by Raymond Ibrahim<\/p>\n
Private Papers<\/em><\/p>\n A recent poll released by the Pew Research Center indicates that, among other things, support for suicide-attacks \u2014 or, what are known in Islamic terminology as \u201cmartyrdom operations\u201d \u2014 is on the decline in the Islamic world. There is no denying that there are a number of factors contributing to this new shift \u2014 not least of which is the fact that, increasingly, it is Muslims themselves who are suffering at the hands of suicide-bombers, such as the daily occurrences in Iraq. But how can we better understand this issue and, more importantly, what can be done to help eliminate suicide-attacks altogether? In this regard, we should bear in mind that, irrespective of popular support for suicide-attacks (or lack thereof), the real issue lies with the actual and potential suicide-bombers: how can we convince\u00a0them<\/i>, the actual\u00a0doers<\/i>, that their doings are \u201cwrong\u201d?<\/p>\n To that end, it would seem that the most effective way to build on the promising poll results is to attack the question from a purely theological angle, since it is often from a purely theological angle that suicide-attacks are justified.<\/p>\n Rational or humanitarian arguments presented through a non-Islamic paradigm are futile when directed at zealots, which is what potential suicide-bombers tend to be. Nor is it enough for Muslims and non-Muslims to say that the Koran forbids it. Those holding to the opposite view have constructed elaborate and sophisticated \u2014 and ultimately compelling \u2014 arguments to the contrary, all articulated through the meticulous standards of Islamic jurisprudence, which is all that counts when it comes to Islamic rulings. Elaborate treatises such as Ayman al Zawahiri\u2019s \u201cJihad, Martyrdom, and the Killing of Innocents,\u201d which offers all sorts of compelling proofs on behalf of suicide-attacks, must be addressed, dismantled, and refuted \u2014 also through Islamic jurisprudence.<\/p>\n After enumerating a good number of Koranic verses, canonical\u00a0hadiths<\/i>, and the consensus of many authoritative Islamic scholars \u2014 all which laud and exhort Muslims to fight infidels to certain death \u2014 Zawahiri, through the process of analogy (qiyas<\/i>), which is a well recognized tool of Islamic jurisprudence, concludes that<\/p>\n [I]t becomes clear that there is no difference between the one who causes his own death through his own command\u2026or through his own actions\u2026or through the actions of another\u2026 All of these are praised for their steadfastness in that they sought to benefit and empower the religion. Therefore, this clearly demonstrates that there is no difference between the man who kills himself, or who plunges himself into the ranks of the enemy and they kill him, or who commands another to kill him \u2014\u00a0provided that this is all done for the good and glory of Islam<\/i>\u2026. Thus the deciding factor in all these situations is one and the same: the intention \u2014 is it to service Islam [martyrdom], or is it out of depression and despair [suicide, which is forbidden] (The Al Qaeda Reader<\/i>, p.156-7).<\/p>\n Furthermore, there is no denying that the carnal lure of paradise \u2014 replete with rivers of wine and 72 \u201cwide-eyed\u201d and \u201cbig-bosomed\u201d women of \u201canother quality\u201d for those who die in battle \u2014 is a compelling factor in winning over at least some suicidal recruits (who, in general, tend to be in their late teens or early twenties, i.e., impressionable and fanciful).\u00a0 This must be replaced with a very real fear of the unquenchable fires of hell. Just as\u00a0jihadi<\/i>\u00a0literature abounds in picturesque descriptions of paradise awaiting the \u201cmartyr,\u201d compelling and descriptive proofs of the severe and sure torments awaiting the suicide-bomber must also be elaborated.<\/p>\n Finally, all this must be performed by authoritative Muslim clerics who are no moderates and preferably not affiliated with the U.S. or West, which would totally compromise their authority. Put another way, if the authority refuting suicide-bombings also\u00a0just so happens<\/i>\u00a0to be against jihad and the draconian measures of Islamic law (e.g., religious discrimination against non-Muslims, death to apostates, and a male-centric sexual hierarchy) \u2014 all those things that under Islamic law are not open to debate and are refuted only by the \u201cmoderate\u201d \u2014 his views will be considered tainted and automatically discredited.<\/p>\n Thus, when it comes to discrediting \u201cmartyrdom operations,\u201d we, the \u201cinfidels,\u201d are totally impotent: all our pleas and rational or humanitarian arguments are futile \u2014 worse, they are seen as sure evidence that suicide-attacks are clearly taking their toll and are therefore truly effective. No, this issue must be addressed from within the Muslim body and especially by its religious authorities. The problem, however, is that it is not only \u201caberrants\u201d such as Osama bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri who produce lengthy and compelling treatises supporting suicide-bombings; highly authoritative Islamic scholars, such as Sheikh al Qaradawi, perhaps the premiere voice in Sunni Islam today, who is often accused by more radical elements of being too \u201cmoderate,\u201d is nonetheless supportive of suicide-attacks against Israel and has issued a fatwa to that effect.<\/p>\n Many excuse Qaradawi\u2019s position by pointing out that he is adamantly opposed to suicide attacks outside of Israel \u2014 the logic being that it is only in Israel that a truly extreme form of injustice is befalling Muslims, and so suicide-attacks, which are equally extreme, are justified only there. In other words, his only reservations revolve around the who, what, where, and when. Suicide-attacks, in and of themselves, however, are still presented as legitimate \u2014 and highly praiseworthy \u2014 forms of warfare in Islam.<\/p>\n That the West and the rest of the non-Islamic world has no say-so when it comes to issues pertaining to Islam\u2019s\u00a0sharia\u00a0<\/i>\u2014 such as the legal status of martyrdom operations \u2014 and that both popular Islamic figures (e.g., bin Laden and Zawahiri) as well as authoritative Islamic figures (Sheikh Qaradawi)\u00a0do<\/i>support and extol martyrdom operations, is, unfortunately, a sure bet that the specter of suicide bombings will not go away anytime soon. Indeed, what the PEW results fail to point out is that, while Muslims may be less supportive of suicide attacks, the fact remains that suicide attacks are still daily occurrences, as attested by daily headlines.<\/p>\n Raymond Ibrahim is the editor of the\u00a0Al-Qaeda Reader<\/i>, translations of religious texts and propaganda.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Raymond Ibrahim Private Papers A recent poll released by the Pew Research Center indicates that, among other things, support for suicide-attacks \u2014 or, what are known in Islamic terminology as \u201cmartyrdom operations\u201d \u2014 is on the decline in the Islamic world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[227,755],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p466Sb-1pU","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5478,"url":"https:\/\/victorhanson.com\/wordpress\/200-million-minority\/","url_meta":{"origin":5450,"position":0},"title":"200 Million Minority","author":"victorhanson","date":"May 8, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Islam's apologists completely miss the point. by Raymond Ibrahim National Review Online For three consecutive days, April 10-12, Tariq Ramadan, the controversial Muslim activist who was denied a U.S. visa for questionable activities (such as making \u201ccharitable\u201d donations to the terrorist organization Hamas, which regularly commissions suicide-attacks), was invited by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Raymond Ibrahim"","block_context":{"text":"Raymond Ibrahim","link":"https:\/\/victorhanson.com\/wordpress\/ahref=\/index.php\/categories\/angry-reader\/categorylink\/a\/our-contributors\/raymond-ibrahim\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":837,"url":"https:\/\/victorhanson.com\/wordpress\/death-in-churches-targeting-christian-holidays-in-the-islamic-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":5450,"position":1},"title":"Death in Churches: Targeting Christian Holidays in the Islamic World","author":"victorhanson","date":"April 14, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"by Raymond Ibrahim Gatestone Institute Last Sunday, many Christians around the world celebrated Easter, taking it for granted that they can congregate and worship in peace. 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