My answer to Why have ISIS, Boko Haram, Al Shabab, Al-Qaeda, Al Nusra and other Islamic extremist groups grown and …
Answer by Abbey Laurel-Smith:
What most people don't know is that, what we now call “Islamic extremist groups” are common and are a norm to the Islamic religion. And within the community of believers, they are seen as strict adherents of Islam. They are regarded, revered and allowed… And no matter what! they are to be supported by the community.
History of extremism within the Islamic religion started during the time of Prophet Mohammed himself. And the extremists of his time were mostly made up of fighters for the Prophet’s Jihadi forces. They spearheaded all his wars. And forcefully rid the Arabian peninsula of Pagans, Christians, Jews and Persians by the sword, unless they agree to convert.
Then, they were known as the Khawarij or the Outsiders. Their types have always been warriors for the religion.
They fought alongside Prophet Mohammed in all his wars and even against him – probably wounded him (can't remember very well) because they disagree with his approach to an issue on a battle field.
Even after his death, the Khawarij’s were mostly responsible for spreading his message. They expanded the Caliphate all the way to Damascus, Persia and beyond.
These Khawarijs’ are of the opinion that:
- Judgement belong to God alone. They don't believe in arbitration or popular consent as a way of allowing people to make decision.
- They believe in martyrdom or dying for the sake of God.
- They believe fighting jihad is norm.
- And you don't have to be Arabic to be one of them.
- They believe you are to be killed once you deviate or show a willingness to query what was in the Quran.
- They assassinated Ali after the battle of siffin for agreeing to an arbitration.
In short, they have always been a source of insurrection against any ruling body, and were against the Caliphate for almost a hundred years after the death of Prophet Mohammed.
This, in today’s term means they should be true perpetrators of Arab spring. Not the common street guy in Tunisia. And that, i guess is why the whole Arab spring movement ended up being easily hijacked by Saudi sponsored ISIS.
Also, their ways and existence was sanctioned by Muhammad al-Bukhari in his book “sahih al-bukhari” This book is one of six major hadiths – kutub al-sittah, and it is regarded and seen as the next, and the most trusted after Prophet Mohammed’s hadith.
In short, the existence of islamic extremism is socio-cultural and religiously intertwined. Modern day administrative body or democracy is haram. And so long as their chosen path is religiously sanctioned, then, we are in for a long ride.
Four ways ISIS see things:
- Upstage and dethrone all known Arab leaders. To ISIS and other extremist groups, they are corrupt.
- Accept Palestinian issue as an imperative one that all Muslims should be concerned about, but do not make it centrist or core of this Jihad and the Caliphate.
- Recapture Iberia and all lost Muslim lands in Africa and Europe (the Balkans). Now they are set in Libya, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro and Turkey. That is three prong attack. That is why Spain, Malta, Italy and most Balkan states are not happy with NATO, EU and Germany. That is why Spanish African cities of Ceuta, Melilla, Isla de Prejil and a few others are now hosting Russian Navy like crazy. Plan is to enable a few Russian submarine bases and host a Russian state of the art electronic monitoring station in the Med.
- Last is to keep to one of Prophet Mohammed’s most sacred hadith, “seek knowledge, even as far as China” Why? South East Asia and the Caucasus all the way to China today is home to more than two billion adherents of Islam.
That is why i propose walking the way of King Kaleb of Aksum in my Middle East Policy at Veterans' talkback
Now, who is King Aksum and what did he do?
In 570, King Kaleb, an Ethiopian King, a Christian and his wayward general, Abreha Al-Ashram, tried to save Hejaz. Tried to forcefully wrestle Judeo-Christian homeland lands of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Yanbo, Tabuk and Al-Baci from the Prophet Mohammed and his Jihadists, so he could restore old Hejaz, it’s churches, cathedrals and pagan shrines to it’s original Judeo-Christian merchants and Pagan farmers – who were being killed in the name of Jihad and mono-theism.
Plan was perfect, but execution got sabotaged by outside trading interests from Damascus, Greece, Nile and other Byzantine maritime interests. Launching trading ports in Adulis and Muza were sabotaged, thus wrecking the dreams of launching an invading force and scuttling supplies. Then, Marib dam got sabotaged for Abraha’s land forces in Yemen. Anyway, the expedition and supply force from Aksum failed, but Abraha and his land forces pressed on. They got as far as Kaaba and Mecca before they all succumbed to starvation, dehydration and the effect of nature in an arid environment.
If oral African history is true, “Abreha survived Adulis, Muza and promises. But the loss of Mariba – his pride!” It was believed that this particular sabotage of the Marib dam is what led to the failure of Abreha to perform his duty outside the walls of Mecca. And in effect, led to the survival of the Islamic religion today. And a determination by the Jihadists’ not to ever be contained on the Arabic peninsula has led to a total displacement of others and their culture ever since.
Point with all these is, documented history is richer than we think. And diversity – as an American strength could easily be used to move this country forward from where we are today, if we just tried looking outside Aegean sea and Euro-centric line of thinking.
“Sunni” as we now call them were allied with King Aksum. And when they were being persecuted on the Arabian peninsula, he provided refuge from them on the african continent. He allowed them to practice their religion – then a budding Islam. He allowed them to live peacefully with others with different religion beliefs. From his land, he allowed them to launch wars that eventually led them back onto Mecca and the peninsula. But couldn't stand it, when the same people he helped started killing Christian males, Jewish males and taking their wives upon arriving back on the peninsula. The Prophet himself ended up with 13 wives – all Jewish. So, he acted.
This particular episode happened in an area known as Ethiopia, Eriteria, the Red Sea and Saudi Arabia today. And backed by technology and manpower and all, if we look at dealing with terrorists from an African King’s perspective – by committing to take the old Hejaz back, we will not fail.
- We’ll be taking off the head of the snake by disrupting sponsors, donors and facilitators of terrorist groups.
- We’ll be educating people about how life was before Islam and before Prophet Mohammed.
- We’ll be educating people about those we now call the “Sunni’s” we’ll be talking about how they were once allied with King Aksum. We’ll be talking about when they were being persecuted on the Arabian peninsula, he, King Aksum provided refuge from them on the African continent. He allowed them to practice their religion – then a budding Islam. He allowed them to live peacefully with others with different religion beliefs. And from his land, he allowed them to launch wars that eventually led them back onto Mecca and the peninsula. But couldn't stand it, when the same people he helped started killing Christian males, Jewish males and taking their wives upon arriving back on the peninsula. The Prophet himself ended up with 13 wives – all Jewish.
- So, he acted. But are we? No.
Go ahead, make me president today, first thing on my foreign policy agenda will be to restore old Hejaz (western part of Saudi Arabia) to it’s rightful Judeo-Christian owners. And I will implement this by nullifying all existing Nile Basin treaties – so countries county of Egypt could build dams. Have clean water to drink. Boost agriculture and have some sort of energy supply.
SmithieForMayor NYC 2021 