THE LONDON BOMBINGS
HATRED IN ISLAM
CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE UMMA
By R. L. Schwind
On July 7, 2005 four young Muslims, three of them born in Britain of Pakistani
parents and one a Jamaican convert to Islam, were photographed by video security
cameras, bearing backpacks containing high explosives as they hurried off to London
to detonate bombs in three subway cars and in one bus, killing themselves and
55 passengers plus wounding scores of others. In the following days, politicians,
churchmen, liberals, multiculturalists and other Islamophiles rushed into print
to advise us that the subject terrorist acts were only the works of a small minority
of Muslims whose crimes are not exemplary of main-stream Muslims, that such terrorists
had hijacked Islam, that the true image of Islam is one of peace and justice,
not of hatred and violence etc. Even Prime Minister Tony Blair joined the pack
to say that the evil ideology of the terrorists does not represent the thinking
of most Muslims. Following in their train are Muslim groups with many of the same
messages. While the above statements may be politically correct, they are also
factually wrong.
The purpose of this page is to demonstrate beyond cavil that the actions of
the London bombers and of other Muslim terrorists in the world are not the works
of a small lunatic fringe of Islam, but represent the highest, the noblest, and
the most authentic expression of the religious fervor and zeal of Islam in its
unceasing struggle since the time of Muhammad to destroy the non-Muslims (infidels)
and thereby to achieve the Quranic vision of one world under Islam known as “khilafah”.
To demonstrate this, we draw extensively from the Quran, the highest authority
of Muslims, allegedly dictated by an angel to Muhammad, the self-appointed messenger
of his diety, Allah, yet claimed to have existed eternally. For believing Muslims
the Quran is the eternal, literal, correct, complete, unalterable and permanent
word of their god and the primary authority for their beliefs and conduct. For
that reason, we base our thesis too on the Quran with citations for examination
by our readers. (1)
We begin first with the cosmology of Islam which partitions the world into
two domains or abodes, namely the House of Islam (Dar al Islam) which refers to
all Muslims collectively and the House of War (Dar al Harb) which refers to all
infidels, the latter so called because between the two abodes reigns a continuing
state of war until such time as the infidels are converted to Islam, killed or
enslaved, or in the case of the “peoples of the Book”, viz. Jews and
Christians – subjected to an arrangement (dhimma) which subjugates them
to the “umma” (Muslim community)as inferior and subordinate beings
required to pay tribute (jizya) to the umma in acknowledgment of their humiliation
as a condition of retaining their lives and property. Surah 9: 29
Dar al Islam and Dar al Harb are not geographic but religious concepts which
refer to Muslims and infidels respectively regardless where they may reside. Moreover,
the Quran divides the human race into two kinds or classes of people – a
superior race called Muslims defined as “the best of nations raised up for
the benefit of men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe
in Allah”. Surah 3: 110 Infidels viz non-believers are defined as follows:
“Surely the vilest of animals in Allah’s sight are the infidels, then
they would not believe”. Surah 8: 55 As evident in the words of the Quran,
Muslims – “best of nations” – differ radically from infidels
- “vilest of animals”. This dichotomy in the human race – House
of Islam vs. House of War; “best of nations” vs. “vilest of
animals” is the very foundation of the Muslim’s world view and is
the ultimate basis of his thinking and behavior toward non-Muslims. In addition,
the Muslim’s world view is aggravated substantially by the Quran’s
repetitive condemnation of infidels as damnable and damned. (2) Fire and punishment
are the lot of the infidels whereas paradise is the future of the faithful –
maybe. (The Muslim is not justified by faith and/or works, but is dependent on
the whim and caprice of his arbitrary god) Surah 17: 13; 14: 4; 2: 284 Not only
are infidels a different and inferior form of humanity, they are treated in the
Quran as the enemies of Muslims, Surah 4: 101. The Quran commands Muslims to eschew
friendships with infidels. Surah 3: 28; 3: 118; 4: 144, 5: 51
Given the above referenced background of isolation and hatred of the infidel
ordained by the Quran, we move next to the subject of jihad. As shown above, the
Quran teaches that Muslims and infidels were, are and shall ever be in a state
of war until the latter submit to Islam. This war is called jihad, an Arabic term
which referred in pre-Islamic times to raids by one Bedouin tribe upon another
for scarce resources such as water, pasturage, livestock, women, slaves, booty,
etc. Muhammad extended the term to apply to attacks on infidels. We note here
that the term jihad may also refer to interior or moral struggles which a Muslim
might experience in his daily life. In the early years of Islam following Muhammad’s
death, Islam was spread by the sword across North Africa westward to Spain and
southern France and eastward to the borders of India and China. Jihad, like the
traditional “Five Pillars of Islam” (3), is the duty of every Muslim
to the extent of his means. (4) Some call jihad the Sixth Pillar of Islam. The
Quran also makes it clear that Islam is the only permissible religion and that
all others must yield to it. Surah 2: 193; 3:85; 9: 33; 48:28; 61:9
We examine next the questions raised by the politicos and pundits following
the July 7 attacks in London. How can many young Muslims born and raised in a
civilized country attack and kill indiscriminately their own people? We remind
our readers that Muslims do not regard infidels as “their own people”.
For the Muslim, his people are the umma alone, viz the world community of believers,
and no others. As stated above, infidels are cosmologically in a different and
inferior order excluded from the umma. The militant Muslims in Britain owe the
Queen, the state, the society, or the community absolutely nothing, neither loyalty,
obedience, or any form of human, moral or social accommodation whatsoever. The
Quran does not recognize monarchy, national states or borders. Only the umma is
relevant and infidels are outside of and inferior to the umma. Moreover, there
are in the Quran no notions of human or civil rights- only religious rights and
they depend on whether one is Muslim or infidel, male or female.
What were those young Muslims thinking about as they trotted off to London
with their backpacks and their evil design? What would induce them to exchange
the this-worldly knowables of life and family for the promised rewards of Muhammad’s
paradise? First, the young jihadis knew that they would be the heroes of the umma
highly respected and honored. Even better, should they lose their lives in their
mission, they would ascend to the exalted rank of martyrs which is the highest,
the noblest and the most authentic expression of religious fervor and devotion
in Islam; it circumvents ordinary death and the vagaries of the resurrection by
directly and immediately admitting them to paradise even as the rapidly expanding
gases of the explosion tear apart their bodies and those of the infidels.
One cannot understand the ardor and enthusiasm of those young Muslims eager
to die in jihad without first understanding the rewards which await them and their
families. A jihadi who dies in his mission may leave behind parents, siblings,
a wife and children with the assurance that the umma will care for them and supply
their material needs, that his name and deeds will be highly praised in the Muslim
community, and that a martyrs’ plaque may be placed on the door of his house
to proclaim triumphantly to the passers-by that here once lived a martyr of Islam.
Militant Muslims also believe that paradise is far better for a martyr than the
place he leaves behind. Surah 4: 74 Throughout the Quran Muhammad’s paradise
is described as “gardens beneath which rivers flow to abide in them forever;
they shall have pure mates, and We shall make them enter a dense shade”.
Surah 4: 57 “They shall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and with
pearls; and their garments shall be of silk”. Surah 22: 23 They shall use
“golden bowls and drinking cups”. Surah 43: 71 “They shall wear
fine and thick silks”. Surah 44: 53 and “shall be wed to virgins”
(72 in fact, all black-eyed and virginal forever). Surah 44: 54 They shall be
“reclining on raised couches; and have vessels of silver and goblets of
glass”. Surah 76: 13 – 16 “And all around them shall proceed
boys never altering in age, … as scattered pearls” and “upon
them shall be garments of green silk and thick silk interwoven with gold, adorned
with bracelets of silver”. Surah 19: 22 However absurd rational people may
regard these hashish-induced bi-sexual hallucinations of a 7th century Bedouin
prophet as described above, we dare not forget that for many Muslims this is a
vision they long to die for and that these same people live in our midst and plot
to destroy us regardless whether it might cost them their lives. That is the lesson
of the London bombers.
In conclusion we want to discuss the practice of al-takeyya. The Arabic word
conveys in usage the understanding that Muslims are permitted to lie in order
to prevent anticipated harm to one’s self or to other Muslims. One may lie
under adverse circumstances to protect the interests of the umma, even to the
point of denying the faith. Surah 3: 28. See also http://www.islamreview.com/articles/lying.shtml
This practice should caution us to take what Muslims say in defense of Islam with
a grain of salt. One must consider the exculpations of their behavior in the light
of their objectives. We should be guided not by what these Muslims tell us in
our language through our media, rather by what they say to one another in their
own languages through their own media – all in the context of the Quran.
See http://www.memri.org Islam is the enemy
of the infidels; the Quran states that clearly and the Muslims’ homes, mosques
and madrassas teach that. Sixty-five years ago the enemy appeared from the skies
to wreck havoc on the city and we knew who he was. Today the enemy lurks in ambush
within the gates and we don't recognize him. Surely our British cousins know that
now.
FOOTNOTES
- In addition to the Quran Muslims call on other authorities.
Following the Quran are the Hadith (traditions) made of statements and observations
about or by Muhammad by his followers and family members. The Hadith are more
extensive than the Quran and second to it in authority. The Sharia (Islamic code
of ethics) contains and codifies the legal, moral and ethical prescriptions of
the Quran, the Hadith and the legal opinions of judges and scholars. Of varying
authority are the fatwas issued by Muslim clerics. Their authority depends on
who issued them, when and where. A fatwa such as that issued by Muslim clerics
in Britain after July 7 regarding the acts of the bombers is fatally compromised
and undermined by the practice of al-takeyya and should be disregarded. See above.
- The Quran is replete with hell, fire and brimstone for the
infidels. See 2: 39; 2: 104; 2: 126; 2: 161; 3: 4; 3: 10; 3: 12; 4: 56; 4: 151;
5: 72; 8: 14; 8: 36; 9: 68; 9: 74; 13: 35; 22: 51, 55, 57; 33: 64; 34: 38; 35:
7, 36; 38: 2, 3; 45: 11; 48: 13; 64: 10; 66: 9; 75: 4; 98: 6
- The Five Pillars of Islam binding on all Muslims are the
following:
a) the shahada or confession of faith that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad
is his messenger;
b) the Muslim must pray five times per day;
c) the Muslim must pay the poor rate for the support of the poor;
d) the Muslim must observe the fast during the month of Ramadan;
e) the Muslim must make the pilgrimage to Mecca once during his lifetime if
he can afford it.
- “Those who believe fight in the way of Allah, and
those who disbelieve fight in the way of Satan. Fight therefore against the friends
of Satan.” Surah 4: 76
“The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and his apostle …
is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and feet
should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; … Surah
5: 33
“And as to those who reject Our communications, We shall draw them near
to destruction by degrees from whence they know not”. Surah 7: 182
“I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. therefore strike
off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them”. Surah 8: 12
O Prophet! Urge the believers to war; if there are twenty patient ones of you
they shall overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred of you they shall
overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they are a people who do
not understand”. Surah 8: 65
“So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever
you find them, and take them captive and and besiege them and lie in wait for
them in every ambush”. Surah 9: 5
“Fight them; Allah will punish them by your hands and bring them to disgrace,
and assist you against them”. Surah 9: 14
“O you who believe! Fight those of the unbelievers who are near you and
let them find in you hardness; and know that
Allah is with those who guard against evil”. Surah 9: 123
“Infidels shall be vanquished in war”. Surah 52: 42
Martyrdom Operations
http://www.cdfe.org/martyrdom_operations.htm
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