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Source: WorldNetDaily

GLOBAL JIHAD Iraqi: Most Muslim intellectuals for terror Asserts 'talk of love and peace in Islam' just a cover for violence -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: April 17, 2004 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com Nearly all Islamic intellectuals and leaders advocate terrorism, asserts an Arab columnist. Khaled Kishtainy, writing in the London Arabic-language daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, says talk of "love and peace in Islam" is just a cover for violence, reports the Middle East Media Research Institute The columnist, of Iraqi origin, says Islamic terrorism has "many roots and causes, and much has already been written about this. But I have personal input on this matter." "I place on the Islamic intellectuals and leaders of Islamic organizations part of the responsibility for [this phenomenon] of Islamic terrorism, as nearly all of them advocate violence, and repress anyone who casts doubts upon this," he writes. "Naturally, every so often they have written about the love and peace of Islam – but they did so, at best, for purposes of propaganda and defense of Islam." Their basic position, he continues, "is that this religion was established by the sword, acts by the sword, and will triumph by the sword, and that any doubt regarding this constitutes a conspiracy against the Muslims." His best proof of this, he says is the 1984 world congress on "The Nonviolent Political Arab Struggle" in Amman, Jordan, which he called "nothing but hypocrisy and propaganda." Kishtainy writes: "In the congress documents in the English [version] they published my speech, but they removed it from the edition in Arabic!!! All this was in an attempt to deceive the Westerners, and not in order to educate the Arabs to peace." The columnist says it's his opinion that the sword "played a minor role in Islam's triumph over polytheism" and Muslims will only lose by advocating violence. "This is due first of all to the military supremacy of others, and second because in this generation the alternative of nonviolent struggle is a more effective weapon," he says. "I have adopted this perception and called it by the Islamic name 'Civil Jihad.'" Kishtainy says he tried to establish an organization in London to promote his views among Muslims but was rebuffed. "I contacted some Arab ambassadors and activists in Islamic organizations, and all I got from them was their turning their backs, and even threats," he says. "Only three Muslims shared my belief – one from Ethiopia and two from Iraq. Over the course of two years, we struggled [for the sake of this goal]; then we lost hope and gave up." He says most of the Muslims he and his colleague contacted "were of the opinion that the Westerners are sons of dogs who understand only force, and that the Muslims have no choice but to strap on their weapon and fight." "Some cooperated with us in private meetings [but] after the meeting was over asked us not to mention anything of it to others – as if nonviolence and peace were a kind of adultery that must be hidden," he says. "This was the atmosphere that helped the emergence of the terrorists, the suicide bombers, and all those who use weapons and explosives." He also wrote a book on his views but could not find a publisher. Finally a publisher in Amman, Jordan distributed it, but in an abbreviated edition "replete with mistakes." "The publisher did not manage to distribute it in a courageous way, perhaps because some Arab governments prevented him from doing so," he says. "Even the Institute of Arab Unity refrained from publishing my research on this subject in its journal." He concludes: "I reiterate that the Arab and Islamic ideologues and media leaders bear much of the responsibility for the involvement in terrorism and violence of the Muslims of the world. Of course, they will reject my statement arrogantly. But my statement can be tested: The draft of my book is still in my office in two languages, Arabic and English, waiting for someone to come along and publish it. I offer it for free, without asking a fee for my work."