted, in the previous section, of the lives
lost from among the Muslims because of the Americans, directly or
indirectly, we still are at the beginning of the way. The Americans have
still not tasted from our hands what we have tasted from theirs. The [number
of] killed in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were no more than fair
exchange for the ones killed in the Al-'Amiriya shelter in Iraq, and are but
a tiny part of the exchange for those killed in Palestine, Somalia, Sudan,
the Philippines, Bosnia, Kashmir, Chechnya, and Afghanistan.

"We have not reached parity with them. We have the right to kill four
million Americans - two million of them children - and to exile twice as
many and wound and cripple hundreds of thousands. Furthermore, it is our
right to fight them with chemical and biological weapons, so as to afflict
them with the fatal maladies that have afflicted the Muslims because of the
[Americans'] chemical and biological weapons.

"America knows only the language of force. This is the only way to stop it
and make it take its hands off the Muslims and their affairs. America does
not know the language of dialogue!! Or the language of peaceful
coexistence!! America is kept at bay by blood alone."

The Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, explained the principle of
repayment in kind during a speech at an October 1999 conference of nuclear
scientists from Arab countries on the future of nuclear strategy at the
University of Asyut, Egypt. While stating that the Arabs should have nuclear
energy but should use it only for peaceful purposes, he also quoted from the
will of Caliph Abu Bakr. [22] Sheikh Tantawi said that the Caliph had
instructed the Muslim commander Khaled ibn Al-Walid to fight the enemy with
the sword if the enemy fought him with the sword and to use the spear if the
enemy fought him with the spear. Sheikh Tantawi explained: "Had Abu Bakr
lived today he would have said to Khaled ibn Al-Walid: 'If they fight you
with a nuclear bomb, fight them with a nuclear bomb.' Strength is [one] of
the traits of good and wise people who know their obligation towards their
God and towards their homeland, and they use this strength in order to
defend their faith and their homeland. This is the Sunna that was known to
the forefathers of all times, and is known to us as well.

". Our demand that Israel join the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty does not prevent
us from learning and advancing in science until we surpass it and until we
act in accordance with Abu Bakr's words to Khaled ibn Al-Walid: 'Fight them
with that with which they fight you.' Islam welcomes any force that serves
truth and religious precepts and defends the honor of men. Islamic religious
law states that every despotic and aggressive power must be eradicated. It
should be fought, whatever its strength, and life is decreed by Allah. If
Israel has nuclear weapons, then it is the first to be doomed, because it
lives in a world that does not fear death. Israel's nuclear weapons do not
frighten us; what does frighten us is [the possibility] that we will not
wake up and [will] not advance. [Muslims must] welcome the use of nuclear
energy for purposes of peace!" [23]

III. The Entire West Should Be Annihilated

In addition to claiming that Muslims must kill as many Westerners as
Westerners have killed Muslims, it is often noted that the end of the West,
and particularly the end of Christians and Jews, is near, and various
Islamic sources are cited as proof of this.

A. The End of America and the Jews: Annihilation Like the Peoples of Noah,
'Aad, Thamoud, and Pharaoh

Some Islamists claim that America and the Jews will meet their end as did
Pharaoh, the people of Noah, and the two Arab tribes 'Aad and Thamoud, which
according to the Qur'an rejected Islam and were subsequently annihilated.
[24] In an article titled "The Infidels Will Be Obliterated," Seif Al-Din
Al-Ansari wrote:

"Allah made annihilating the infidels one of his steadfast decrees.
According to the [divine] natural law of alternating fortunes, Allah said:
'[Allah will] obliterate the infidels' [Qur'an 3:141]. It inevitably follows
that this wisdom [of the decree] has become the way according to which life
is lived - particularly the aspect of struggle in life.

". The Qur'an mentions this decree frequently, to the point that it makes
you feel that it is a truth of supreme importance. It shows diverse examples
and evidence in this matter, and repeatedly mentions the events [in which
the infidels were annihilated]. Every time you notice that despite the
differences in people and circumstances in these examples, and despite the
difference in time and place among the events, there is one thing that
connects them and one line that ties them together - and this is the decree
of Allah, who orders, 'Obliterate the infidels' [Qur'an 3:141]."

"The Qur'an made sure to emphasize this decree when it discussed the deeds
of the prophets during their struggle with the infidel armies and how the
end [of this struggle with the infidels] always ended in their [the
infidels'] annihilation. Regarding the nation of Noah, it says: 'Do not
entreat me concerning the wrongdoers, because they shall be drowned' [Qur'an
23:27]. Regarding 'Aad, the tribe of [Allah's Prophet] Hud, it says: 'We cut
off the last remnant of those who rejected Our Signs; they are not
believers' [Qur'an 7:72]. Of Thamoud, the people of [Allah's Prophet] Saleh,
it says: 'The wrongdoers were overtaken by a mighty blast [storm], and they
woke in their dwelling places dead corpses' [Qur'an 11:68].

"Regarding the people of Lot [it says:] 'We loosed upon them a torrent of
rain. Observe, then, what was the end of the wrongdoers' [Qur'an 7:84].
Regarding the decree for the people of Shu'aib, [it says:] 'And the
earthquake seized them, and they woke in their courtyards dead corpses'
[Qur'an 7:91]. Regarding Pharaoh [it says:] 'We destroyed all that Pharaoh
and his people had built and all that they had raised high' [Qur'an 7:137].

"Thus the Qur'an presented the death of the infidel forces throughout
history: those who drowned in the depths of the flood, who died in the
destructive blast, who died with the sound of a shout, who were swallowed up
by the earth, whose houses and buildings were destroyed, and who [died] in
other ways that only Allah knows.

"These events are only one set from the story of the ongoing struggle
[between the Muslims and the infidels] throughout human life. These sights
are only some of the scenes in which the decree of annihilation is manifest
as long as the infidel forces exist.

"When we say that annihilating the infidel forces is a divine decree, it
means that it is a steadfast, valid law and a constant principle [of
religious law] that does not change with time, place, people, and
circumstances. As it existed in the time of Noah and Hud, so it exists in
our time, and will exist also in the future.

"As the decree of annihilation applies to the infidel forces in the previous
nations, and none was saved from it, so will it apply to the infidel forces
of our time, and none will be saved from it. That is, just as the country of
Thamoud, the country of 'Aad, the country of Midian, and other [countries]
were annihilated, without a doubt the country of America and the country of
the Jews will be annihilated. Moreover, all infidel countries will be
annihilated, and with them all the pharaohs and the tyrants of the present
time, whatever their elements of power and capability.

"It is worthy of note that this annihilation will come either by means of
rapid and one-time collapse following a crushing blow. or by means of a
gradual fall following a slow disintegration that will occur as a result of
the accumulation of situations that will gnaw away slowly but effectively
[at the country] and will ultimately lead to its collapse.

"Both scenarios - the rapid fall and the gradual fall - will be either by
means of a direct decree of Allah or by a Muslim group that will answer the
divine religious edict and actualize the divine decree. Allah the Supreme
said: ' While concerning you we await that Allah will afflict you with
chastisement direct or at our hands' [Qur'an 9: 52].

"We must believe that every infidel country is necessarily and undoubtedly
ephemeral, and if their annihilation is not by a group of Muslims, for any
temporary reason whether subjective or objective, one infidel country will
be destroyed by [another] infidel country. This apparently is because the
second is less corrupt [and] stronger than the first. Or it is for another
reason that is not important now. What is important for us here is the
statement that the infidel country has no continuity, and no infidel country
is exempt, even a so-called 'superpower.'

"The invasion of New York and Washington constitutes an adequate example of
the fall of the illusory strength [of the infidels]. With [the toppling] of
the stories of the trade towers and the walls of the seat of the Ministry of
War [i.e. the Pentagon], the symbols of power also fell; the symbols of
eternity disappeared, and the true size of the hero was revealed - he is
smaller than people thought and weaker than they imagined. [This is because]
an infidel country, whatever its capabilities, and however it concentrates
its elements of power, cannot survive; rather, it must necessarily disappear
[from the world]." [25]

Sheikh Safar Al-Hawali, a leader in conservative Saudi religious circles,
told theQatari television channel Al-Jazeera onJuly 10, 2002,". Relations
between America and us differ from the relations between us and all the
other peoples or nations. These are relations between two [very] different
nations: One is a nation that was chosen by Allah, who tested it and
purified it with disasters so that it will atone for its sins. Allah is
using that nation in order to wave the banner of truth and justice on the
face of the earth. This is our nation. There is also a tyrannous and evil
nation that Allah is manipulating, unbeknownst to it, until it reaches the
end to which it is sentenced - the same end that was the lot of all the
nations of unbelief, tyranny, and aggression such as the peoples of Noah,
'Aad, Thamoud, and Pharaoh." [26]

Preacher Sheik Ibrahim Madhi of the Palestinian Authority said in a sermon
at the Sheik 'Ijlin Mosque in Gaza that was broadcast on Palestinian
television:

"Allah is almighty. Had He wanted - He would have beaten them. But He tests
you [Muslims] in suffering. We must prepare the ground for the army of Allah
that is coming according to the [divine] predetermination. We must prepare a
foothold for them. Allah willing, this unjust state will be eradicated -
Israel will be eradicated; this unjust state, the U.S., will be eradicated;
this unjust state, Britain, will be eradicated - they who caused this
people's Nakbah[the 1948 'catastrophe']...

"Allah, forgive us our sins, Allah, show us a black day for the Jews, like
the day of 'Aad and Thamoud, Allah, turn them into pillage for us, Allah, we
strive for martyrdom for your sake... Allah, we strive for your mercy and
your paradise..." [27]

B. The Promise of the Stone and the Tree

"The Promise of the Stone and the Tree" is often mentioned in writings and
sermons as a symbol of the Muslims' all-out war against the Jews in
particular. According to the Hadiths, [28] on the Day of Judgment the
Muslims will fight the Jews and kill them, and the stone and the tree will
reveal the Jew who hides behind them - except for the gharqad [29] tree.

On the first day of the most important holiday in the Muslim year, 'Id
al-Adhha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, in 2003, Al-Qa'ida leader Osama bin
Laden delivered a sermon, saying: "The [Islamic] nation has also been
promised victory over the Jews, as the Prophet Muhammad has told us: 'The
Day of Judgment will not arrive until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill
them, until the Jew hides behind the stones and the trees; and each stone or
tree will say: Oh Muslim, Oh servant of God, there is a Jew hiding behind
me, come and kill him; except from the gharqad, which is the tree of the
Jews.' This Hadith also teaches [us] that the conflict with the enemy will
be settled by killing and warfare, and not by disabling the potential of the
[Muslim] nation for decades by a variety of means such as the deception of
democracy." [30]

"The Promise of the Stone and the Tree" recurs frequently in Friday sermons
as well. In a sermon at the Old Mosque in Al-Jum'aa, Saudi Arabia, Sheikh
Abd Al-Majid ibn Al-'Aziz Al-Deheishi said, "He who doubts the victory of
the [Islamic] religion is like he who despairs that the sun will not rise
after darkness falls.

"For the contemptible Jews . is foreseen an encounter with the nation of
Muhammad, as it is said: 'The Day of Judgment will come, when the Muslims
will fight the Jews and kill them until the Jew hides behind the stone and
the tree. The stone and the tree will say: Oh Muslim, oh worshipper of
Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him' - except for the
gharqadtree, which is the tree of the Jews. These texts are certain proof of
the victory of the religion of Islam." [31]

Saudi preacher Sheikh Sa'd Bin Abdallah Al-'Ajameh Al-Ghamdi expanded on the
nature of the anticipated battle with the Jews in a sermon at the Sa'id
Al-Jandoul Mosque in Al-Taif, Saudi Arabia: "We hear today about the
beginning of reconciliation and peaceful coexistence with the Jews on the
land of Palestine. We have heard of this in the past. The Jews came [to
Palestine] over 50 years ago, and they have been streaming to it from the
countries of the world since they left it centuries ago. They have suffered
torments throughout their lives, and they will continue to suffer torments
until the Day of Judgment. They will gather together with the Muslims, the
Christians, and the others, group by group, on the holy land, and the
Muslims will kill them after their ingathering, because the Jews are the
supporters of the false messiah. Jesus the son of Mary will descend and kill
the false messiah, will kill the pig, and will levy a Jizya.

"The Muslims' battle against the Jews [will be] at the gate [of the city of]
Lod, on the land of Palestine. The tree and the stone will surrender the
Jews hiding behind them, except for the gharqadtree, which is the tree of
the Jews. Indeed, they now often plant gharqad trees.

"The ingathering [of the Jews] from all corners of the earth on the land of
Palestine is one of the signs of the Day of Judgment. the goal of this
ingathering is so that [it will be possible] to torment them, and ultimately
to kill them, until the last of them is killed together with the false
messiah." [32]

Drawing a scimitar and brandishing it above his head, preacher Sheikh Bakr
Al-Samarai delivered a Friday sermon at the Abd Al-Qader Al-Jilani Mosque in
Baghdad: [33] "Even the stone will say, Oh Muslim, A Jew is hiding behind
me, come and cut off his head, and we shall cut off his head. By Allah, we
shall cut it off! Allahu Akbar! Oh Jews, Allahu Akbar!"

In Friday sermon broadcast on PA TV, preacher Sheik Ibrahim Madhi told
worshippers at the Sheik 'Ijlin Mosque in Gaza: "The Prophet Muhammad said.
The Jews fight you, but Allah will establish you as rulers over them, until
the Jew hides behind a stone or a tree, and the stone or the tree will say:
Oh Muslim, Oh servant of Allah, a Jew is hiding behind me, come kill him -
with the exception of the gharqad tree which is the tree of the Jews...'"
[34]

"The Promise of the Stone and the Tree" is also taught in a ninth-grade
Saudi schoolbook on the Hadiths. The book includes a story about Abu
Hurayra, one of the Prophet's companions who quoted the Prophet as saying:
"The hour [Judgment Day] will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews and
kill them. A Jew will [then] hide behind a rock or a tree, and the rock or
tree will call upon the Muslim: 'O Muslim, O slave of Allah! There is a Jew
behind me, come and kill him!' - except for the gharqad tree, for it is one
of the trees of the Jews." [35] The lesson is accompanied by a number of
study points and questions for discussion:

Study Points:

1.. "It is Allah's wisdom that the struggle between Muslims and Jews shall
continue until the Day of Judgment."
2.. "The Hadith brings forth the glad tidings about the ultimate victory,
with Allah's help, of Muslims over Jews."
3.. "The Jews and the Christians are the enemies of the believers. They
will not be favorably disposed toward Muslims and it is necessary to be
cautious [in dealing with them]."
Questions:

1.. "Who will be victorious on the Day of Judgment?"
2.. "With what types of weapons should Muslims arm themselves against the
Jews?"
3.. "Name four factors leading to the victory of Muslims over their
enemies." [36]
IV. The Annihilation Will Be Mostly By Your Hands

Some Islamic clerics emphasize that the annihilation of the West, the Jews,
and the infidels will come about - according to the divine decrees - largely
by the hands of the Muslims, who will torment them by means of Jihad.

In an article headlined "Allah Will Torment Them By Your Hands" that
appeared on August 24, 2002 in the Al-Qa'ida-affiliated online magazine
Al-Ansar, Seif Al-Din Al-Ansari wrote: "I would like to emphasize that the
annihilation of the infidels is an unshakeable and inarguable truth. It is a
valid and existing divine decree. It should be noted that total annihilation
by heaven was stopped after the descent of the Torah, that is, since the
time of Moses, peace be upon him. Allah said [in the Qur'an], 'We did reveal
to Musa [Moses] the Book [i.e. the Torah] after We had destroyed the earlier
generations.' Of course, the decree to annihilate [the infidels] still
exists, and still applies in full, as it existed even before the descent of
the Torah. This decree will not be completely implemented, to include all
members of the infidel nation; rather, Allah will annihilate the infidels by
means of torment [with which He will strike them], whether by destroying
their country or by less than this. But in general, He will not completely
eliminate them.

"When Allah announced to us that the annihilation of the infidels is
certain, He did not use ambiguous terms; rather, he clearly said that it
would take place in one of two ways: Either it would be done by Allah
directly, or it would be done by the Muslim community, in compliance with
divine law, in order to carry out the decree. [As it is said in the Qur'an],
'We can expect for you either that Allah will send His punishment from
Himself, or by our hands' [9:52].

"But the question is how the torments that Allah wants carried out by our
hands will be implemented. The torments certainly will not be carried out by
means of da'wa [preaching to Islam]. [but] by means of Jihad will Allah
torment the [infidels] by killing, by means of Jihad will Allah torment them
by financial loss, by means of Jihad will Allah torment them by loss of
power. That is, Allah will torment them by means of Jihad. [Allah] said:
'Fight them, Allah will torment them by your hands' [9:14]. Ibn Kathir [37]
said about this [in his Tafsir, or commentary, on the Qur'an]: 'After the
descent of the Torah, no nation was struck with torments, but Allah has
commanded the believers to fight the enemies of Allah'.

"The annihilation of the infidels is a divine decree, until the Day of
Judgment. A large part of it will be carried out only by the believers -
that is, by means of Jihad, as Jihad is also until the Day of Judgment, as
[the Prophet Muhammad] said, peace be upon him, 'The Jihad is until the Day
of Judgment'."

Similar statements were made by Islamist preacher Hussein bin Mahfouz in a
sermon posted on www.alminbar.net. In it, he said: "It is a divine decree
from Allah that the believers close to him will be saved and that his
infidel enemies will be annihilated and destroyed. Since Allah created all
mankind, as well as the struggle between truth and falsehood, he intended to
destroy the infidels and save the believers. We are a people whose strength
is in Islam and in waging Jihad. It is an honor for us that Allah set us to
be like his torment of the infidels by deciding that the infidels will be
annihilated by our hand." [38]

V. Killing Women, Children, and the Elderly is Permitted

One of the elements of annihilation in these Islamist writings is the
permission given to kill women, children, and the elderly. Some Hadiths of
the Prophet Muhammad forbid killing them, as in the Hadith from the
compilation by Abu Daoud according to which the Prophet told Khaled Ibn
Al-Walid during one of the Islamic raids, "Do not kill a woman or an
oppressed person." Also, in the compilation of Hadiths by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal,
the Prophet said, "Do not kill the children [of the polytheists]." This is
why Islamist clerics struggled with the question of how to justify attacks
by Islamist organizations in which women, children, and the elderly were
killed.

One Islamist writer actually based his justification for killing these
noncombatants on the conduct of the Prophet Muhammad himself. In an essay
published in September 2001, titled "The Truth of the New Crusader War," the
writer, who calls himself "The Crusader Oppressor Salah Al-Din" after Salah
Al-Din Al-Ayyoubi, the 12th-century conqueror who took Jerusalem from the
Crusaders, set out the circumstances under which killing infidel women,
children, and elderly is permitted according to Islam.

"First of all, we must clarify an important issue, and this is whether
America is a country of war [Bilad Harb] or a country with which we have an
agreement [Bilad Ahd]. It is agreed that it is a country of war, and it is
permitted for Muslims to strike a country of war with all [kinds] of blows,
because the blood, money, and honor of its residents are permitted. This is
what the Messenger of Allah did with the Muhariboun [those from Dar Al-Harb,
i.e. from territory not yet under Islamic rule that must be conquered ]: He
abducted them like he did with the Banu 'Uqail [39] ; he plundered their
merchant caravans as he did with the Quraysh; he assassinated their leaders
as he did with Ka'ab Ibn Al-Ashraf and Salamah bin Abi Al-Huqaiq; he burned
their land as he did with Banu Al-Nadhir; he destroyed their fortifications
as he did in Taif, and other things.

"Perhaps someone will say that if those who died [on September 11, 2001] are
innocent women, elderly, and children, who must not be harmed even if they
belong to a group from Dar Al-Harb, then how are these operations permitted
by religious law?

"We say [in response] that the sanctity of the blood of women, children, and
the elderly [from among the people of Dar Al-Harb] is not absolute.
Moreover, there are certain cases in which it is permitted to kill them when
they [belong] to the people of Dar Al-Harb.

"The first case: It is permitted for Muslims to kill inviolable infidels
[that is, children, women, and the elderly] in order to repay in kind. If
the infidels target Muslim women, children, and elderly, then it is
permitted for Muslims to repay them in kind and kill [their women, children
and elderly] as they killed. This is because of the word of Allah the
Supreme, 'Anyone who attacks you, attack him as he attacked you,' and also
because of other evidence.

"The second case: It is permitted for Muslims to kill inviolable infidels in
the event that they [the Muslims] attack them and cannot differentiate
between those with immunity and the warriors or fortifications and,
accordingly, they are permitted to kill them as a result [of inability to
distinguish] and not with premeditation. This is because of what the
Messenger said when asked about the offspring of the infidels [whom Muslims
attacked] in an ambush and [during it] harmed their women and their children
and said: 'They [the children] are of them [the warriors].' [40] This proves
that it is permissible to kill women and children because of [the deeds of]
their fathers when it is not possible to distinguish between them [and the
infidel warriors].

"The third case: It is permissible for Muslims to kill inviolable infidels
if they are aiding the fighting in deed, word, opinion, or any other way.
This is because of the Prophet's order to kill Duraid ibn Al-Simma, who was
120 years old and went with the Hawazin tribe [to fight against the Muslims]
to give them counsel. [41]

"The fourth case: It is permitted for Muslims to kill inviolable infidels
when there is a need to burn the fortifications or the fields of the enemy
in order to weaken his strength, to breach the ramparts, or to topple the
country, even if the inviolable ones die as a result, such as the Prophet
did in the case of Banu Al-Nadhir. [42]

"The fifth case: It is permitted for Muslims to kill inviolable infidels if
they need to use heavy weapons that cannot differentiate between those who
are inviolable and the warriors, as the Prophet did at Taif.

"The sixth case: It is permitted for Muslims to kill inviolable infidels if
the enemy uses women and children as a human shield and it is not possible
to kill the warriors except by killing this shield. In such a case it is
permitted to kill them all.

"The seventh case: It is permitted for Muslims to kill inviolable infidels
if the latter had an agreement with the Muslims and broke the agreement, and
the imam had to kill the inviolable ones to make an example of them, like
the Prophet did with Banu Qurayza." [43]

In November 2001, Saudi cleric Sheikh Abd Al-'Aziz bin Saleh Al-Jarbu'
published the book 'Basing the Religious Legitimacy of Destroying America. '
In the book, Al-Jarbu' discusses, inter alia, the prohibition on killing
infidel women, children, and elderly. Al-Jarbu' noted that while it was
indeed forbidden to kill them, the prohibition was waived if they were
participating in war [against Muslims] or counseling the warriors.

In his discussion, Al-Jarbu' presents an example of the two maidservants of
a man named Abd Allah bin Khatal, whom the Prophet ordered killed because
they sang vituperative songs - that is, they inflamed the warriors.
Regarding this instance, Al-Jarbu' said: "If this was the decree against
anyone who sang songs of vituperation against the Messenger, then it is all
the more a decree against all those who to this added participating in a
vote approving massacres of Muslims and against those who spread shame and
prostitution to Islam and the Muslims."

Al-Jarbu' went on to add: "All the sages agree that it is permissible to
kill women, children, and the elderly if it is not possible to distinguish
between them and the other [warriors], particularly if the Mujahideen [Jihad
warriors] wish to surprise the enemy in an ambush or in another way. Anyone
who says that it is completely forbidden to kill innocents accuses the
Messenger [Muhammad], His companions, and those after them of murdering
innocent people, because the Messenger built a catapult in his war with Taif
[44], and the nature of the catapult is not to distinguish [between warriors
whom may be killed and innocents]. [Similarly], the Prophet killed all the
adult Jews of the treacherous Banu Qurayza, and did not differentiate among
them." [45]

On the U.S., he wrote: "It has become clear to us from past experience that
America is a country warring against Islam and Muslims. Indeed, it is its
greatest enemy. It uses war against Islam, and crimes and corruption that
are inconceivable to humankind. Thus, it should be treated according to the
laws of war on Islam, and not according to [laws] of peace and dhimmitude."
[46]

VI. The Annihilation Will Be By Weapons of Mass Destruction

One means suggested for annihilating the Jews, Christians, Israel, and the
West is through nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
Sheikh Nasser ibn Hamed, a well-known Saudi cleric associated with
Al-Qa'ida, wrote 'A Treatise on the Ruling Regarding the Use of Weapons of
Mass Destruction Against the Infidels.' The treatise came in response to a
question that came in the wake of media reports regarding Al-Qa'ida's
intention to use weapons of mass destruction against the U.S. The question,
on its part, was aimed at clarifying Islamic law's view of the
permissibility of using weapons of mass destruction in the framework of
Jihad, and specifically whether such permissibility would be inclusive or
limited only to hour of need. The following is one chapter of Sheikh Hamed's
lengthy response; the chapter is called 'Proof that the Use of Weapons of
Mass Destruction Is Permissible.'

In this chapter of his response, Sheikh Hamed stated that it was permissible
to use weapons of mass destruction against 10 million Americans
specifically, and against infidels in general, and that support for their
use could be found in Islamic religious sources. The chapter was divided
into two parts.

The first part discussed the legitimacy of the use of weapons of mass
destruction within a particular time frame against a particular enemy "such
as the case of America at this time." According to Sheikh Hamed, it is
permissible to strike America with weapons of mass destruction in order to
repay it in kind. As evidence, Sheikh Hamed cited three Qur'an verses: "If
you desire to exact retribution, then adjust the penalty to the wrong you
have suffered" [16:126]; "Those whoso transgress against you, you may exact
retribution from him in proportion to his transgression" [2:194]; and " The
recompense of an injury is a penalty in proportion thereto " [42:40].

After citing the Qur'anic verses, Sheikh Hamed wrote, "Anyone who looks at
America's acts of aggression against the Muslims and their lands over the
recent decades will permit this [the use of WMDs] based only on the section
of Islamic law called 'Repayment in Kind,' without any need to indicate the
other evidence.

"Some of the brothers have counted the number of Muslims killed with their
[i.e. America's] direct and indirect weapons, and this number has reached
nearly 10 million. With regard to the lands burned by their bombs, their
means of destruction, and their missiles, only Allah can count. The most
recent case we saw with our own eyes is what happened in Afghanistan and
Iraq without [mentioning] the fact that many Muslims became refugees.

"If a bomb was dropped on them [i.e. the Americans] that would annihilate 10
million and burn their lands to the same extent that they burned the Muslim
lands - this is permissible, with no need to mention any other proof. Yet if
we want to annihilate a greater number, we need further evidence."

In the second part of the chapter, Sheikh Hamed presents "the general
evidence for the legitimacy according to Islamic law for an inclusive
operation of this kind, in the event that Jihad for the sake of Allah
requires it."

In his view, "[this evidence] is the texts according to which it is
permissible to use this type of weapon in the event that the men of Jihad
think it [necessary] for the commonwealth," and proves this with three
different pieces of evidence.

The first piece of evidence is "texts that prove it is possible to carry out
a surprise nighttime attack on the polytheists even if their offspring will
be harmed by it." On this matter, Hamed wrote: "Although it is proven that
the Prophet forbade the killing of women and children, [47] if you collect
these Hadiths you will find that this is a prohibition on premeditated
killing of them. But if their being killed is the result of a surprise
attack and a raid, and an inability to distinguish among them [i.e. the
enemy under attack] then there is nothing wrong with it, and the Jihad is
not called off because of the presence of the women and children of the
infidels.

"The second piece of evidence is "the texts that prove it is permissible to
burn the land of the enemy.

"Ibn Omar's Hadith [48] proves that the Muslims must use any ploy against
their polytheist enemies that weakens their power, thwarts their ploys, and
facilitates the path to conquering them, such as felling their trees, drying
up their water sources, and besieging them. This Hadith includes clear
evidence that it is permissible to burn the land of the enemy if the
fighting requires it."

The third piece of evidence is "the texts that prove that it is permissible
to strike the enemy with a catapult and with similar things that annihilate
them." On this, Sheikh Hamed wrote: "The clerics have agreed that it is
permissible to strike the enemy with a catapult and similar things. It is
known that the stone of the catapult does not distinguish between women and
children and others; it is also [known] that it destroys any building or
other thing that stands in its way.

"This constitutes proof that it is permissible to destroy the land of the
infidels and to kill them - in the event that the Jihad requires this and in
the event that the men of influence from among the Mujahideen think so - as
the Muslims struck these cities with catapults until they were conquered and
it does not say that they ceased and desisted out of fear that the infidels
would be annihilated down to the root or that their land would be
destroyed."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

[1] http://www.preventinggenocide.com/

[2] A monotheistic cult from the dawn of Islam.

[3] Sayyid Qutb, Hadha al-Din, Cairo: Dar Al-Qalam, 1962, p. 85 In Qutb's
book Al-'Adala Al-Ijtima'iyya fi al-Islam (Social Justice In Islam), he
wrote of the U.S. and Russia: "America and Russia are the same; they both
base themselves on materialistic thinking. The real struggle is between
Islam on the one hand and Russia and America on the other. Christianity is
incapable of meeting the challenge. That is why Islam must be chosen now"
(as cited in Haim, S.G. (1982),"Sayyid Qutb," Asian and African Studies, 16,
pp. 153-154).

About the Jews, Qutb wrote in his book Ma'rakatuna ma'a al-Yahud (Our Battle
Against the Jews): "With their spite and deceit, the Jews are still
misleading this nation, and distracting her away from her Qur'an in order
that she may not draw her sharp weapons and her abundant ammunitions from
it. [The Jews'] aim is clearly shown by the Protocols [of the Elders of
Zion]. The Jews are behind materialism, animal sexuality, the destruction of
the family and the dissolution of society. Principal among them are Marx,
Freud, Durkheim and the Jew Jean-Paul Sartre" (as cited in Haim, S.G., ibid,
pp. 155-156).

In Fi Zilal Al-Qur'an, Qutb wrote: "The true goal of the People of the Book,
whether Jews or Christians. is to lead Muslims astray from their religion to
the religion of the People of the Book," and "No matter how you try to
befriend them [i.e. Christians], nothing of all this will please them,
except that you follow the