Truemors
Ayman Al Zawahri, Al Qaeda's ideologist and spokesman, released on
July 6th 2007 a sophisticated video in which he calls upon all muslims
to rush to Afghanistan, Somalia, Irak and Palestine to join the armed
forces of Djihad.
This global trend of Islam has been called
religious fanaticism, religious extremism, and lately, Islamo-Facism.
The religious dimension has always been the prefix that would be
followed by a more accurate qualification. With Islamo-Fascism, we're
getting closer and closer, and might just need to cross out the prefix.
We wish to "call upon all readers and journalists" to realize
that we might need to change the words we use to describe this global
phenomenon. This would help clarify what Al Qaida and its ramifications
are really about. It might also direct a message to those who are
desperate and come to think that they have found a noble cause to die
for, to kill for.
This trend is a about murder and nihilistic
aspirations for which death is presented as a reward. The religious
wrapper around these aspirations is just thick enough to give
credibility and meaning, for the sole purpose of recruiting: a poor
fellow in Pakistani slums who'll explode himself so his family can get
a few thousands of dollars, a young medical doctor established in
England with an identity crisis and a grudge against the West, educated
men and women living under dictatorships with no hope to voice any form
of opposition, jobless and illiterate populations who are suddenly
given a mission and a social status when they join the Djihad and
Military Training Camps.
Islam is the bate. Not the purpose.
Al
Qaida's project may be summed-up in one sentence: "go die so that our
goods and resources may remain ours and may not be exploited by the
West, so that our women may not access the freedoms that threaten our
male authority, so that no Jew or Christian may rule any Arab holy land
or people".
That does not add up to Zawahiri being a Muslim
Religious Fanatic engaging the world in a holy war. That adds up to him
being a protectionist, racist, phallocratic(1) and criminal politician.
Do you see anything else? Do you still see Islam?
If
you still do that's because Bin Laden, Al Zawahri and many others
before them have blurred the picture by quoting parts of the Quran, by
wearing costumes bearing signs of sanctity, by using new viral media
like no other.
The poor Pakistani fell for it, and died.
Should
we not express clearly and loudly, in every comment we make, in every
media coverage, in every article, that we are not buying the religious
motivations behind these crimes? When we speak of "Religious Groups" in
the New York Times are we not providing these Criminal Groups with the
credibility they seek to recruit more and more suicidal assassins ?
Can't you hear our young medical doctor thinking to himsef that "even
the New York Time said it was religious, so yes, I will go blow myself
in Iraq"?
Each time we speak about the criminals running Al
Qaeda using the words "religious" or "Islam" we're doing them a great
favor. Some ears hear it as a confirmation that these actions are good
(i.e "If it is done in the name of Islam, it must be good"), those ears
hear it as a validation and almost a recommendation.
So let us
rephrase : Al Zawahri, the ideologist of a racist, phallocratic and
criminal organization, released a video on July 6th 2007. He called
upon men and women around the World to die in the name of
protectionism, racism, male dominance and murder.
Ahmad Sherif (2)
(1) Phallocratic means dominated by men (Phallus means Penis, in latin)
(2) A secular Egyptian artist, citizen journalist and video blogger
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