Rabbi Avraham Feld

  "Mohammed Wept"  
 A Response to Islam 

Chapter Two
The Illegal Jihad:
"Holy" war prohibited by genuine Islam

The lawsuit discussed above raises many interesting facts and concepts that are highly relevant to Israel ’s modern day struggles. Presenting immediate physical danger however, is not this lawsuit, but rather this “Holy” Jihad that has been declared against Israel and her supporters. What is immediately relevant, and should be a fact accessible to all, is that, real undistorted Islam forbids a Jihad of the sort that is being waged. Again: it should be known and understood, that according to orthodox Islamic sources, no such Jihad should be waged against Israel or the rest of the western world. In fact, Mohammed said “The most righteous Jihad (meaning struggle or fight) is to stand down a dictator.” Now the word used for a dictator means an evil, cruel sultan. Therefore the emphasis was on justice, not on theological hairsplitting. The intention was on the lack of the ethical and not on the lack of orthodoxy. (Charles, Kurzmam, Liberal Islam: A Sourcebook, Oxford University, 1998.)
 
Jihad, may only be declared under certain conditions . One conditionstates that victory must be certain. Obviously Israel ’s forces could dismantle the Palestinian Authority, quickly and cleanly, if such an order were to be given. The PA continues to exist because the Israeli forces have allowed it to. Also, the Saudi Arabian army would have difficulty in beating Kuwait , and the army of Kuwait would have difficulty in beating…well, in beating Disney Land (R.M. David). There are published reports from the Department of Defense in the US, that show how easy it would be to freeze all oil assets, and take over their despotic terrorist countries. Therefore, how can any of these key Arab players justify a Jihad? How can they do so when all sources, without exception, assure that a military Jihad would eventually end in certain defeat?
An additional condition limiting Jihad, states that the decision to wage a military Jihad must be made by a central authority, accepted by all Arab leaders. This did not occur. In addition, some Muslim scholars point out that the wars of Mohammed were essentially waged in self-defense, and post these battles, the legal decree states that Jihad now refers only to spiritual rejuvenation and development. Jihad no longer carries any military or physically violent implications.

Jihad and acts of suicide

Even if once upon a time, 1400 years ago, when a Jihad might have been legally permissible, it did not permit suicidal actions. If the Muslims were to be under a legal category of duress, suicidal actions could be carried out in self-defense… However, Mohammed and clerics after him, who were much less powerful then today’s Muslims, never once declared such an emergency time of duress. Today, Arab clerics and leaders have millions, hundreds of millions, and sometimes billions of dollars in the bank. They have multiple luxury vehicles, multiple mansions luxuriously furnished and bathrooms adorned with gold fixtures. They parade around the world, losing millions in casinos, immoral and illicit behaviors characterizing their carousing. Far from being under duress, (hunted down for their beliefs), they are met with only extreme respect and sensitivity to their rights and customs of a much revered Islam. Even in Israel , the most targeted of so-called injustices, a look at the real facts is in order.

From the original Koranic principle to the current hate, violence and ant-Semitism

Another important point is that the modern Arab states were created by the Judeo-Christian west. Rather then demonizing the west, their interactions with western states should be marked by appreciation and humility. Gratitude and humility are mentioned by all Islamic literature as important attributes and virtues. For example, when the British ran into Abdullah Hussein coming out of Arabia with his armed gang, they hired him at 5000 pounds a month in return for Abdullah to begin creating a controlled area. With guns and money, he set up leadership in Amman . Previously, there had been no indigenous Arab Muslim state in that area. Before the British artificially created a state complete with a royal family, there had been no such thing from the Mediterranean all the way to Arabia .Over the years were carried out conquests and aims at conquering the land, but these were always conquerors and not peoples indigenous to the area.
There were nomadic families and clans crisscrossing the area, (Howtl, Sharar, Anezziih, Rualla), but they were Bedouin tribes, NOT ARABS. The British, by setting up this brand new artificial state, had reneged on their promise to make Tran Jordan part of the National Jewish homeland… Jews were now forbidden from living in that area east of the Jordan . Again, according to the Koran’s principles of humility and gratitude they should be saying thank you to the British and thank you to the Jews, not screaming for a bloody Jihad.
 
There are two kinds of people: givers and takers. You know what they say (well, what they usually say, but here there don’t seem to be any signs of insomnia here): the takers eat better, the givers sleep better. In Israeli-Arab interactions, who have always been the givers? The Israelis. In every way they have drastically improved the welfare of the Arab individual and the Arab in the community; medically, agriculturally, and in areas of justice and security and civil rights. It’s only been Arab-generated terrorism that has brought so much havoc and destruction and frayed the ropes of the bridges carrying these improvements from the Israelis to the Arabs. There weren’t any checkpoints once, not so long ago. It is the Arab-generated terror that has created this necessary nuisance.
 
Thus, because the Jews have given and are still attempting to give so much to the Muslims, the Jews are fulfilling the Islamic requirements of giving tribute, and thus according to their own Muslim law, are worthy and deserving of protection. (Bat Ye’or, The Dhimmi: Jews and Christians under Islam, Cranberry, 1985). The Dhimmi, these non-Muslims who non-the-less honored and gave to Muslims was, according to original Islam, to be a protected group as long as they gave some kind of honor to the ruling Muslim authorities. Only much later did the idea of the Dhimmi and how they should be treated take on a different darker meaning. They became a fifth class; a non-citizen who was to remain silent. In brief the original idea was that when a group of people honor Islam and Muslim people, then they deserve the full support and protection of the Muslim world.
The Koran speaks of the Jews from the perspective that as individuals there are good and bad Jews, but as a whole, “b’nei Israel” are not considered bad, or evil but rather the children of the prophets Whatever negative things may be said about Jews for instance, it must be tempered with the notion that those were specific Jews being criticized and not the are good and bad Jews; thus any negative references to Jews or a Jew in the Koran doesn’t necessarily reflect a general condemnation of the people Israel. Many Sufi scholars have said that all Muslims are Jews, and all Jews are as Muslims, Muslim in the broader sense meaning someone who is trying to serve G-d. The Koran exclaims,” it is the religion of your father, Avraham. He was the one who named you Muslims.” (Sura 22-78) Avraham, the first Hebrew\Jew gave over his teaching 2000 years before Mohammed. My dear Muslim radical fundamentalists; if you would be true to yourself, if your hearts and minds would allow you to be open to and be true to the text as it is clearly stated, then you would be forced to admit that a fundamentalist and LITERAL understanding of the word Islam, is, has been, and will ever be simply the ‘submission to G-d.’ Hence, Jews, Christians, Bahai, spiritual humanists etc, are all searching and looking to submit to G-d’s will wisdom and desires. So, loosen up a bit, lighten up a bit, and go easier your fellow G-d seekers and submitters. The Koran in Sura 2, verse 62 openly states “the believers, the Jews, the Christians, the other monotheists, all who believe in G-d on the last day and do good, will be rewarded by their G-d; they need not fear nor despair.”
 
So why are we afraid to walk into our schools, supermarkets, nursery schools and public buildings? Why do we need security in airports, on planes, buses and at large gatherings? Why should we have to fear? According to the Koran, other peaceable peoples who give respect are deserving of respect and protection. There is no justification for calling for a Jihad, for attacking these good peoples and creating a backdrop of fear and enmity.
 
Again, in summation: The Jihad declared and acts of violence perpetrated are prohibited by true Islam. According to the Koran, suicide-homicide is one of the worst of evils, the punishment of which is repetition of the act in eternal damnation. There is much more to say on this topic, yet the message is already clear. A person can only be a suicide bomber if he is a true believer, without any doubts as to his beliefs and actions. As soon as the facts above are presented to him righteous doubt will take root. Where there is doubt, he can no longer take this drastic action - he realizes that the act of suicide is not only unnecessary, but forbidden as well. If he does proceed, what await him are not the delights of heaven, but an eternal repetition of his misguided action. Planting the seeds of righteous doubt will save his life and the lives of others as well.

As described above in detail:
 
Jihad must be declared by a central authority .
Victory must be certain
The British and the Jews have given much including tribute to Muslims. Those who have given tribute, must be given protection.
Jihad is no longer a military concept but one of spiritual rejuvenation
Suicide acts are prohibited except under duress and threat of annihilation
No such state has ever been declared.
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