Al Qaeda

[Tribesman]

I just don't get it.
Who does ?.....Its all mad .
"The sharia court of al Qaeda Organization in Iraq has decided to hand the apostate, the ambassador of Egypt, which is allied to Jews and Christians to the mujahideen to ... kill him,"
But there is some reasoning in the madness (though I don't think reasoning is the right word) .
Egypt was the first arab/Muslim nation to formalise relations with the new Iraqi Governmnt and the first to appoint an ambassador . Then their is the peace treaty and recognition of the State of Israel . Then there is the massive funding that Egypt recieves from the West to keep their President in power while he bans political opposition and imprisions any politicians that upset him .
To the fundamentalists these are all signs that Egypt is an enemy and must be attacked .
As the fundamentalists are basically insane and aim to spread terror everywhere , then what better way to spread terror than to show that they can strike anyone anywhere .
So its all mad and beyond reason , but there is some reasoning in the insanity .

[King of Atlantis]

These guys are just plain out scary.

[Don Corleone]

Tribesman,
I completely agree with your assessment. When you stop looking at their actions as though they're bent on political or monetary gain, and consider "Gee, if I wanted to subjugate the word to my particular brand of religion, how would I go about it", their actions make a lot more sense. No political body would ever be your true ally. They would fear you, as a destablizing force, and you would hate them, because they would be corrupt... focusing on temporal power and not 'the cause'. Scary fact I learned today... over 80% of the mosques in the USA receiving funding from Wahabist families back in Saudi Arabia.

[Papewaio]

Tribesman,
Scary fact I learned today... over 80% of the mosques in the USA receiving funding from Wahabist families back in Saudi Arabia.

2 things.

The House of Saud is amazingly rich and are Wahabists.

Al Qaeda hates the House of Saud.

Al-Qaida also has its origins in a particular nationalist struggle; namely, rebellion against the royal family of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi regime is perceived as being too closely associated with American foreign policy, particularly through its support of the US liberation of Kuwait during the first Gulf War. Since Al-Qaida's ideology is one of pan-Islamic nationalism and solidarity, the Saudi regime was thereafter seen as insufficiently Islamic; although such a view is bewildering to Westerners, who cannot imagine anything more 'Islamic' than the country's Wahhabi brand of Islamic law. To Al-Qaida in particular, the world is viewed as a struggle as their Islamic ideology versus a secular Western ideology. This view of the world has ironically been strengthened by the War on Terror.

Wahhabism
Perhaps the most influential strain of thought, however, came from the Wahhabi movement in Saudi Arabia. The Wahhabists, who emerged in the 18th century led by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, also believed that it was necessary to live according to the strict dictates of Islam, which they interpreted to mean living in the manner that the prophet Muhammad and his followers had lived in during the seventh century in Medina. Consequently they were opposed to many innovations developed since that time, including the minaret, marked graves, and later television and radios. The Wahhabis also considered those Muslims who violated their strict interpretation to be heretics, and thus used violence against other Muslims. When King Abdul Aziz al-Saud founded Saudi Arabia, he brought the Wahhabists into power with him. With Saud's rise to prominence, Wahhabism spread, especially following the 1973 oil embargo and the glut of oil wealth that resulted for Saudi Arabia. The Wahhabists were proseltyizers, and made use of their wealth to spread their interpretation of Islam far and wide.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

It sounds like an "extremist Moslem Civil War." Was that supposed to make me feel better about this:

over 80% of the mosques in the USA receiving funding from Wahabist families back in Saudi Arabia.

[Don Corleone]

2 things.

The House of Saud is amazingly rich and are Wahabists.

Al Qaeda hates the House of Saud.

Yeah, but all of the madrases in Pakistan & Afghanistan that trained Al Queda were Wahabist. It sounds like you've got two powerful Wahabist groups: the house of Saud & Al Queda, fighting over who wields the more pure form of their extremism. Talk about a Gordian knot...

[Papewaio]

The worst battles are always ironically named Civil Wars...

[Don Corleone]

It's not a civil war, as their efforts against each other are rather limited. I don't know exactly what you'd call what's going on over there, other than... ugly.

[Steppe Merc]

So does the type of Islam that Al Quedia and co. have a name? If it isn't Wahhabism, what is it? I know that bin Laden wants everyone to follow the "true" Islam, but does that even have a name?

[Don Corleone]

So does the type of Islam that Al Quedia and co. have a name? If it isn't Wahhabism, what is it? I know that bin Laden wants everyone to follow the "true" Islam, but does that even have a name?

It is Wahabism. That was my point. You have two factions within this particular sect that orignally were in a symbiotic relationship but have come as far as they can together and have turned on each other. But make no mistake about it, the mullahs over in Saudi Arabia don't sound all that different than the letters you receive just after an Al Queda attack.

This all finally makes sense to me, and my apologies to Faisal, Bmolsson and any other Muslim I've offended in the course of stumbling through trying to figure this all out. Most of you probably aren't even in this Wahabist school, let alone the faction of it that's trying to carry out armed conflict with the rest of the planet. I was wrong in my generalizations, and I hope, with your help, to limit that in the future. ~

[lars573]

So does the type of Islam that Al Quedia and co. have a name? If it isn't Wahhabism, what is it? I know that bin Laden wants everyone to follow the "true" Islam, but does that even have a name?

Islam being of a disestablished nature has many sects, of which Wahhabism is just one. It is derived from the Sunni branch of Islam. Sunni and Shiite beliefs are the Catholic and Orthodox churches of Islam.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Sunni and Shiite beliefs are the Catholic and Orthodox churches of Islam.

And more christains were killed fighting stupidly over the same god just like their doing. And other than Ireland recent past we have stopped. But no branch of christianity backs killing unblievers or demands all the world submit to them.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

What I really find strange is those on the left who say we need to understand these bastards and negogiate with them would be the first ones to be executed if these guys took over. Can you imagine Jag and the rest of you non religous people posting your views on god with these people in charge. Isalmo Facshists once more are the best example I know of conservatism taken to extremes. Its truly frightning. You liberals would be toast just for thinking what you think.

[BDC]

These guys are just plain out scary.

Yes.

*shudder*

People like this still exist in the 21st century! Why didn't they all die out with the Crusades...

[bmolsson]

I believe that Al Qaida is isolating itself with the increasing senceless killings. The secular youth in the Arab world will in the end win.....