[Guest post by DRJ]
American news is focused on today’s Pennsylvania Democratic primary but the Democratic candidates aren’t the only ones who want to motivate their base. Al Qaeda does, too:
“Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri criticised Muslims for failing to support Islamist insurgencies in Iraq and elsewhere in a new audiotape posted Tuesday on the Internet.
Osama bin Laden’s top lieutenant also blasted Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas over their reported readiness to consider a peace deal with Israel.
“I call upon the Muslim nation to fear Allah’s question (at judgement day) about its failure to support its brothers of the Mujahedeen (holy Warriors), and (urge it) not to withhold men and money, which is the mainstay of a war,” he said.
He also used the two-and-a-half hour message to urge Muslims to join militant groups, mainly in Iraq, where he claimed that the insurgency against the Iraqi government and the US-led coalition forces is bearing fruit.
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In his message, Zawahiri also called on the various jihadist groups operating in the country to unite behind the “more advanced” Al-Qaeda-backed “Islamic State of Iraq”.”
Two-plus hours of nagging doesn’t seem like a promising recruiting tactic but I’m not an expert on inducements that work well for aspiring jihadists.
As mentioned above, Jimmy Carter’s meeting with Hamas was used by al-Zawahiri to criticize Hamas:
“Turning his ire on Hamas, [al-Zawahiri] said the Palestinian group’s reported willingness to hold a referendum on any peace deal with Israel flew in the face of Sharia, or Islamic, law.
“How can they put a matter that violates Sharia to a referendum?” he added.”
This isn’t the first time al Qaeda leaders have criticized Hamas for putting its national interests above the interests of jihad:
“An al-Qaeda commander who escaped from a U.S. prison in Afghanistan appeared in a new videotape Sunday criticizing Hamas and other Islamic groups that he said prioritized nationalism and electoral politics over jihad, or holy war.
Hamas is focused on the creation of an independent Palestinian state rather than al-Qaeda’s vision of a worldwide Muslim community ruled by Islamic law. Like al-Qaeda, the Palestinian movement advocates violence to achieve its goal, but has also participated in elections alongside the moderate Palestinian Fatah group.”
It must be especially discouraging for al Qaeda leaders to watch people choose elections over jihad.
– DRJ