Another strategic error in the failure to address the ideological basis of Jihad in Islamic supremacism is that the lack of such a strategic debate allows a series of false and misleading reports about Jihadists allegedly "renouncing" jihad or abandoning Islamism. The point of these media reports are to suggest that either (a) there is no jihadist threat, or (b) what threat does exist is diminishing as "extremists" realize the folly of violence. Such reports have one clear purpose: quash public debate on the real ideological basis behind Jihad, with the secondary purpose of questioning Jihad as a "real threat."
The Jihadist who is still a Jihadist
One example is the July 13, 2008 UK Guardian/Observer article by Lawrence Wright "The heretic -- How Al-Qaeda's mastermind turned his back on terror." It is clear from a close reading of the article that the headline simply is not accurate, but the Guardian/Observer doesn't expect most of the public to read the article closely, they are simply looking for a headline to influence public opinion.
Mr. Wright's article is to "inform" the public how Sayyed Imam Al-Sharif, aka Dr. Fadl, has rejected terrorism. In Mr. Wright's first paragraph, he trumpets how Al-Sharif was "rejecting al-Qaeda's violence," having written in a 2007 fax that "[w]e are prohibited from committing aggression, even if the enemies of Islam do that." (The last part of Al-Sharif's sentence should have been a tip-off to the observant reader.) Mr. Wright goes on in "Part One" of his article about the importance of Al-Sharif to Al-Qaeda, and how important his alleged defection from "terrorism" is.
In "Part Two" of Mr. Wright's article, 75 paragraphs later, he writes that "[d]espite his previous call for jihad against unjust Muslim rulers, Fadl now says such rulers can be fought only if they are unbelievers, and even then only to the extent that the battle will improve the situation of Muslim." So, how does that make Al-Sharif against Jihad? Only if rulers are "unbelievers"? After all, per Mr. Wright's own article, Al-Sharif is the one with the historical ideology that identified virtually every Muslim who didn't agree with him as a takfiri (unbeliever).
Further on in "Part Two" of Mr. Wright's article, in paragraph 78, Mr. Wright states:
"Fadl [aka Al-Sharif] does not condemn all jihadist activity, however. 'Jihad in Afghanistan will lead to the creation of an Islamic state with the triumph of the Taliban, God willing,' he declares. The jihads in Iraq and Palestine are more problematic. As Fadl sees it, 'If it were not for the jihad in Palestine, the Jews would have crept toward the neighbouring countries a long time ago.'"
In paragraph 79, Mr. Wright goes on to state: "Speaking of Iraq, he [Al-Sharif] notes that without the jihad there, 'America would have moved into Syria.'"
In summary, Mr. Wright claims that Al-Sharif is against Jihadist terrorism, except for Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and rulers who are "unbelievers." This is how Al-Sharif "turned his back on terror." Anywhere else where Al-Sharif supports Jihad? Who knows where else Al-Sharif might call for Jihad if you asked him for more details? Thailand, Philippines, Somalia, etc? But the Guardian/Observer expects that its readers and the public will never get that far and will not realize that the article is merely a transparent attempt to discourage debate on the Jihadist threat.
As the third anniversary of the botched 7/21 bombings approaches, the NEFA Foundation