6 May 2003

'Al-Nidaa on the 'Shi'a threat to Iraq'
From MEMRI

"In conclusion, the threat of the Shi'a to the nation is equal to the threat posed by the Jews and the Christians. They harbor the same ill-will against the nation, which needs to protect itself from them and from being deceived by them? They pose a danger not only to Iraq, but to the whole region. If the Shi'a have influence over Iraq, or if they obtain some kind of autonomy in southern Iraq, they will be so much closer to extending their influence. After all, they exist in considerable numbers in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain. If those Shi'a get organized and if their initiatives get support from countries that sponsor them - Iran, Syria, and Lebanon - it will mean that they have reached advanced stages in their 50-year plan?"

"The Muslims should be careful, because the Shi'a do not hesitate to cooperate with the Crusaders and the Jewish enemies [of] the Sunna. The Shi'a believe that the threat of the Sunna and their heresy is greater than the threat posed by the Jews and the Christians. Whoever follows history knows that the Shi'a assisted the enemies of the nation who stabbed her in the back. It suffices that the Shi'a defiled the sanctity of Allah's house and stole the Black Stone [the Ka'ba] for twenty years, [2] before it was brought back to its place. Those who are familiar with the beliefs of the Shi'a can hardly fathom the depth of their evil and hatred. Beware [of] them, Oh Muslims."

"We also caution against those who advocate befriending the Shi'a. Such [an] approach can only cause further harm to the nation. To get close to the Shi'a is more dangerous than getting close to the Jews, because the animosity of the Jews is well known, while the Shi'a pretend [to be friendly] and deceive the nation?""How can we approach those who believe that we should curse the followers of the Prophet Muhammad and accuse them of heresy? They, who curse the Prophet's wives and accuse [the Prophet's wife] 'Aisha of prostitution?... If you advocate getting closer to people with such beliefs, then getting closer to Christians is not as bad? [N]ot everyone who maintains that he is Muslim is indeed a Muslim, if his deeds completely nullify Islam ?"


I thought this worth posting because it exemplifies the jihadi worldview and demonstrates how Western assumptions about Islamic fundamentalism are often wildly inaccurate. Iraqi Shi'a are not necessarily Iranian Shi'a. There are tensions between the ayatollahs in the two countries and the automatic equation of Shi'a and fundamentalism is just plain wrong.

The theft of the Black Stone happened in 930 CE. It was actually carried out by the Shi'ite Isma'ili sect known as the Qarmatis. The Isma'ili are Seveners. Almost all surviving Shi'a are Twelvers but evidently that matters little to the author of the piece reported by MEMRI. The Isma'ili's most famous adherents were the Fatimid caliphate which ruled from Cairo and the Assassin sect based at Alamut.

Seems a long time to be holding a grudge. Also seems to drive a truck through the alleged al-Qa'ida/Saddam linkage.

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