This is a cross post from The Spittoon by Mr Happy
Moazzam Begg, the former Guantanamo detainee and Director of campaign group CagePrisoners, is to give a talk on Jihad and terrorism at Southampton University part of the Islamic Society’s Islamic Awareness Week.
Begg is on form when it comes to promoting Jihad. In an article in the Irish Times, when asked if the actions of the Taliban, and the resulting deaths of NATO soldiers and foreign aid workers, were justified, he answered:
“If you are asking me what are my feelings towards people fighting occupation, the answer is I completely support them. I believe in the inalienable right to defend yourself against foreign occupation.”
Of course, as Harry’s Place habibi noted the above quote is nonsense. There is no foreign occupation and NATO soldiers fight and train amongst the Afghan National Army to strengthen domestic institutions so Afghans can live in a civilised society.
What’s even more worrying is an essay published by Begg, titled ‘Jihad and Terrorism: A War of the Words’ (pdf). It is from this text we suspect Begg will focus his lecture on.
In his essay, he glorifies violent Jihad through selective verses of the Quran:
“The Quran also describes both jihad and qitaal as a transaction for which the ultimate prize is achieved by paying the ultimate price: Indeed Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth in return for Paradise. They fight in the Way of Allah, they kill and are killed.”
And:
“O you who believe! Shall I guide you to a commerce that will save you from a grievous torment? That you believe in Allah and His Messenger and you perform jihad in the way of Allah with your wealth and your lives.”
In the very next paragraph, he effectively issues a call to arms. He writes that Jihad is the duty of every Muslim and implement it to their daily lives. He condemns those who refuse to do this, as a ‘major sin’.
“According to the consensus of the Islamic schools of thought (mathaahib), jihad (with wealth and in person, in the military sense) becomes an individual obligation, like prayer and fasting, on Muslim men and women when their land is occupied by foreign enemies or when an invasion is imminent.
That obligation extends to neighbouring Muslim peoples until the enemy has been expelled. If the whole body of believers abandon it, they are in a state of major sin; if enough of them do it to complete the task, they are absolved.12 Jihad using wealth is also obligatory in securing the release of Muslim prisoners. Imam Malik said: If a Muslim is held as a prisoner of war…it is obligatory on others to secure his release, even if it requires all the Muslims‘ wealth.
Some scholars even argue that had jihad been emphatically prohibited in Islam, it would become permissible by necessity when Muslims lands are invaded, in the way that pork becomes permissible for the Muslim if there is nothing else to eat.”
Please note, these words haven’t been edited nor is this editorial opinion. These are Begg’s own words, this is his justification for violence. His apologists can’t hide behind his own thoughts.
His words are clear. If you’re a Muslim then you’re effectively drafted into the battle against the occupation of ‘Muslim lands’. You are obliged to support Jihad.
The icing on the cake is the logo chosen for the event:
There is a picture of the earth, then the declaration of belief of Islam. Fair enough, nothing suspicious there. But below that, is the arabic word for ‘Jihad’, and then the image of a stylised rifle, possibly the AK-47, and a sword. The imagery is explicit and hostile, what’s moderate about this? Is this what the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust is paying for?
Yet, Southampton University will welcome him. He will have the platform to himself, completely unchallenged and he will be allowed to spread this message from ink to the minds of young Muslims – and then we will all wonder, how is it that young Muslims learn to hate their own country and then violently lash out?
The details of the event are below:
Date: Thursday, 10th March 2011
Time: 6:00pm
Venue: Physics Building (46) lecture theatre 3001 A University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton, SO17 1BJ
Lucy Lips adds:
Asim Qureshi, Begg’s colleague at CagePrisoners, similarly encourages students to support jihad. At Queen Mary.
Effendi comments:
Amnesty continues to partner with Cageprioners
