A senior al-Qaeda theologian has changed his tune and is calling on al-Qaeda members to put down their arms.
"Death to the apostate!!!"
Posted on 12/20/2007 8:46:16 AM PST by HD1200
A senior al-Qaeda theologian has changed his tune and is calling on al-Qaeda members to put down their arms:
In a serialized manifesto written from prison in Egypt, Sayyed Imam al-Sharif is blasting Osama bin Laden for deceiving the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, and for insulting the Prophet Muhammad by comparing the September 11 attacks to the early raids of the Ansar warriors. The lapsed jihadist even calls for the formation of a special Islamic court to try Osama bin Laden and his old comrade Ayman al-Zawahri.
In a serialized manifesto written from prison in Egypt, Sayyed Imam al-Sharif is blasting Osama bin Laden for deceiving the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, and for insulting the Prophet Muhammad by comparing the September 11 attacks to the early raids of the Ansar warriors. The lapsed jihadist even calls for the formation of a special Islamic court to try Osama bin Laden and his old comrade Ayman al-Zawahri.
The disclosures from Mr. Sharif, also known as Dr. Fadl and Abd al-Qadir ibn Abd al-Aziz, have already opened a rift at the highest levels of Al Qaeda. The group's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, a former associate of the defecting theologian in Egypt, personally mocked him last month in a video, remarking that he was unaware Egyptian prisons had fax machines. Meanwhile, leading Western analysts are saying the defection of Mr. Sharif indicates the beginning of the end for Al Qaeda.
The author of "Inside Al Qaeda," Rohan Gunaratna said in an interview this week, "There is nothing more important than a former jihadist as important as Dr. Fadl criticizing the jihadist vanguard." Mr. Gunaratna, who acts at times as a consultant for American and Western intelligence, described the reformed theologian as "both an ideologue and operational leader, but he was primarily an ideologue."
Al-Qaeda's destruction in Iraq must have really unnerved the leadership. Along with Zawahri's unreal pronouncement last week that the British "fled" Iraq and that the jihadis were winning there (a view shared by perhaps no one else in the world except Harry Reid), it appears that the organization is losing it.
What effect this will have on al-Qaeda rank and file is uncertain. But it is a sign that whatever we're doing to combat the terrorists is working.
Some people can’t bend, they must shatter.
Wow, this is big news, imo. I wonder how this will play out in Iraq specifically?
It’s either the Egyptian prison food,
or he hears the Jew jets over head.
This should be front page, big font headlines in every paper in the country. Instead, we’re only seeing it in blogs and FR. Thanks for the post!
Nothing says "loser" quite like...well...losing. ;)
I’m not sure it will have much of an effect on the rank-n-file, since he’s recanting while serving his time in the care of the godless infidels.
blah. I thought this thread was about Harry Reid.
This is not the first time an Islamic Cleric has released these kinds of statements from an Egyptian jail.
He should immediately move to either Israel, or Brooklyn.
Will this message from, Mr. Sharif spread through the ranks?
I don’t know the pecking order of Al-Quaeda ‘leaders’but this sounds like very big news to me. (Someone cue the Sauron’s Tower collapse scene) Disintegration from within, I love it. Pass the Christmas ham, please :-)
It wouldn’t matter if the spiritual leader was floating on a cloud as he made the statements either; they would say it was the work of satan.
The important point is that he IS MAKING THE STATEMENTS. As far as others; this is the first in which Zawahiri has been forced to respond because of the weight in the Al Queda community this theologian who formed much of their belief carries!
This news is not going to turn much of Al Queda away from what they perceive their mission is; it is a sign we are winning and those that conceived this ideology now are starting to doubt GOD is on their side......
Another senior Al-Qaeda guy has professed a conversion to christ. But it might just be an act. With letters like this circulating, it would no longer be an act.
.
.
.
According to Intrade, the winner of the December 12th GOP debate was... Duncan Hunter.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1938773/posts
PING!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.