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Egyptian big time Iman revising Jihad theology
In a prison cell south of Cairo a repentant Egyptian terrorist leader is putting the finishing touches to a remarkable recantation that undermines the Muslim theological basis for violent jihad and is set to generate furious controversy among former comrades still fighting with al-Qaida.Sayid Imam al-Sharif, 57, was the founder and first emir (commander) of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad organisation... Sharif recently gave an electrifying foretaste of his conversion by condemning killings on the basis of nationality and colour of skin and the targeting of women and children, citing the Qur'anic injunction: "Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not transgress the limits; for God loveth not transgressors." Armed operations were wrong, counterproductive and must cease, he declared sternly. Zawahiri, evidently rattled, rounded sarcastically on him in a video message broadcast after Sharif's statement - faxed from Torah prison to an Arabic newspaper - announced not only his change of heart but a book-length repudiation endorsed by hundreds of other former militants, and which is due to be published soon. The quote is 2:190 (the phrase translated "do not transgress the limits" has also been translated as "do not begin hostilities"). I would give high odds that the eventual book will be hard on muslims who kill muslim civilians but somewhere between enthusiasically praising and equivocal about muslims killing infidels. This Iman probably realizes that if Islam ever loses the ability to kill opponents, masses of people will leave the faith. Posted by: mhw 2007-07-27 |
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