How Taqiyya Alters Islam’s Rules of War: Defeating Jihadist Terrorism
The Middle East Forum recently released a report discussing taqiyya, deception directed towards non-Muslims. According to the report: “Sunni Muslims waged jihad against the realm of unbelief; and it is here that they have deployed taqiyya—not as dissimulation but as active deceit. In fact, deceit, which is doctrinally grounded in Islam, is often depicted as being equal—sometimes superior—to other universal military virtues, such as courage, fortitude, or self-sacrifice.”
Islamist leaders such as Osama Bin Laden have used taqiyya to justify their lies. For instance, when addressing Western audiences, islamist leaders claim to be waging war on the West due to grievances ranging from foreign presence in Saudi Arabia to the United State’s failure to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. The truth is that the conflict is fueled by religious differences.
According to the report: “Bin Laden’s addresses to the West with his talk of justice and peace are clear instances of taqiyya. He is not only waging a physical jihad but a propaganda war, that is, a war of deceit. If he can convince the West that the current conflict is entirely its fault, he garners greater sympathy for his cause. At the same time, he knows that if Americans were to realize that nothing short of their submission can ever bring peace, his propaganda campaign would be quickly compromised. Hence the constant need to dissemble and to cite grievances, for, as bin Laden’s prophet asserted, ‘War is deceit.'”
Article formerly posted at https://www.hsdl.org/blog/newpost/view/s_3678
