MILNET Opinion
 Religion Versus the State,  July 4, 2005
Update
When the clerics of any religion begin to preach violence, they necessarily become a threat to peace loving people.  When that religion then begins to preach violence against the state, they not only become a threat to individuals, but dangerous enemies of the state.  At that point, regardless of your inclination toward freedom of religion, they must be eradicated.

- Michael Crawford, Chief Editor, MILNET

The history of religious participation in the sectarian world offers us evidence that often religious participation in politics creates problems both for the state as well as the religion.  Startling examples are easy to find.

The crusades offered a religious rationale for multi-continental war that spread over the entire cradle of civilizations that lasted for decades.   Indeed the conflict lasted long enough that it seemed likely to the participants that it would never end and the outcome could never be predicted.  The Spanish Inquisition saw religious fervor extending into identifying heretics and putting them to painful deaths -- not only as punishment, but as a means to finding yet another victim.  Few under torture of the Inquisition could not remember the name of someone who MIGHT be a heretic and thus the Inquisition too appeared to have no ending point.

Today, our world faces yet another kind of religious persecution, another Inquisition.  Most will recognize the players, but few understand the underlying rationale.  Those who are especially ignorant of the facts and who are the most dangerous, are those who seem able to find excuses in the persecutor's behavior that, if the behavior could be changed, would end the persecution.  Nothing is farther from the truth.

Scholars worldwide have been attempting to point out the real underlying cause of this new persecution, yet those willing to make excuses for the new Inquisition are deaf to the call.  We are clearly faced with a war of civilizations.  The protagonists in this gruesome new play are, unfortunately, embedded in the religious structure of what would normally be called a very pious and peace loving religion.  Unfortunately, so have the other religious zealots in the deadly religious persecutions in human history.

In our case today,  a radical, ultra fundamentalist sect of the Muslim religion claims to be the "real" Muslims and offers simple choices to all others.  And in fact, the "offer" extends not only to the people of the Earth, but to political entities worldwide as well.  Not only do they demand that the world conform to their religious ideals, but all states must conform to governmental processes that meet their religious-political underpinnings.

This religious zeal is not far different from that which was present on both sides of the war we now call, some 1600 years later, The Crusades.  And as several scholars have attempted to tell us, one side -- the non-Muslims -- has not yet realized that not only are they are the targets, but their entire modern way-of-life is at risk as well. 

Put simply, the modern Middle Eastern terrorist has evolved into a Crusade against everyone else.  Take note of the words used here, they are important.  This is not simply Muslim against Christian.  It is certain sects of Islam versus EVERYONE ELSE!

Witness the insurgency in Iraq. This is not freedom fighters attempting to free a nation from an oppressor!  Where were these freedom fighters when Saddam Hussein was in power?  And where are these so called freedom fighters coming from?  From outside Iraq.  Oops.  That puts the lie to that theory.  And today, which segment of the population in Iraq is being killed at the highest rates?  ANYONE who does not capitulate to the terrorist's goals or works with those who refuse to capitulate.  Obviously something else is at work in Iraq and certainly not freedom.

The current modern terrorism would seem to have its roots in the formation of Israel and the effort to not only eject that country, but provides an excuse for genocide of the Jew, yet again in our modern world.   What could not be done with tanks and bombs from planes is being attempted with bombs strapped on would-be martyrs.  And when Israel's friends refused to sit idly by, they too became targets.  Today there are few who are safe from death by Islamic terrorists, and this includes, not surprising to most scholars, Muslims as well.


The Ancient Roots - The Muslim Salafiyya

The term Salafiyya is interpreted by most modern scholars as the practice and desire for a puritanical version of the Islamic religion.  Most will also agree that it is a deviation from the actual tenets of Mohammed.  The practitioners called themselves "muwhaddin" (unitarians) or "Salafiyya" (followers of the prophet).  While the terms have been in use since the time of the prophet Mohammed, today's version are expressly indicative -- a puritanical form of Islam -- and to be even more specific, of the Sunni Muslim sect -- which has no patience for all other forms of Islam and offers a special hatred for all other religions.


The Evolving Wahhabist Movement

The Wahhabi term describes a particularly virulent group of the Salafiyya, Sunni Muslims who take their name from the Muslim scholar Muhammand bin Abd al-Wahhab who lived in the 18th century.  In his time, al-Wahhab denounced the decline of the morals in his society and encouraged a return to the pure and orthodox practices of Islam.  Also in the eighteenth century, the intersection between this religious fervor and a dynamic and visionary tribal leader sewed the seeds for what we see today in the form of the modern Islamic terrorist.

Muhammad bin Saud, the founder of the modern day Saudi dynasty and nation, teamed with Wahhab in an effort to unify the Muslim tribes of the Middle East.  Saud used the tenets of the puritanical Islam to forge a code of conduct for all Muslims and indeed a standard for which "any proper Muslim" would be judged.  As might be expected, his time was especially violent and through that violence he gathered up a large portion of the Islamic world around him -- either you joined his Saudi Arabia, or you were killed for your reluctance.

The spread of the Wahhabist regime can easily be placed squarely on the shoulders of the Saudi Arabian royal family and the nation they control.  Through the standard and usually innocent Muslim practice of a sort of Sunday School called the Madrasah, the Wahhabist teachings have been spread by the Saudis to all corners of the world. 

While smiling at the leaders of all nations, their practices and support for the Wahhabist form of the Muslim religion, has created the worst religious persecution since the Crusades, and yet the nation of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Royals deny and ignore responsibility. 1


The Intersection between Wahhabism and Palestinian Terrorism

The problem we face today is not all due to Saudi arrogance and feigned ignorance.  Saudi Arabia may have created a rich and fertile ground for the sowing of the Terrorist seed, but they are not the only contributors by any stretch of the imagination. 

The formation of a Jewish state in the heart of the Arab world was perhaps the first fuse to light off the modern Islamic terrorist movement.  Through ignorance and arrogance, the Western world and what would become the United Nations determined that they could cede ancient lands to the Jewish people to build their Israel.  While well intentioned, it will be forever known as the worst mistake in world history.

Do not misunderstand.  The formation of an Israeli nation as a desirable outcome is not the issue.  Nor is the Israeli's perceived right to have a nation.  There is also understanding of the rationale for a Jewish nation surrounding Jerusalem.

It is the arrogance that believed that a Jewish nation could be created in the midst of Muslim nations.  That same arrogance obviously never stopped to think that amongst those Muslim nations were the arch-rivals of all things non-Muslim, the puritanical Islamist Wahhabists.  This colossal blunder has resulted in the deaths of many thousands since those first days of the formation of Israel.

The so called "Palestinian" is actually more accurately named the "Arab Palestinian". "Jewish Palestinians" have as much history and rights to the land through ancient occupation as the Arabs.  In fact, most scholars will agree that the back and forth of the nomadic Arab tribes had given up rights to the land countless times, and strong Jewish settlers had homesteaded the land in corresponding numbers.

The point is that the term Palestinian is undefined except in modern parlance.  We will use the popular somewhat loose definition.  Those Arabs who claim to have the right to a sovereign nation in several areas of what is today known as Israel.  This includes areas that the Israelis, through war and attrition, have claimed as part of new boundaries.   (Gaza and the West Bank for instance).

The modern Arab Palestinian cause has been seized upon by the puritanical Wahhabist as a rallying call for death and destruction. The infatada, a call for Jihad against the Israelis in the "occupied territories" as well as anywhere in the world, is an offspring of events that first began at the Munich Olympics in 1972.  11 Israeli athletes were killed and authorities managed to kill six terrorists.  While this was not the first case of anti-Israeli terrorism, it was a highly visible, world covering event that demonstrated the reach of the Palestinian cause. 

The key to these events were the terrorists, where they had learned their skills and what had driven them to the attacks.  At the heart of the philosophy was the combination of the Arab Palestinian cause and the Wahhabist teachings which proclaimed the ascension to heaven by martyrdom should that become necessary.  Clearly the killing of infidel Jews was only a small part of the overall accomplishment and while Western analysts did not see the significance of the martyrdom, they did notice the deaths of 11 athletes in what has usually been a venue for peaceful competition which usually hallmarked the ability for nations to put aside politics and anger

The assassinations of the athletes were carried out by members of Fatah (Palestinian Liberation Organization) and ordered by Yassar Arafat.  The group conducting the operation called themselves Black September to hide their association from the PLO, however, few were fooled.   2

However, the PLO, despite being responsible for numerous terrorist attacks over the next 3 decades, remained a political force propelling Arafat into a position of great power until his death in 2004. 

Various splinter groups and even new groups modeled after the PLO emerged in those three decades, with some rising to prominence and worldwide reach and then waning as authorities captured and/or killed the leaders.


Al Qaeda -- A Rallying Umbrella Organization

A former Afghanistan resistance supporter, Osama Bin Laden became the focal point for a new type of Islamic Terrorist group shortly after the Russians pulled out of Afghanistan. The effect of the Russian pullout was seen by many Islamic fundamentalists as a clear sign that their cause could and would win a modern war against nations.

Bin Laden's share of his Saudi family fortune had been put to good use in Afghanistan and because of that and his tenacious argument for organized puritan Islamic revolt, made him the darling of the radical Islamic world.

Bin Laden and his lieutenants devised an organizational scheme that combined wealth and influence with global reach. The idea was pretty simple, really, especially if you understood the radical Islamic desire for recognition for their philosophy and the intersection with the Palestinian cause. 

Al Qaeda's literal translation is "the base" or "the foundation".  It is an apt name.  Using the Al Qaeda name as a base, any radical muslim organization can attach their group to the Al Qaeda "umbrella" organization and get instant recognition.  Perhaps, if they are lucky and funds are available, Arab nations will secretly begin to funnel funds to the group, despite the fact they may never have spoken or exchanged written communication with Bin Laden or his lieutenants.

In Afghanistan, Bin Laden, having been tossed out of Saudi Arabia being too hot a political potato, set up training camps for would be Jihadists hoping to be called a member of Al Qaeda.  These "agents" then proceeded back to their home country to build their own Al Qaeda cell organization.  These new members could call their group just about anything they wished to, as long as they followed, in the main, the precepts of Wahhabi terrorist movement -- kill infidels, create a few new martyrs and claim all for the glory of Islam and Al Qaeda.

This combination of violence and glory for radical Islam found the right spot, and within a decade, Al Qaeda went from invisible to a huge bloom on the anti-terrorist radar.  Unfortunately Al Qaeda's malevolence and reach was not accepted except by the working class in anti-terrorist organizations until September 11, 2001.  This despite more than enough evidence -- the first World Trade Center attacks and the attack on the U.S.S. Cole, both attacks which illustrated the small lone wolf band operating as Al Qaeda cells, and the global reach these bands gave Al Qaeda.


The War of Civilizations

Thus we arrive at today's terrorist situation.  There is no more formidable threat to modern civilization than the Islamic terrorist and there is no more formidable organization of Islamic terrorists than Al Qaeda.  That is not to say that the other Islamic terrorist groups no longer generate a high threat level. To the contrary, Al Qaeda simply gives more glory to the overall Jihadist cause, strengthening and perhaps providing more synergy to the effort to recruit and send out would-be martyrs to their death.

The current relations between Israel and the so called Palestinians is indicative of the real situation.  While diplomatic efforts start and stop in the process to define how to create a Palestinian State within the confines of Israel's borders (note that no Arab nation is willing to cede area within its borders), the violence continues and young Arabs blow themselves up along with scores of Israelis.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, the Islamic terrorists demonstrate daily that their real enemy is not the United States, Britain, or any other coalition partner, but anyone who does not accede to their demands for a puritanical Islamic world. 

Make no mistake, that is the goal.  To satisfy Bin Laden and followers like Musab Zarqawi, every nation in the world will have to subscribe to the Wahhabist mandate.  The U.S. would have to become a caliphate of the greater Islamic world. 

Indeed, there are people within the borders of the U.S. who preach that very outcome.  Some are found in Madrasas attached to Mosques in the U.S. and some are found in would-be liberal organizations who profess to simply desire better relations between Muslims and Americans.  5

The number of would-be Islamic terrorist "cells" found in the U.S. since 9/11 can not be chalked up as an over zealous FBI.  The financial transactions alone indicate a well organized recruiting ground for radical Islam that, if ignored or pandered to by liberal hand wringing, could easily become larger than the problem found in the Middle East.

The goal of these efforts is clear.  To destroy the "Western" civilization and replace it with a 4th century Islamic world ruled by 18th century puritanical Islamic clerics and their violent cousins.  To fail to recognize that goal brings peril to us all and shirks the responsibility to protect our own future generations.


Religion Versus The State

The modern version of the Crusades has expanded the Religion versus State concept far beyond Muslim and Christian. It defines a narrow set of puritanical Islamic ideals against everyone else.  It is, essentially, Wahhabism versus the World.  The Salafiyya versus everyone else. 

The most insidious part of our modern dilemma is that a Muslim only has to proclaim his or her intent to be a Jihadist, claim to be Salifiyyist, attend a Wahhabi Madrasah, and they too can join the ranks of Osama Bin Laden and his followers. The next step is the easiest of all for the support gained.  Kill a few infidels.  Or a lot.

In past history, when religions have gone up against the State, the outcome has universally been the same.  The State wins. Today can be no different.  Nothing short of irradiation of the puritanical form of Islam is acceptable nor is it deniable.  Granted, there is great concern over religious persecution, however, to ignore the fact that radical Islam is already practicing that same religious persecution flies in the face of truth.  When faced with that choice, kill or be killed, the modern western world and non-puritannical Muslim nations have no choice but to eliminate their deadly foes.

It is time for over-sensitive politicians to throw down the gauntlet and decry the protection of radical Islam under the umbrella of religious freedom. It is time to draw a box around this particular religious madness and remove the protection of liberal angst.  It is time to utterly destroy the Wahhabi sect, its followers and its teachers.  Once and for all remove them from existence. 

Let history be the only mark of their passing, and let their arrogant, puritanical goals serve as an example of how Religion Versus the State no longer receives the benefits of religious freedom.

Thus as we have seen in the past and must realize today, when religion preaches the destruction of the State, it is the religion that must be destroyed. 

When the clerics of any religion begin to preach violence, they necessarily become a threat to peace loving people.  When that religion then begins to preach violence against the state, they not only become a threat to individuals, but dangerous enemies of the state.  At that point, regardless of your inclination toward freedom of religion, they must be eradicated.


Updates:

  1. The Price Of Liberalism, MILNET Opinion, 07/04/2005
  2. Symposium:  Muslims in France:  A Ticking Time Bomb?, Dr. Mohammad Ibn Guadi, et all, as interviewed by Front Page Magazine's Jamie Glazov, 7/4/2005
  3. Islamic Justice Finds Foothold in Heart of Europe, Wall Street Journal Graphics, 8/04/2005

Sources:

  1. The Islamic Tradition:  Wahhabism and Salafiyya, Febe Arnanios, CRS, 12/22/2003 (MILNET Mirror)
  2. Olympic Team Murder, Palestinian Facts.ORG, undated
  3. Islamic Religious Schools:, Madrasas:  Background, Christopher Blanchard, CRS, 2/10/2005 (MILNET Mirror)
  4. Islamic Rulings on Warfare, Youssef H. Aboul-Enein and Sherifa Zuhur, The Strategic Studies Institute, Carlisle Barracks, October 2004 (MILNET Mirror)
  5. American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us, Steve Emerson, Amazon.com: Books:
  6. The Allies that Made our Foes,  Fareed Zakera, Newsweek October 1, 2002 Issue, MSNBC Online
  7. The ‘New Wahhabi’ movement, Sue Lackey, MSNBC online, 10/17/01
  8. From Dawa to Jihad, U.K. Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations, Retreived on 3/1/2005 (MILNET Mirror)
  9. Al-Qaeda:  Statements and Evolving Ideology, Christopher Blanchard, CRS, 2/4/2005
  10. American Grand Strategy After 9/11, Stephen Biddle, Strategic Studies Institute, Carlisle Barracks, April 2005
  11. Symposium:  Muslims in France:  A Ticking Time Bomb?, Dr. Mohammad Ibn Guadi, et all, as interviewed by Front Page Magazine's Jamie Glazov, 7/4/2005
  12. Islamic Justice Finds Foothold in Heart of Europe, Wall Street Journal Graphics, 8/04/2005


© Copyright 2005, Michael Crawford for MILNET