Merchant of Death
Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible

Blood from Stones

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Qaradawi, Mughniyeh's Martyrdom, and al Qaeda's Love of Qutb
For those who retain doubts about the the true thinking and attitude of the international Muslim Brotherhood toward violence, it is always useful to look to Shiekh Yousef al-Qaradawi, their spiritual leader.

While often portraying himself as a non-violent moderate when dealing with the outside world, he often sounds a starkly different note when addressing his own.

In a recent letter to the leader of Hezbollah from the International Union of Islamic Scholars, led by al-Qaradawi and published on the organization's official website, declares Imad Mughniyeh a martyred hero to be revered.

Truly, we are deeply sorry for the death of the martyred hero and our sadness can only be paralleled with our joy that Almighty Allah selected him to be a martyr; granting him a status that is only attained by those who have been true to their covenant with Allah (they have gone out for Jihad), of them some have fulfilled their obligations (have been martyred), and some of them are still waiting, but they have never changed (betrayed their covenant) in the least.

This for a man who made his fame murdering civilians, kidnapping and murdering hostages and blowing up non-military targets in Argentina, as well as inspiring and helping Osama bin Laden and his cadres.

It is interesting that al-Qaradawi, who has consistently urged Shia and Sunni Muslims to set aside their "minor differences" in order to build the Islamist caliphate, went so far out his way to praise a Shia combatant.

This attempt to bridge the theological divide in search of a greater good is a part of the reasons some of the armed Islamist groups in Iraq, have, as this NEFA Foundation translation shows, come to view Muslim Brotherhood as traitors to the cause.

But that does not mean that at least the leaders of al Qaeda Central (the old guard) have forgotten their roots in the Muslim Brotherhood and its ideological founders, Hassan al Banna and Sayyid Qutb.

As this NEFA Foundation translation of Ayman Zawahiri's lastest remarks shows, the Brotherhood figures are revered, listing al Banna, Qutb, along with Zarqawi, Abu Sayef and others as part of the mujahadeed who "stand their ground against the fiercest crusade in the history of Islam."

So, it is a tangled relationship. But, unlike Leiken et al who can brush away the relationship altogether, I think it shows a great deal of common ground.




POSTED BY DOUGLAS FARAH
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