Osama Bin Ladin Essay

Osama Bin Ladin, the most brutal terrorist and the key influence behind the September 11th attack, is quoted to have said, â€Å"All these crimes and sins committed by the Americans are a clear declaration of war on God, his Messenger, and Muslims†¦. [T]he jihad is an individual duty if the enemy destroys the Muslim countries†¦ As for the fighting to repulse [an enemy], it is aimed at defending sanctity and religion, and it is a duty†¦ On that basis, and in compliance with God’s order, we issue the following fatwa to all Muslims: The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies-civilian and military–is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it. † (Knapp) In the above quote, Osama Bin Ladin uses the term Jihad to distinguish his faith and states that his religious duty is to declare war on the enemy. The significance of the Jihad is based upon the â€Å"Quran’s command to struggle (the literal meaning of the word jihad) in the path of God and in the example of the Prophet Muhammad and his early Companions. † (Esposito 117) Jihad has been interpreted differently between the Muslim populations some view the doctrine as a justification of violent actions and others as a peaceful Islamic commandment. To the extreme Muslim fundamentalist, it’s used to interpret and justify radical acts of religious demonstrations, such as September 11, 2001. The Islamic religion was developed in the 17th century and an instrumental doctrine crucial to its founding is the doctrine of Jihad, â€Å"waging holy war on behalf of Islam as a religious duty. † (Arbuckle, 11) Muslims have disagreed between themselves throughout history as to the true meaning of the term. Most Islamic theologians in Muslim history â€Å"understood this obligation to be in a military sense. † (Knapp) A common misperception – because of Jihad, Islamic Law condones warfare. According to Michael Knapp in his article titled The Concept and Practice of Jihad in Islam, â€Å"Islamic law condemns all warfare that does not qualify as Jihad, especially any warfare among Muslims. † Islamic militant and religious based political groups have become increasingly larger over the past 30 years. Many of these groups’ philosophy is based on the demands of the Jihad and their driving force is to create a society governed by the â€Å"the Shari’ and a unified Islamic state, and to eliminate un-Islamic and unjust rulers. These groups are also reemphasizing individual conformity to the requirements of Islam. † (Knapp) However, it is important to note that by Islamic Law, no war can be waged on the basis of Jihad unless it is endorsed by its leader and the right intention is imperative. Waging war for personal gain, such as money, conquest, or for political gain is unjust in the eyes of the Jihad. (Knapp) Radicals do not solely focus on the Jihad when waging war or making an extreme political statement. Radicalism has been a result of various reasons – religious, cultural, political and socio-economics. (Knapp) The fundamentalist Muslims are focused solely on the traditions and customs of the Islamic religion and when that custom or way of life is threatened there is a dramatic reaction. Many radical Islamic groups have blamed Western civilization as a threat; they believe that it is an evil â€Å"that replaces Muslim religious and cultural identity and values with alien ideas and models of development. † (Knapp)