Terrorists: Just the Tip of the Jihadi Iceberg

Townhall.com ^ | December 15, 2010 | Brian Fairchild

[Kaslin]

Counter terrorism officials in the United States, and the West in general, have not yet understood that there is a political, non-combatant wing of the global Salafi-Jihad movement. It acts as an international production line, routinely manufacturing thousands of Muslims with a Salafi religious orientation, a Salafi worldview, and the belief that they are part of an international movement designed to reform the world community of Muslims, bringing them back to what they consider “true” Islam, and bringing Islam back to global leadership.

While the majority of the members of this movement do not commit acts of violence, they totally support the combatant wing of the movement. They make their own contributions to its success by proselytizing, preaching, and fundraising; forming new front organizations; and creating centers of Jihad support in schools, mosques, and Islamic centers.

It is out of this movement that the activists, committed long-term Jihadis, and Lone Wolf attackers emerge. Unless we alter our approach to include aggressive investigations of the movement’s political organizations and elements, homegrown terrorists will continue to be radicalized and inspired to violence, and come to the attention of the authorities only after they have committed their crimes. Consider the cases of individuals such as Adam Gadahn (al Qaeda spokesman Azzam al Amriki), Anwar al Awlaki (the 9/11 Imam), John Walker Lindh (the American Taliban), Major Nidal Hassan (Ft. Hood massacre), and Faisal Shahzad (the Times Square Bomber).

Our self-imposed limitations are all the more surprising because bin Laden’s deputy himself has told the world on numerous occasions, over at least five years, that much of al Qaeda’s activity has nothing to do with carrying out specific Jihad attacks.

• In his book Knights under the Prophet’s Banner, published in December 2001, Ayman al Zawahiri plainly stated:

The jihad movement must dedicate one of its wings to work with the masses, preach, provide services for the Muslim people and share their concerns through all available avenues for charity and educational work. We must not leave a single area unoccupied. We must win the people’s confidence, respect, and affection. The people will not love us unless they felt that we love them, care about them and are ready to defend them.

• Three years later, in an al Qaeda communiqué entitled The Freeing of Humanity and the Homelands, which appeared on March 10, 2005, Zawahiri specified exactly the kind of non-combatant help it needed. He stated that in order to educate the Ummah, showing the world’s Muslims the dangers facing the, and inciting them to resist, al Qaeda needs the active assistance of honest propagators, intellectuals, teachers, journalists, trade union men, and tribal elders.

• Again, a year and a half later, in an al Qaeda communiqué entitled Between Islam and Disbelief, published on December 21, 2006, Zawhiri directed students, missionaries, and professionals to conduct specific non-jihad tasks, such as making mosques, universities, colleges and high schools centers for jihad support; converting for the jihad; facilitating recruitment and fundraising; spreading the ideology; identifying jihad targets, providing intelligence, and disseminating propaganda; carrying out acts of civil disobedience such as strikes, demonstrations, and sit-ins; refusing to pay taxes; preventing cooperation with security forces; and boycotting U.S. and Israeli products.

It is not surprising that al Qaeda expends so much energy on non-jihad activity. The concept has been part of Islamist ideology since the creation of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1928. Islamism’s three most revered ideologues have espoused it — Hassan al Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood; Sayyid Abd ala Maududi, the founder of the Jamaat i Islami (the equivalent of the Muslim Brotherhood in Southwest Asia), and Sayyid Qutb himself.

As Maududi wrote in the 1940s:

In the jihad in the way of Allah, active combat is not always the role on the battlefield, nor can everyone fight in the front line. Just for one single battle preparations have often to be made for decades on end and the plans deeply laid, and while only some thousands fight in the front line there are behind them millions engaged in various tasks which, though small themselves, contribute directly to the supreme effort.

In the United States, the non-combatants that Zawahiri and Maududi describe as being so important to the movement will not be found by investigating small, violent Jihad cells. In fact, many of these individuals will most likely never commit a violent act, but they will vigorously and enthusiastically convert, train, and support those who do.

[samtheman]

Sharia and terrorism are two heads of the same coin. (or snake)

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Counter terrorism officials in the United States, and the West in general, have not yet understood that there is a political, non-combatant wing of the global Salafi-Jihad movement.

Yeah, and your dog doesn't understand evil when he smells it coming off a stranger about to mug you. He understands. But he's the dog, not the master.

[circlecity]

"Yeah, and your dog doesn't understand evil when he smells it coming off a stranger about to mug you."

He may not understand it but he recognizes it and the need to attack it.

[bunkerhill7]

The Great Mosquerade

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

10-Q berry muds for translating, cc. My English she is arcane sometime eh?

[deadrock]

At the tip of the iceberg are liberals who keep saying that there are ‘moderate’ Muslims.

[himno hero]

They ALL knowingly give money and subscribe to Sharia to advance and further the caliphate.... therefore there are no “moderates”.

[TheBigIf]

It is this political wing of Islamic terrorism that the left-wing continually gives support, aid and comfort to. Thus we as well have the democrat party that has acted as a political wing of Islamic terrorism themselves. The democrats continually gave moral support to terrorists throughout the war in Iraq, calling for our retreat and accusing the United States of lies and deceptions, the democrat sleeper cell party has also fought for terrorist rights attempting to get terrorists released and Gitmo closed, tried to sabotage our National Security by leaking defense measures and then harping again about terrorist rights. On and on the left-wing and the democrat sleeper cell party act as a political wing of Islamic terrorism.

[lentulusgracchus]

They ALL knowingly give money and subscribe to Sharia to advance and further the caliphate.... therefore there are no “moderates”.

There are, I think, "moderates" ..... just as there are Christians who are neither Phineas Priests nor supporters of the Phineas ideology in any particular or generality.

The problem lies in identifying this Salafist support base.

For now, I think the easiest way is to get people busy among the (evanescent, impermanent) financial records to follow the flows of Saudi Wahhabist money going into the radicalization of existing mosques all over the world, and the establishment of e.g. the Manhattan "victory mosque" (technically a rabat, as was pointed out in a New York newspaper -- not the Times, of course) and other Salafist victory monuments like Shanksville.

[himno hero]

...pal?
They all pay alms to Sharia.....Sharia calls for spreading of the word..by text, mouth or sword. These funds go right into their global expansion.

[lentulusgracchus]

I agree about the Saudi money. But I wouldn't assume that two bucks given by some guy in the Comoros Islands to the support of his old, traditional mosque (not a Saudi-funded one) was going into TNT and C-4 buys in Paki.

[himno hero]

Guys here donating in their mosques? Some of that cash goes straight into global jihadist enterprises...guns, food , accomodations, explosives....

[PapaBear3625]

There's an extremely valuable book, The Quranic Concept of War, available in PDF form, written by a Pakistani general, which lays out the ideology of Jihad.

At it's root, Jihad is not just about violence, but about creating an environment where it is safe to promote Islam, and unsafe to oppose Islam. This can be accomplished by a combination of terrorism, mob violence, lawsuits, public relations, office politics, whatever. The objective is to make people afraid to criticize Islam (whether due to fear of violence, ostracism, job loss, whatever) and make Muslims secure from adverse consequences for promoting Islam.

[lentulusgracchus]

Depends on the mosque. This isn't the Roman Catholic Church we're talking about here .... the mosques are independent, which is what the Salafists have been beavering away at bringing to an end.

They're still at it. Ergo, their project is incomplete, and they do not enjoy preclusive control of either doctrine or funds.

[himno hero]

Pal? You really do not understand what you are up against.

[himno hero]

here are a couple of hints
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7iHxl90CD0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbb5s8hALVE&feature=related

[lentulusgracchus]

We just disagree about the degree of integration of the old mosques.

The ones that are integrated are a) a threat and b) against Islam, in that they are now teaching a manmade orthodoxy -- but then, I'll let the muftis figure that one out. (They probably already have.)

[himno hero]

Watch the vids
then you can call me back

[lentulusgracchus]

Watch the vids then you can call me back

Don't patronize me. I've been paying attention to this issue for 15 years. I don't need to see another video, not after all the "Frontline" and other documentaries out there, serious periodical articles, and various online resources available, lots of it posted here in FR.

I have a well-formed, informed opinion on Salafism and their "Gen 4 War" and don't need to be dumped on because I disagree with you.