Saudi Arabia: Ideological and Financial Epicentre of Jihad?

ppgj

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Paper no. 3499 11-Nov-2009

SAUDI ARABIA: Ideological and Financial Epicentre of Jihad?
By R. Upadhyay

Jihadi terrorism which is inspired by the 260 year old tradition of extreme intolerance against the infidels flowing from the Saudi sponsored ideology of Wahhabism is the most challenging menace for the modern world.

With fusion of religion and political control the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia derived religious legitimacy from being the custodian of the two holiest shrines and controller of annual Haj pilgrimage and positioned itself to be the authoritative voice of Islamic world. However, when it faced the challenge of the Jihadi terrorists in its own land in late seventies of last century, it started spending billions of dollars for spreading Wahhabism in different countries with the objective to developing a clout in Islamic establishments. Due to this persistent and ruthless endeavour Wahhabi thought and customs are not only taking root among sizeable section of world Muslims but are also making inroads even among the peace loving faithfuls.

A cursory glance to the chronology of Jihadi terrorism gives an idea that empowerment to violent Islamists is not an overnight development. It is in fact a logical culmination of the politics of Arab imperialism which began after the death of Prophet Mohammad, the founder of Islam who in his first Jihad in 622 AD gave a command to his soldiers, “Fight and fear not, the gates of Paradise are under the shade of sword” (‘The Arabs’ by Anthony Nutting, Hollis & Carter, London, page 23). Similarly, in his last address before death in 632 he said, “I was ordered to fight all men until they say ‘there is no god but Allah’. (Prophet Mohammad’s farewell address, March 632 – Islamic Imperialism – A History – Efraim Karsh, Yale University Press London, 2006, page 2).

Interpreting these two addresses as perpetual advice and Islamic sanction to the Arabic word Jihad which literally means struggle, his companions launched war not for the cause of Islamic spiritualism but for Arab Imperialism .Clubbing Islam with Arab culture and transforming it into a cleverly designed violent political ideology, the Arab warlords due to their mental make-up of ‘killed or be killed’ reminded their followers that so long all the Qafirs (Infidels that is non-Muslims) do not surrender to Islamic Empire and accept Allah as the One and Only God it is the obligation of each Muslim within his abilities to launch Jihad against the infidels. Pursuing such an interpretation of Islam, they turned the trail to the bloodshed, pushed the spiritual aspect of the faith to the back burner and conquered vast territories from Spain in West to the Indian sub-continent in South. Many scholars therefore call this Jihad as civilisational war against the non-Arabs. Wahhabism, which laid the foundation stone of Saudi Arabia in mid eighteenth century and is still its political ideology. It is also based on the same political interpretation of Islam by the medieval Muslim marauders and is still the root cause of the on going Jihadi terrorism.

Historically, in between the reign of the first Caliph Abu Bakre from 632 AD to the abolition of the Ottoman Empire in 1924, it was the story of the rise and fall of Arabs. However, when this mighty Islamic Empire of last Caliph entered into a period of military reverses, a hardcore Islamist zealot namely Maulana Mohammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab (1703-92) from the Najd region of Arabian Peninsula rejuvenated the movement for revival of pristine Islam based on extreme Arab traditions of Prophet Era with an objective to restore the glory of Islamic power. While advocating purging Islam from modern innovation, he prescribed the imperialistic supremacy of Ummah (Muslim community) under the Arab leadership and recommended Jihad against the Qafirs, Shias, Sufis and the fellow Muslim heretics as the only solution to the evil being faced by the Muslims. For him worship to the tombs of Sufi saints was idolatry. Following the foot steps of the companions of the Prophet he also clubbed Islam with Arab culture and made these two words synonymous to each other. Wahhab’s worldview of extreme intolerance and belief in divine fiat of authoritarian state under the command of exclusively central Arabian power is also known as Sunni theo-fascism which continued and still continues to proliferate it across the globe.

Like Prophet Mohammad who was forced to flee from Mecca region at the beginning of revelations to him, Wahhab’s preaching was also not acceptable to the ruler of his region. Accordingly, being expelled from his home town he took refuge in Ad’Dirjyyah near Riyadh then under the control of an Arab war lord of Al Saud clan named Mohammad ibn Saud. Inspired with the teachings of Wahhab which advocated the fusion of Islam and political power, Ibn Saud, then a principal tribal leader of Arabian Peninsula became ambitious to extend his political territory and therefore forged an alliance with the former in 1744/1745. The Alliance was based on an agreement in which Ibn Saud pledged to implement and enforce his teachings for cleansing the Islamic practices of heresy; the latter endorsed the legitimacy of Saudi monarchy to rule over the Islamic Empire though the latter had no credible claim over it. Accordingly, the Saudi king with the Jihadi followers of Maulana Wahhab launched Jihad against the different rulers in Arabian Peninsula and expanded his political boundary by conquering various regions. Their attempt to capture Mecca was however, frustrated by the forces of the Ottoman Empire in 1818.

After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1924, the ambitious Saudi king re-launched Jihad against the kingdom of Hejaz then under the control of Ottoman representative Hussain, a Hashimite (A broader combination of a group of Arab clans including the Quraysh sub-clan of which Prophet Mohammad belonged). Defeating Hussain who was also the then Sharifs (Custodians) of Mecca shrine in 1926 the king became the custodian of the holiest place of Islam and his Saudi kingdom was duly recognised by United Kingdom under the Treaty of Jeddah in 1927 (The British then did not realize what they were doing). “For centuries Hashemites governed Mecca which was attacked and sacked by Ismaili Muslims in 930 CE and by the Wahhabis in 1803. In 1926, the Sharifs of Mecca were overthrown by the Saudis, and Mecca was incorporated into Saudi Arabia”. After conquering Mecca and Medina Ibn Saud united the different conquered regions of Arabian Peninsula in one political unit in1932, established the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and declared himself as king of the country. His legitimacy to lord over the region is thus questionable.

Since Saudi-Wahhabi partnership was based on mutual interest, Abdul Aziz took Wahhabism which had been carrying forward the legacy of the Arab instinct of imperialism, justifying the Saudi Monarchy since 1744 AD and endorsing the royal family’s authority in political, security and economic spheres of the state, as key to the longevity of the rule of his dynasty. Accordingly while recognising the Wahhabi version of Islamic rule as political ideology of his kingdom, he granted the Wahhabi clerics the control over religious, social and educational institutions and also allowed them to enforce the Sharia (Islamic law) in the kingdom rigidly. Since then Wahhabism became an integral part of Saudi administration and therefore, the royal family was duty bound to spend a substantial portion of its oil-earned revenue for its promotion not only in the kingdom but also across the world. The present day problems of the Muslim could thus be tracked to the Saudis.

Sharing a significant share in the political power of theocratic Saudi kingdom Wahhabi clerics have been enjoying the status of a much more privileged class in comparison to their counterparts during the medieval Islamic Empire. Today Wahhabism, a “most intolerant expression of Islam” is characterised as Islamo-fascist group due to its “ extremist, puritanical, contemptuous of modernity, misogynist and militant in nature” ( Wahhabi Islam: From revival and reform to global jihad by Natna J. Delong – Bas, page 3, I.B. Publishers).

As a first step to consolidate their hold in the masses, the Wahhabi clerics framed the educational policy and prescribed the text books in schools with a view to inciting hatred and violence against the infidels. Now these textbooks having the potential to indoctrinate the students and youths are also found in the syllabus of Wahhabi madrassas in various parts of the world. “Saudi text books describe Jihad as the summit of Islam and one of the most magnificent acts of obedience to God and endorse its militant form for both for defensive and aggressive purposes” (Nina Shea and Ali al Ahmad, National Review Online, August 3, 2009). Dr. Shea, the director of the Hudson Institute’s Centre for Religious Freedom and Commissioner on the US Commission on Religious Freedom is also the author of “200 Update: Saudi Arabia’s Curriculum of Intolerance”.The writer in her earlier paper dated September 5, 2008 referred to the Saudi Education Ministry which “publishes and disseminates teachings that Muslims are to hate and treat as enemies other religious believers, including other, non-Wahhabi Muslims”. She added that “these text books assert that it is permissible for a Muslim to kill an apostate, an adulterer, those practicing major polytheism and homosexuals. They promote global Jihad as an effort to wage war against the unbelievers including for the purpose of calling (infidels) to the faith”.

Curtin Winsor, Jr. Special Emissary to the Middle East during Regan administration in his paper (2001) entitled “Saudi Arabia, Wahhabism and Spread of Sunni Theo-fascism” observed: “While Saudi citizens remain the vanguard of Islamic theo-fascism around the world, the growth potential for this ideology lies outside the kingdom. The Saudis have spent at least $ 87 billion propagating Wahhabism abroad during the past two decades and the scale of financing is believed to have increased in the past two years as oil prices have sky rocketed. The bulk of the funding goes to the construction of mosques, madrassa, and other religious institutions that preach Wahhabism. It also supports the training of Imams; domination of mass media and publishing outlets; distribution of Wahhabi text books and other literatures; and endowment to universities”. Wahhabism has taken such a deep root in Saudi Arabia that “any attempt by Saudi Royal family under international pressure to curtail the Wahhabis could lead to terrorist attack on country’s vulnerable petroleum infrastructure or lead to the collapse of monarchy” (Ibid.).

The annual report 2004 on Saudi Arabia under ‘International Religious Freedom Act 1998 stated: “Government prohibits public non-Muslim religious activities. Non-Muslim worshippers risk imprisonment, lashing, deportation and sometimes torture for engaging in religious activities that attract official attention. Prosylytising by non-Muslims including the distribution of non-Muslim religious materials such as Bibles is illegal” (Saudi Arabia: People-Politics- Policies By Gulshan Dietl, National Book Trust, India, 2006, page 22). Although, the US Congress took note of this report but except declaring Saudi Arabia “a country of Particular Concern” it maintained silence on the issue. ‘Liberation’ a French daily in a debate published in early 2003 observed: “All over the world Imamas trained in Wahhabi school preach hatred and violence in mosques paid for with Saudi money” (The Saudi Enigma by Pascal Menoret, ZED Books London & New York, 2005, Page 62).

Dr. Sami Alrabaa, an ex Muslim and an Arab Muslim culture specialist in an article dated January 26, 2009 ( islam-watch.org) entitled “Saudi textbooks incite hatred & violence against non-Muslims” suggests that so long Saudi Arabia and the other Arab oil countries on the Persian Gulf are not forced by the free world the war on Islamic terror will remain futile.

Referring to Ahmad Al Sarraf a renowned columnist in Al Qabas (June 2, 2007), a Kuwaiti daily Dr. Sami cited the teachers manual in Grade 8 textbook which says, “ Command Muslims to hate Christians, Jews, polytheists and other unbelievers including non-devout Muslims” (Page 14 in Grade 8 textbook). In his another article dated February 10, 2009 the writer observed that the “Saudi King and his clan are the law. They rule whimsically, supported by Wahhabism, a stone-age Islamic version of Islam”. In another article on the Wahhabisation of Saudi people he observed, “A hatred-inciting education system and lack of contact with the secular world in terms of books and culture have generated a fanatic population” “All that being said, we should not wonder that 15 of the 9/11 terrorists were Saudis”. He also wrote that Wahhabi books are also “printed and funded by Saudis for schools in Pakistan, Indonesia, Deobandi madrassas in India and elsewhere”. Despite such curriculum of intolerancee one should not wonder that the Saudi kingdom organized an interfaith dialogue with some of its trusted Christian and Jew leaders. (A paper of this writer can be seen in the site of saag.org).

It is said that ever since the exposure that out of “15 of the 9/11 terrorists were Saudis” the USA no longer considers Saudi Arabia its trusted ally as the latter is suspected for funding Osama bin Laden in lieu of the latter’s assurance to protect the monarchy from terrorist attacks. However, despite being aware of the situation , it is the compulsion of the USA to protect the oil-giant as the alliance between the two countries is based on their mutual interest of protecting the Arab-American oil companies which are running the cycle of the oil linked economy of the both.

This politics of convenience is known to the entire world but except raising some mild voice against it the international community is helplessly suffering from their game of self-seeking interest. Now USA is talking about launching ‘war on terror’ which hardly makes any sense so long Saudi Arabia is not out of the ideological ring of Wahhabism.

(The author can be reached at e-mail [email protected])

SAUDI ARABIA: Ideological and Financial Epicentre of Jihad?
 

johnee

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Great thread, ppqj.

Excerpts from above:
He also wrote that Wahhabi books are also “printed and funded by Saudis for schools in Pakistan, Indonesia, Deobandi madrassas in India and elsewhere”.
India is also mentioned, all madrassa funding must be monitored.

This politics of convenience is known to the entire world but except raising some mild voice against it the international community is helplessly suffering from their game of self-seeking interest. Now USA is talking about launching ‘war on terror’ which hardly makes any sense so long Saudi Arabia is not out of the ideological ring of Wahhabism.
India is suffering directly from this menace.
Our dear neighbour Pakistan is a result of this dangerous game. KSA(with its wahhabism), USA(with its aid money) and China(with its nukes) has made Pakistan into most dangerous nation of the world and all this is directed towards India, others are only a collateral damage.
 

bengalraider

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Another good article by the same author

ISLAMIC ORGANISATIONS IN INDIA: The Jammat-e-Islami

by R. Upadhyay

It is sad but true that movements launched by various organisations in the name of championing the cause of Indian Muslims have in fact not only kept them in a closed society but also have caused tremendous harm to them.

Ever since the eclipse of Mughal Empire in India, the Muslim elite in general and radical Islamists in particular grew apprehensive of the decline of Islamic hegemony in administration. They viewed the British rule in India as alien to Islamic culture and tradition and also fought against it jointly with Hindus but establishment of a secular democratic polity for India was not their dream. They even fought the first war of Independence of 1857 jointly with Hindus by projecting the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zaffar as their ruler. Their historical role behind the origin and development of Muslim separatism is so deeply imprinted in the mind of their co-religionists that it is now more or less impossible to create a unity of mind between the two major religious communities for an integrated Indian society.

Historically, Muslim invaders in India belonged to " the turbulent community of slaves and adventurers from a near primitive social milieu in which family ties or even human values in general had no relevance" (India 1000 to 2000 - Express Publication, Madurai). In fact these marauders used the name of Islam only for their greed of power and to legitimize their mass massacre, plunder and rape. Against this historical background, when Britishers captured the power, the Muslim elite tried to naturalize themselves in Indian society, but did not make any effort to integrate with it. They rather launched a parallel movement for Muslim separatism, though they fought against the Britishers jointly with Hindus. They joined hands with Congress to overthrow the British Government because the latter was a non-Islamic government (Darul Harab).

Shah Waliullah of Delhi sowed the seeds of Muslim separatism in eighteenth century, which gradually grew to a large tree with the help of a number of Islamic organisations/institutions. Prominent among them like Indo Oriental Muslim school (1870), which was upgraded to Anglo Muhammadan Oriental College in 1881 and to Aligarh Muslim University in 1920, Indian Union Muslim League(1906), Tabliq-e-Jamaat (1911), Jamaat-e-Ulma-e-Hind (1919), Jamaat-e-Islami (1941) and All India Muslim Majlish-e-Mushawarat(1964) have all along been in fore front in keeping the movement of Muslim separatism alive at the cost of the social and emotional integration of the two major religious communities in this country.

Most of the Islamic organizations though, accepted the reality of post-colonial Indian polity as a tactical compromise, their movement continues to remain in the domain of Muslim polity. Carrying forward the legacy of communal politics initiated by the Muslim elite since the second half of nineteenth century, Islamic organisations in India are still not ready to reform their movement in this scientific era of democracy and secularism. Their reaction against modernity and aversion to non-Islamic polity are the root causes behind many of the problems we see in the country.

Had the Muslim organisations taken positive steps to consolidate Muslim brotherhood for the overall social, cultural, and economic development of Indian society, there would not have been any scope for communal confrontation. Mahatma Gandhi tried his best to absorb the Muslims in the national mainstream of Indian politics. He accepted separate electorates for Muslims and was instrumental for congress' participation in Khilafat movement. But the radical Islamists never accepted him as a leader of united Indian society. They rather treated him as a leader of Hindus and kept the Muslim masses separated from the latter. Mopla disturbances in 1924, support for two nation theory, direct action in 1946 and finally the partition of the country in 1947 are the permanent records of history that justify this view.

Just after Independence, the Islamic organisations in India were lying low for some time but taking advantage of Indian constitution, which provides equal rights to all its citizens with some special privilege to minorities, they started raising their head by exploiting the vote bank politics of political parties in the country. Except Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) none of the above mentioned organisations ever participated in any election in India. In 1952 some of the leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JEIH) were arrested due to their anti -constitutional stand against nationalism, democracy and secularism. Thus, with a view to guard against any legal action by the government, JEIH made a tactical shift from its political objective of Huqumat-e-Ilahia (Kingdom of God) to Iqamat-e-Deen (Establishment of Islamic form of society). To achieve this objective it also changed its strategy from Jehad (Holy war) to Saleh Inqilab (virtuous revolution).

Despite the known designs of Islamic organisations in post colonial India, the political leadership ignored the movement for their own vested political interests. Their repeated errors of judgement on Pakistan front, which is deeply linked with Hindu-Muslim relation, and also on Muslim front aggravated the situation from bad to worse. Shahbano case of mid eighties is a glaring example of such error. Noted writer Khuswant Singh has rightly reminded the political leaders of this country that had Prithviraj beheaded Mohammad Ghori in the first battle of Tarain, the course of events in Indian History would have been different (Hindustan Times Dated November 9, 2002). Committing mistakes after mistakes for their vote bank politics and helped by some political parties they allowed the gap of mistrust between Hindus and Muslims widening. Even today, their silence on Muslim fundamentalism and aggressive voice against Hindu fundamentalism has become the main thrust of discussion in parliament. In the absence of a balanced stand against religious fundamentalism, they encouraged the radical Islamists to accelerate the process of their movement for isolating the Muslin society from the mainstream of Indian society. Hamid Dalwai in his book entitled 'Muslim Politics in India' exposed the communal politics of Islamic fundamentalists and said, "unless Muslim communalism is eliminated, Hindu communalism will not disappear (page 30).

An objective study of Islamic organisations/institutions in India may help us to understand as to how religious sentiment of the Muslim masses was exploited by them to accelerate their movement for Muslim separatism. Unless we discuss the respective roles of various radical Islamist groups in India one by one, we may not do justice to our understanding of the Muslim psyche.. We may therefore like to confine our discussion in this paper on the protracted movement for Muslim separatism launched by JEIH, which has been on an overdrive for its cherished goal to establish the 'Kingdom of God'.

Maulana Abul Ala Maududi, the founder of JEI was one of the prominent Muslim thinkers of twentieth century, who was also responsible for the growing misunderstanding among the non-Muslims about the Muslims in India. Starting his career as editor of Al - Jamaat, Maududi also remained associated with Mohammad Iqbal for some time. He however, had strong reservations against his contemporary Muslim thinkers on issues like democracy, nationalism, patriotism, Aligarh movement and Muslims' participation in freedom struggle. The collapse of Ottoman Empire, failure of Khilafat movement and growing assertiveness of Hindus in freedom movement were viewed by Maududi as a threat to Islam and to the Muslim community. By late thirties he established himself as one of the most fundamentalist leaders believing in the concept of Pan-Islam.

Critical exposition of Maududi's views by some of the Muslim writers like Safia Amir (Muslim Nationhood), Hamid Dalwai (Muslim Politics in India), H.E.Hasnain (Indian Muslims-JEI Xrayed), Inayatullah (The real face of JEI), and Munir Commission Report-Lahore 1964) proved that his movement was basically for return of Muslims to the spell of medieval faith.

With the political objective of establishing Hukumat-e-Ilahia , Maududi negated the concept of secular and democratic polity. He was strongly opposed to Western concept of democracy, which according to him would de-Islamise the Muslims. For him democracy and Islam cannot co-exist in India, as it would not have the dominance of Muslims. He held that Muslims in India could not expect justice from Indian nationalists, who would follow the British pattern of governance and democracy would create slavish mentality among them. The cultural ideals of British imply de-Islamisation of Muslims - Maududi felt. "Musims will be subjugated by the Hindus due to their population ratio" (Muslim Nationhood, page 224). "Muslims of a future free India would be as helplessly in power as of the British at present" (Ibid. page 225). He even suggested the establishment of autonomous Muslim states within India in order to preserve the distinct identity and "national life" of the Muslims.

Maududi rejected the concept of nationalism on the plea that it was against the concept of humanity and separates a man of one country from other. For him Indian nationalism was synonymous to Hinduism. He "felt that the ways of the two communities (Hindus and Muslims) were parallel, and although they could cross occasionally, could never unite completely"(Ibid). He urged the Muslims to maintain their distinct dress, language and script and also to abstain from any imitation for preservation of their separate identity. He held that "Muslims were not a nation but an international revolutionary party" (Ibid. page 235).

On Aligarh Muslim University "Maududi felt in 1936 that whereas the Aligarh movement had to a certain extent improved the worldly life of Muslims, it had injured their religion more turning them into 'Anglo Muhammadans'. It had sold them to Europe's materialistic culture for a price of a few posts and titles for those calling themselves Muslims" (Muslim nationhood in India by Safia Amir, page 219).

Maududi's attitude towards freedom movement was ambiguous, but indirectly he was opposed to Muslims' participation in it. He was of the view that Muslims could fight against the British provided it empowers Islam in India and make it 'Darul Islam'. He was not in favour of Indian nationalists to oust the alien government and establish any form of polity, which is not based on Islamic principles. He rather appealed to the Muslims to fight for the freedom but "remain prepared for a war unto death in order to turn the direction of the freedom movement from the government of 'Kufre' to that of truth" (ibid. page222).

In August 1941Maududi founded JEI in an assembly of 75 of his supporters at Lahore. He launched it as a movement for return to Islam and its revitalization both as a religion and political force. His political objective was to create a truly Islamic society, which would ultimately overthrow all the Godless system and establish Hukumat-e-Ilahia (Kingdom of God) and Muslim dominance in Indian sub-continent. He did not believe in any form of government except the government prescribed by Islam. Establishment of Islamic theocracy all over the world in general and dominance of Muslims in the Indian subcontinent in particular were the core objectives of the JEI. A scholar of Persian, Arabic and Urdu, he had strong reservation against the modern and scientific education. He was greatly influenced by his grand father, who had recalled his son (father of Maududi) from Aligarh school, when he came to know through a friend that his son was seen playing with sticks like English people.

The hotly debated issue of Muslim identity during the freedom struggle culminated into partition of the country but the issue remained unresolved even in Independent India. After partition, the JEI was split into Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (India) and Jamaa-e-Islami Pakistan. Subseqently, JEI Kashmir was also formed separately, as JEIH has reservation in accepting Kashmir as a territory of Indian Union. Maududi settled in Pakistan and continued his movement till his death in 1979. The command of JEIH was left with Maulana Abu Lias Islahi, who subsequently became its president in 1948. Headquarter of JEIH was set up at Maliabad (Lucknow), which was subsequently shifted to Rampur in 1951, Hyderabad in 1954 and finally to Delhi in 1960. Sirajur Hasan of Karnataka and Mohammad Zaffar from Bihar are the present Amir and Secretary General of the JEIH respectively.

The JEI with its three-tier organisational set-up of Marqazi Nizam, the supreme central body, Halqa-e-Nizam as Zonal unit and Moqami Nizam as local unit has been championing for the cause of Muslim separatism for the last sixty years. In this process it has created total mistrust and misunderstanding among the Hindus about the Muslim community. Though, it has not been able to command its influence over more than 2 % of Indian Muslims, it has succeeded in working as a line of defense for those Muslims, who want to live in a closed society. For JEIH any deviation from the era of Prophet Muhammad is a danger to Islam.

JEI is very choosy in recruitment of its members. It started with 75 in 1941 and reached to 647 at the time of partition. Before recruitment, a member (ruqun) has to pass through various stages to prove his loyalty to the organisation.

For propagation of its ideology, JEI had a three pronged approach that is - approach towards children up to 12 years, approach towards adults and propaganda through press. With hundreds of Deeni Talimi Madrasas in different parts of the country, the children are indoctrinated to the ideological philosophy of Maududi. It has floated a number of front organisations like Anjuman-e-Khudame Millat, Mujahideen Millat, Stdent Islamic Organisation, Student Islamic Movement in India, Halqa Talba Islami and Halq1-e-Khawatrren to inculcate its ideology in the minds of adults. Its number of publications in different languages like Radiance (English weekly), Noor (Urdu weekly), Kanti(Hindi), Aldawa (Arabic), Shahin (Marathi), Nizam (Bengali), and Prabodhani (Malayalam) and hundreds of reading rooms and libraries spread all over the country shows its financial muscle.

Sale of literature, donation from its sympathizers and collection of animal skins during Idul Zoha festival are claimed to be the known sources of JEIH's fund. However, its foreign links with Islamic organisations all over the world like Motmaz-e-Alam-e-Islami (World Conference of Muslims) formed in Mecca in 1926, Rabita-e-Alam-e-Islami (World League of Muslims) formed in Saudi Arabia in 1962, International Islamic Federation of Students Organisation (IIFSO), World Assembly of Muslim Youths both formed in Saudi Arabia, Muslim Brotherhood formed in Geneva in 1927 and JEI Pakistan shows that such wide range of net work may not be possible within the claimed sources of its funding.

Taking advantage of the democratic rights given to all the Indian citizens, the JEIH along with its front organisations and huge financial resources is working relentlessly for its Islamic mission. Though it does not participate in election, its role in narrow, separatists and aggressive projection of religion in politics has caused much damage to Hindu-Muslim relations in the country.

JEIH was never found showing its fraternity with the government at the time of any national crisis. Its stand on Chinese aggression as appeared in an article in Novemver 1963 issue of its organ 'Irshad' exposed the medieval mindset of its leaders. Khalilullah, the writer of the article felt, " this defeat has proved that our present rulers have no capacity to rule! The only alternative this nation has (is) to hand over all powers to those, who ruled this country for one thousand years (Quote from Muslim Politics in India by Hamid Dalwai, page 67). Similarly on Shahbano case JEIH had aggressively mobilised the Muslim masses against the verdict of Supreme Court and compelled the then Congress Government to amend the constitution to nullify the verdict. JEIH never condemned ultra Islamists like Taliban, Osama bin Laden or Al-Qaeda, which is a net work of net works of Islamic terrorism. Its strong reservation against government stand in tackling the problem of Kashmir, opposition to family planning and issues relating to Hindu-Muslim relation provide an opportunity to the liberal Hindu society to think in terms of Hindu fundamentalism.

India has faced and continue to face communal problems that have gone on for centuries. Unless our political class, social scientists and intellectuals irrespective of their religious affinity discuss the issue in totality and initiate effective steps to stop the movement for separatism, possibility of social integration in Indian society may remain a dream. Banning of certain organisations and lifting it subsequently is no answer to the problem.
 

bengalraider

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one more good article on militant islam funding by saudi arabia

Title : Saudi Arabia funding schools for militant Islam
Author : Seema Mustafa
Publication : BJP Today
Date : May 16-31, 1997

Money pouring in from the Saudi Arabian Government for the
ostensible uplift of the Muslim ummah is being diverted for the
propagation of militant Islam. Charitable organisations in India,
the major recipients of these funds, have been "infiltrated" by
militants, particularly in Kashmir, who have successfully usurped
the money for anti-state activities.


The Indian government has full information about the misuse of
these funds but has turned a blind eye to these Saudi operations in
this country. The Saudi Arabian Government has been funding all
kinds of organisations without any system of accountability. In
Kashmir particularly the funding has increased over the years with
extremists openly "capturing" organisations known to be receiving
Saudi donations in lakhs every year. There has been no protest from
India even though it is aware that in the Valley the Saudi funds
are being largely utilised by the militants.


The Saudi flow of funds into this country is directly, through its
Government or through organisations, openly wedded to the
propagation of militant Islam. The Ahle Hadis Salahfi Wahaabism is
a Saudi front organisation committed to the propagation of militant
Islam. It has been sending huge amounts to Marqaz al dawa al
Arshad, a Pakistan-based organisation which is the parent body for
Lashkar-e-Tayiba, openly funding militants in Kashmir. Although
this fact is well-known, sources here point out, the Indian
Government has raised no objections. In fact, it has allowed a
Varanasi organisation Ahle Hadis Jamaat-ul-Salahfiya to receive
lakhs of rupees each year from the same Salahfi Wahaabism outfit.


The Hurriyat leaders are reported to have received several crores
of rupees from the Saudi Government for re-building the
Charar-e-Sharif shrine and rehabilitating the people. This is all
part of the general Saudi plan to consolidate the Muslim community
and help them fight supposed oppression. There is no account of
these funds which are known to have travelled to the Valley. The
CBI has filed a case against Syed Ali Shah Gilani, Abdul Gani Lone
and Moulvi Abbas Ansari for alleged violation of the Foreign
Contributions Regulation Act. Mr Gilani is alleged to have
received Rs. 10 crores from the Saudis for the shrine and Mr Ansari
one million US dollars from the Waqf ministry of Kuwait to
rehabilitate the Kashmiri Muslims.


The Saudi Government does not look upon Kashmir as a territorial
dispute between India and Pakistan, but as a Hindu versus Muslim
conflict. The Saudi media is full of reports about Muslims being
in danger and requiring help to fight sustained oppression. The
money pouring into the Valley in the name of charity and
rehabilitation is, sources here said, being largely used by the
militants for their own activities.


The Jammu and Kashmir Government has information of funds being
sent by the Saudis to what are termed as front organisations like
the Muslim Education Trust and the Jhelum Valley Medical College.
The money, sources said, is routed through these bodies to the
militants.


Forty organisations in India are being funded by the International
Islamic Relief Organisation based in Saudi Arabia which is probably
the largest body covering 100 countries through 45 overseas
offices. The World Muslim League is one of its umbrella
organisations which has the avowed objective of propagating
militant Islam. The money being sent is being used for residential
schools for Islamic learning, in keeping with the Saudi intention
to develop Muslim society in India along lines predetermined by it.
The key word is indoctrination.


The Markaz al Dawaa al Arshad is a centre of Islamic fundamentalism
training. Saudi financial support to it is well-known and has
found considerable criticism in the media.
 

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First Article is Interesting.Although ,My Views about how Terrorism become part of non-sufi islam cannot be told here, The Main Terrorist Ideology is got from Whahabbi or "SALAFFI" School of Islam.

In India ,Salaffis are gaining more support day by day.I can see separate Salaffi Mosques in muslim areas in Kerala state.

Remember ,Hitler got Support from these people during his Persecution of Jews. Amin-Al-Hussaini ,the Pioneer in Radical Islamist Ideology:
AMIN AL-HUSSEINI

Radical Islamic Jihad and pan-Arabism in its violent form find a common root in Amin Al Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. He is the vector of European fascism into the modern Islamic world, both religious and secular. One cannot understand today's turbulent world without this information.
Amin Al Husseini: Nazi Father of Jihad, Al Qaeda, Arafat, Saddam Hussein and the Muslim Brotherhood - Tell The Children The Truth - Homepage
Amin Al Husseini: Father of Jihad, Al Qaeda, Arafat, Saddam Hussein and the Muslim Brotherhood
 

peacecracker

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In a way ,Muslim countries can preserve Sufism unlike what is done even in India by radical groups.Sufism is moderate, sync in with the Paganic Majority of India.
 

roma

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In a way ,Muslim countries can preserve Sufism unlike what is done even in India by radical groups.Sufism is moderate, sync in with the Paganic Majority of India.
im not sure if you are quoting someone else in the use of the term " paganic" or if you are being sarcastic ?
 

Daredevil

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im not sure if you are quoting someone else in the use of the term " paganic" or if you are being sarcastic ?
In fact, Hinduism is kind of paganism because it practices polytheism while Islam, Judaism, Christianity follow monotheism.
 

roma

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In fact, Hinduism is kind of paganism because it practices polytheism while Islam, Judaism, Christianity follow monotheism.

thanks DD , comes as a revelation to me !
 

ppgj

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Paper no. 3512 19-Nov-2009

SAUDI OIL –The chief source of Jihadi Finance?

By R. Upadhyay

Funds are the arteries of a movement that is a natural requirement for the survival of the on going Jihadi terrorism in the world.

Historically, after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire (the last Caliphate) in 1924 when Islamist world was in a state of quandary, Hasan al-Banna, an Egyptian school teacher founded an organisation known as Muslim Brotherhood (MB) with its stated goal and objective to unite the Muslims of the world, regulate their life on the basis of extreme Sunni traditions and mobilise them for self-sacrificing and financial Jihad for establishing Islamic rule on earth. Viewing finance as a critical weapon to undermine the infidels, he “designed political, economic and financial foundations to enable the Muslims to fulfill a key form of Jihad mandated by Quran”. (“You … should strive for the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives …” 61: 10-11).Gradually, “his contemporaries and successors (such as the late Sayed Qutb and current Yusuf al-Qaradawi) set his theories and practice into motion, developing shari'a-based terminology and mechanisms to advance the financial Jihad” (The Right Conservative News Sites | Right Side News).

Inspired with the theory of Banna the Islamist scholars interpreted some of the verses of Quran supporting financial Jihad as similar to self-sacrificing Jihad and recommended struggle for the cause of Allah with wealth and life. Through Islamic sanction which intertwined financial Jihad with self-sacrificing Jihad, they interpreted some of the under mentioned verses of Quran (English translation) to convince the wealthy Muslims to join the financial Jihad.

"Go forth, light-armed and heavy-armed, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the way of Allah! That is best for you if ye but knew." - al-Tawba (Repentance), Chapter 9, verse 41.

"Those who believe, and have left their homes and striven with their wealth and their lives in Allah's way are of much greater worth in Allah's sight. These are they who are triumphant." - al-Tawba (Repentance), Chapter 9, verse 20.

"O ye who believe! Shall I show you a commerce that will save you from a painful doom? Ye should believe in Allah and His messenger, and should strive for the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is better for you, if ye did but know." - al-Saff (the ranks, battle arrays), Chapter 61, verse 10-11.

“The (true) believers are only those who . . . strive with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah.” chapter 49, verse 15.

Interpretation of these verses as part of Allah’s Jihad commandment to Muslims not only explained the uniqueness of financial Jihad but also inspired the Islamists in general and oil-rich Arabs in particular for mobilization of funds for Jihad. The discovery of oil wealth flowing in Arab land provided an opportunity to the Islamists for propagating financial Jihad and accordingly they campaigned that Allah has provided oil wealth as a means for spreading His message.

Inspired with the Jihad funding theory, Muslim fundamentalists from different parts of the world in general and Saudi Arabia in particular while spinning a web of charity organizations invented a number of economic and financial regulatory organizations like Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions(AAOIFIS), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), International Islamic Relief Organisation (IIRO), the World Muslim League(WML), Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), The World Assembly for Muslim Youth(WAMY) and over 400 other Islamic financial institutions which are operating through different banks in a number of countries and offering banking service to the individual and institutional donors for regulating financial Jihad and funding for Islamist terrorism. “These charities are used to advance the Muslim Brotherhood and Saudi political agenda, namely empowering the ummah (World Muslim community) and imposing worldwide shari'a”. OIC’s mandate to support the Jihadi struggle of Palestinian people is a pointer in his direction.

The Muslim World League a Saudi Arabia based international fundamentalist Islamist organisation has outwardly condemned terrorism but “its long history of providing financial support to terrorist groups or having organisational links to them, including to Hamas …. and Al Qaida” has exposed its claim. (Anti-Defamation League site paper ‘Backgrounder –The Muslim World League). The World Assembly for Muslim Youth (WAMY), a Wahhabist organisation of Saudi Arabia was funding the Jihads of Somalia and paid the youths to attend Jihad camps. (Militant Islam Monitor.Org).

Since Saudi Arabia is the richest oil country in the world, its contribution to financial Jihad is also believed to be at the top. In fact Saud bin Abdel Aziz, the founder King of Saudi Arabia had even initiated “to launch a global financial joint venture, which became a cornerstone and engine to spread Islam worldwide” (The Right Conservative News Sites | Right Side News). Hamud bin Uqla al-Shuaibi, a Saudi and ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ spiritual leader, went to the extent of propagating that “it has been reiterated throughout Islamic history and in recent times that “Financial Jihad is . . . more important . . . than self-sacrificing” (Ibid.). Similarly, Yusuf al-Qaradawi in his lecture in UAE on May 4, 2002 strongly supported the legal justification of financial Jihad. He said, “Collecting money for the Mujahideen (Jihadi fighters) was not a donation or gift but a duty necessitated by sacrifices they made for Muslim nation” (www.rightsidenerws.com). He even justified spending Zakat money which is generally meant for helping needy and poor for financing Jihad and set his theory into practice by advancing the terminology of financial Jihad. Talking to BBC Panorama on 30 July 2006 he said, “I don't like this word 'donations',”. “I like to call it Jihad with money, because God has ordered us to fight enemies with our lives and our money.” (Jihad Economics and Islamic Banking by Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld , August 2, 2008).

Although, it is difficult to identify the financiers of Jihadis with accuracy; it is widely believed that the huge oil revenues of Arab lands in general and Saudi Arabia in particular are the primary channel of finance to various Islamist terrorist organisations all over the world. Possessing a quarter of world oil reserves which accounts for nearly 75% of government revenue, Saudi Arabia is said to be under Islamic obligation to share its oil wealth in pursuit of violent Jihad for restoration of the medieval glory of the Mecca born faith.

Jean Charles Brisard, a terror analyst in his report which he compiled for U.N Security Council in December 2002 observed that “between 1992 and 2002 al-Qaida received between $300 million to $ 500 million from Saudi Businessmen and banks. This represented 20% of Saudi GNP”. (jebreti.com). Similarly, on July 13, 2005 US Treasury Under Secretary Stuart Levy claimed that “rich Saudi individuals were a significant source of Islamist terror funding”. (Ibid).

According to US News and World Report (2003) quoting ‘The Center for Security Policy (CSP), a Washington think tank disclosed that in between 1975 and 2002 the Saudi government spents over $70 billion on international aid of which more than two thirds were spent over propagation of Wahhabism, which is the ideological foundation of the on going Jihadi terrorism. The Muslim World League and its affiliate, the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) which are headed by Saudi government officials and closely tied to the government while running the Wahhabi projects put emphasis on violent Jihad and laid the groundwork for terrorist groups around the world.

Speaking on Zakat money on Iqra TV, on 29 August 2005, Saudi Arabia's secretary-general of the official Muslim World League Koran Memorization Commission referred to the Prophet saying “He who equips a fighter...it is as if he himself fought. You lie in your bed, safe in your own home, and donate money and Allah credits you with the rewards of a fighter”.

Lt. Col. Jonathan D. Halevi (a researcher of the Middle East and radical Islam, and a founder of the Orient Research Group Ltd) in his paper no. 501 dated 1 June 2005 observed that “Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states remain the most significant source of funds flowing to the Islamist movements. New documents found at "charitable foundations" linked to Hamas, as well as a careful examination of the Palestinian press, indicate a continuing flow of funds directly from official Saudi organizations to these foundations, which were declared by both Israel and the U.S. as terrorist organizations”. He referred to one Saudi Islamic scholar Hamud bin Uqla al- Shuaibi saying in his Islamic edict on jihad in Chechnya, that the "significance of financial jihad is not inferior to self-sacrificing jihad, being even more important.” He also mentioned that “Billionaire Sheikh Saleh Abdullah Kamel and his family, like other wealthy Saudis, have built their terror-funding-affiliated $3.5 billion Dallah al Baraka Group to service the shari'a.

Mathew Levitt, a senior fellow in terrorism studies at The Washington Institute, testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and Homeland Security that Saudis continue to fund radical Islamic groups that support or engage in international terrorism. “Well into the war on terror, Saudi Arabia continues to serve as the capital of international terrorist financing. Through groups such as the Muslim World League, the International Islamic Relief Organization, and the al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, as well as through Islamic affairs bureaus at Saudi embassies and consulates worldwide, Saudis continue to fund radical Islamic groups that support or engage in international terrorism. (Policy Watch site Paper 729 dated October 2, 2003 entitled ‘Subversion from Within: Saudi funding of Islamic Extremist groups in the United States).

Patrick Grady, a former senior official in the federal Department of France in his book ‘Royal Canadian Jihad’ ( Ottawa: Global Economics Ltd, 2005, Page 120) observed: “For years Saudis have been lavishly spending their oil money to promote their militants Wahhabi strain of Islam which spawned Osama bin Laden”.

Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld, Director of the American Centre for Democracy in her book entitled ‘Funding Evil; How Terrorism is Financed – and How to Stop It’ accused Khalid bin Mahfouz, a Saudi billionaire from Jeddah, of funding terrorism.( FrontPageMagazine.com, Wednesday, November 28, 2007). With 25-year track-record of following terrorist financing, especially Islamic radical groups and states in her interview with ‘FrontpageMagazine.com’ (November 28, 2007) “identified how Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States and Iran bankrolled terrorism, and how they developed Islamic banking to advance the Islamic agenda”. Similarly, ‘Alms for Jihad’ co-written by J Millard Burr and Robert O Collin “is another topical but more specialized book, which provides the most comprehensive look at the web of Islamic charities that have financed conflicts all around the world" – Patrick Grady, Globe and Mail" . The book revealed that charity, an important pillar of Islam which is supposed to be used for helping the needy and poor is diverted to support Islamist terrorism. Although, the writers of both the books claimed to have examined their contentions through detailed investigation based on convincing logic, the Saudi billionaire took advantage of British libel law and filed a suit in British court against the authors. Ever since the books were banned by the British court, many Saudi filed dozens of suits against various writers who exposed their involvement in financial Jihad. This is also a type of money power Jihad against the academic right of intellectuals.

As far as India is concerned, it has been the victim of financial Jihad led by Saudi Arabia directly or indirectly ever since the birth of oil politics in the mid seventies of the last century. India is not a Muslim majority country but since it hosts the second largest Muslim population in the world it perpetually remains within the focus of Arabian imperialism. The diversion of Saudi financed Jihadi money to Pakistan born Islamist terror groups operating in this country is a logically supported evidence of the medieval design of Saudi kingdom.

In view of its long history of turbulent Jihadi war from the war lords of Arab land, India’s relation with Saudi Arabia was also not very smooth during the cold war period. It is unfortunate that several Indian Islamic jurists, scholars and unemployed Muslim youths seem to have gravitated towards this Saudi-sanctioned financial Jihad and a radical interpretation of Islam.

A Muslim jurist from the Deoband sect in India suggested that "should it be proved that Osama was the mastermind behind the attacks of September 11, he would not be punished under Islamic law since his actions were the result of an independent, legal opinion issued by top jurists”. (Saudi Arabia Woos China and India :: Middle East Quarterly). However, both the countries have recently been trying to improve their relation for their respective economic and political interests. In fact Saudi King Abdullah was the guest of honour in its republic day celebration in 2006.

The Indian Prime Minister and the Saudi King also signed a memorandum of understanding dealing with terrorism. However, there was hardly any effective assurance from the Saudi King that he would stop his countries’ financiers bankrolling Pakistani terror groups operating in India. As oil is the driving force in its relation with Saudi Arabia, India is perhaps helpless to put any effective pressure on this oil magnate. Knowing fully well of this weakness of India, Saudi kingdom prefers to waive off Indian bureaucratic concern over the financial Jihad in funding Pak terror groups. Instead, taking advantage of the liberal environment in India the Saudi funded Islamist institutions serve as nursery beds for the sleeper terror cells. Despite the recommendation of the Group of Ministers on Reform of National Security System in 2001 for modernisation of madrassas , Muslim children in Saudi funded schools continue to get their basic education as per Arabian tradition in general and Saudi Arabia in particular. Unfortunately, New Delhi failed to disconnect the link between Saudi money and Laskar-e-Taiba which has been indulging in terror attack in India.

It is an irony that despite this global concern, the Western powers particularly the US have been filling the world that they are fighting war against this menace. Had they actually tried to understand the parallel financial system supporting the fund raising movement of oil rich Arabs led by Saudi Arabia which in popularly known as financial Jihad, they can put an effective pressure on the oil giants not to waste their god gifted money for terror. The wealthy Arabs must also try to understand that their oil power may not be a perpetual asset and as such they should not misuse it as per the Islamist interpretation of their holy book.

(The author can be reached at e-mail [email protected])


SAUDI OIL –The chief source of Jihadi Finance?
 

Parashuram1

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Finally, India's media and government seems to consider the threat perception as it has been for so many decades. This has been something argued down to dust in the United Nations while your government seems to be ignoring this issue perhaps due to internal fear of her minorities.
 

F-14

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not the minotiers sir its the Oil but your argument also plays a significant part
 

sob

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Finally, India's media and government seems to consider the threat perception as it has been for so many decades. This has been something argued down to dust in the United Nations while your government seems to be ignoring this issue perhaps due to internal fear of her minorities.
You are right to an extent that the GOI have been ignoring the issue due to the fear of her minorities. But please note that this fear is the fear of the politician who feels that he would be alineating his vote bank. This fear is not the fear of the evil permeating through his country.

Another reason for the sielence from the GOI has been due to the millions of expats working in the Gulf and more importantly the Billions of Dollars of Remittance being sent back to the motherland.
 

ejazr

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Unfortunately there seems to be some misplaced understanding of geo-politics of Saudi Arabia, terrorism or Jihad. The global epicentre is rightly, the Af-pak region as it is in focus by the US and Obama administration. There was a reason that Osama ran away from Saudi Arabia and was living in exile in Afghanistan.

Sure the salafi type of Islam in Saudi Arabia which is focused mainly around the central Riyadh region is not known for a modern outlook and is rightly countered by religious scholars around the world including India; but its is a leap of understanding or misguided analysis to take that to be the root ideology behind terrorism. I would compare salafi-wahabbis to be similar to Mormons in the US who shun modernity and practice regressive traditions assuming that this is the correct way to follow religion. Also many people don't seem to even know what sufism (the correct word is tasawwuf) is. Even the locals in holy cities of mecca and medina are known to practice sufism and Deoband school of thought has a strong tradition of Naqshbandi sufism which focuses on improving the inner self and creating a mystical connection with God. Not just visiting or paying respect to grave shrines.

The root cause is use of religion and Islam for political purposes. The ideologues and philosophy is based on Syed Qutb, Azam, Hassan Al-Banna and Maududi not wahabbis. Azzam and later Zawahiri are the ones who "conceptualized" their so called Jihad into terrorism as we know of today. It is important to note that NONE of these ideologues were students of traditional Islamic schools anywhere. Most of them were doctors engineers or Journalists and were shaped by the events taking place from 1920s-1960s. So their interpretations and organisations allied to them like Muslim brotherhood or Jamaat-Islami can hardly be taken to represent traditional Islamic teachings. This is precisely because any graduate from a traditional school would rightly see this political Islam ideology as a perversion of traditional Islam. So this is was quite a new school of thought and was a fringe ideology until there was state and financial backing to it from Arab, European countries and the superpower US in the 70s and 80s to counter Communism. The Pakistani military establishment particularly under Zia used the Maududi philosophy to exploit political Islam for their own benefit.

Let me remind everyone that OBL and related extremists had declared all the saudi ulema as kafirs for declaring his actions as unIslamic. Similarly, when the Indian religious scholars including the ones in Kashmir and Deoband among others gave fatwas declaring Jihad in Kashmir or India as invalid, the extremists from LeT e.t.c. declared these religious scholars as puppets and kafirs as well.

If you want to counter terrorism -- which is mainly due extremist religious nationalism and political Islam as espoused by Syed Qutb and Maududi-- You will get unconditional theological support from across the board including the much maligned wahabbi religious scholars because according to traditional Islam and jurisprudence, their philosophies of mixing Islam and politics is a perversion.

It is secondary that wahabbi school of thought itself HAS to be countered as well(particularly their extremist interpretations of some aspects) and that is coming through the religious scholars community too. Contrary to Upadhya's views, wahabbi school of thought came about only a century ago and that too only around the area of Najd around Riyadh, but gained prominence after the 1970s when the Al-Saud family used this school of thought for political purposes as well as using Islam in general to legitimize their despotic rule which is contrary to Islamic teachings in any case. Before that, the shias in the east held the dominant position while the areas in hejaz were mecca and median is located had a cosmopolitan outlook were people from around the world came and practiced tassawwuf as well as per the traditional Islamic teachings.

Qutb and Maududi followers from around the word were invited to help bolster their insecurity and fund were provided against the Soviet-Afghan war. A massive mobilization was put into place since the 1980s which has only been shut down now. And this funding was not only done by oil rich arab countries but by European countries as well. America was also responsible for proving arms and training. Even Israel was providing captured PLA weapons and donating them to Afghan rebels. Upadhya fails to mention the context where this state funding was happening. After the soviet withdrawal, the military establishment utilized this infrastructure that was built using unprecedented financial support as well as super power support with regards to subversion and bomb making techniques towards Kashmir.

The current Saudi govt. under King Abdulla has since cracked down on these types of people and this ideology itself. It has even curtailed power of the wahabbi ulemas and launched a spate of reforms. The current Saudi govt. can be an important partner in India's counter terrorism efforts and as a lever against extremist forces in Pakistan or even in India.

There is no denying that there are wealthy sympathizers in Saudi or other gulf countries, but anyone who has been following Saudi politics since 9/11 will realize that the GoSA has been spending considerable albeit quiet efforts in dismantling these networks and sympathizers lest of because they pose a threat to their rule itself.
 

GokuInd

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The truth hurts eh?

Saudi envoy walks out after Jethmalani remarks on Wahabis

New Delhi: Saudi Arabian Ambassador to India Faisal-al-Trad on Saturday staged a walk at an international conference of jurists here after former former Union Minister Ram Jethmalani accused the Wahabi sect of being responsible for terrorism.

Trad left the conference hall after Jethmalani made some remarks at the inaugural function when he said "unfortunately in the 17th century, they produced an evil man in Saudi Arabia by the name of Wahab, who was concerned about the decline of Muslim world but he hit upon a wrong remedy".

The Ambassador returned to the conference after Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily made it clear that Jethmalani's remarks were personal and not that of the government.

Jethmalani alleged that "Wahabi terrorism" indoctrinated "rubbish" in the minds of young people to carry out terrorist attacks. He lamented that India had friendly relations with a country that supported Wahabi terrorism.

Moily, in his address, said that terrorism cannot be attributed to any particular religion.

Jethmalani said there have been Hindu terrorists and Buddhist terrorists and it was unfortunate that the terrorist that the world was talking about was mainly Muslim.

"But let me make it clear that I am a student of all religions including Islam. I have the highest respect for the prophet of Islam, he was a man of peace."

Terming Non-Aligned Movement and Panchsheel as evil, the former union minister said India should align with forces of good to combat the forces of evil. "India and its foreign ministers must learn to reassess the doctrines of past."

He said India's foreign policy establishment should be courageous to shun country's relationships with its "enemies".

Referring to Jethmalani's comments, Justice Awn S Al-Khasawneh, a judge of the International Court of Justice, asked him not "to make sweeping statements."

- PTI
Saudi envoy walks out after Jethmalani remarks on Wahabis!
 

ppgj

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Tehran accuses Saudi Arabia of 'Wahhabi state terrorism' over Yemen strikes
Wednesday, November 18, 2009

TEHRAN: A senior Iranian military official Tuesday accused Saudi Arabia of killing Shiite Muslims in Yemen and denounced it as the onset of “Wahhabi state terrorism.” In another sign of increased regional tension over fighting in northern Yemen, Iran’s Parliament shelved a bill on tax cooperation with Sanaa in protest at its treatment of Yemen’s minority Shiites, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB said.

Riyadh launched an assault on neighboring Yemen’s Houthi rebels about two weeks ago, after they staged a cross-border incursion that killed two Saudi border guards.

The rebels of the Zaydi Shiite sect have accused Saudi Arabia, whose Wahhabi brand of Islam regards Shiites as heretics, of backing the Yemen government, while the government sees Iran’s hand behind the rebels.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil producer and a US ally which sees itself as the guardian of Sunni Islam, has often been at odds with Shiite Iran.

“The killing of Yemeni Shiites by Saudi Arabia is the onset of Wahhabi state terrorism, which is very dangerous for Islam and the region,” said Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Firouzabadi warned that the situation could spread and sooner or later “engulf all Muslims, everywhere.”

Saudi clerics have accused the rebels in Yemen of working with Iran to try to spread Shiism in Sunni Islam’s heartland.

Yemen said last month it had seized a vessel carrying weapons destined for the rebels and detained its Iranian crew at a port in Haja province, bordering the area of conflict.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has said Iranian religious figures provide funding for the rebels, and officials have also accused Iranian media of backing the Houthis.

Iran has denied the allegations and called on Yemen’s government to end the fighting through negotiations.

Meanwhile, Yemeni tribesmen released a Japanese engineer they had abducted in an area north east of the capital Sanaa, a provincial official said on Tuesday.

“He is now with the mediators, he will be in the capital within two hours,” the official told Reuters.

The kidnappers seized the engineer, who works on a Yemeni government project, to press Sanaa to release jailed relatives, according to provincial officials.

It was not immediately clear if Yemen had met the demands, but the abduction was likely to add to the security concerns of foreign firms, especially those developing the oil and gas sector of the Arabian Peninsula state.

The man was kidnapped in the town of Arhab about 60 kilometers north east of Sanaa. Tribesmen often kidnap Western tourists in Yemen to pressure the government to provide better services and improve living conditions.

Most foreigners abducted by tribesmen in Yemen are released unharmed.

However, in July, three women from a party of nine kidnapped foreigners were found dead in Yemen were killed, coinciding with a rise in separatist and militant tensions in a country whose instability has alarmed Western countries and Saudi Arabia.

One analyst said at the time the killings bore the hallmarks of Al-Qaeda but no claim of responsibility has been made.

Yemen, which is mostly Sunni Muslim, is battling Al-Qaeda militants and secessionist discontent in the south, as well as the rebellion in the north that borders Saudi Arabia.

Both the Yemen government and the rebels have said that the conflict with the rebels is not sectarian.

Yemen stepped up a military campaign in the northern province of Saada against Houthi rebels in August. The Zaydi Shiite minority say they suffer religious, economic and social marginalization.

The Daily Star - Politics - Tehran accuses Saudi Arabia of 'Wahhabi state terrorism' over Yemen strikes
 

ppgj

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Wahhabi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wahhabi

Wahhabi (Arabic: Al-Wahhābīyya‎ الوهابية) or Wahhabism is a sect attributed to Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab, an 18th century scholar from what is today Saudi Arabia. He advocated bringing Islam back to its roots by removing what he considered innovations in Islam (Bidah). He believed that those who practice innovation in Islam are Kafir (infidels)
 

Yusuf

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Typical of the extremists isn't it. They want to impose their view on everyone. Allah is the one to decide on the day of judgement. Who are these *****s to decide what is right and what is wrong. Its all nothing to do with religion. Its all to do with power. The saudis propagated wahhabism to protect their own arses and that is common knowledge.
 

Rage

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Saudi envoy walks out after Jethmalani remarks on Wahabis

New Delhi: Saudi Arabian Ambassador to India Faisal-al-Trad on Saturday staged a walk at an international conference of jurists here after former former Union Minister Ram Jethmalani accused the Wahabi sect of being responsible for terrorism.

Trad left the conference hall after Jethmalani made some remarks at the inaugural function when he said "unfortunately in the 17th century, they produced an evil man in Saudi Arabia by the name of Wahab, who was concerned about the decline of Muslim world but he hit upon a wrong remedy".

The Ambassador returned to the conference after Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily made it clear that Jethmalani's remarks were personal and not that of the government.

Jethmalani alleged that "Wahabi terrorism" indoctrinated "rubbish" in the minds of young people to carry out terrorist attacks. He lamented that India had friendly relations with a country that supported Wahabi terrorism.

Moily, in his address, said that terrorism cannot be attributed to any particular religion.

Jethmalani said there have been Hindu terrorists and Buddhist terrorists and it was unfortunate that the terrorist that the world was talking about was mainly Muslim.

"But let me make it clear that I am a student of all religions including Islam. I have the highest respect for the prophet of Islam, he was a man of peace."

Terming Non-Aligned Movement and Panchsheel as evil, the former union minister said India should align with forces of good to combat the forces of evil. "India and its foreign ministers must learn to reassess the doctrines of past."

He said India's foreign policy establishment should be courageous to shun country's relationships with its "enemies".

Referring to Jethmalani's comments, Justice Awn S Al-Khasawneh, a judge of the International Court of Justice, asked him not "to make sweeping statements."

- PTI
Saudi envoy walks out after Jethmalani remarks on Wahabis!

LMAO! I know this might sound insensitive, but when I read the old coot's comments, I burst out laughing. He talked some real wild $hit about the saudis and the wahabbis.

Jethmalani needs a class course in tact. I mean, you don't invite a Saudi dignitary to your abode, and then ask him if "Allah is a brothel keeper"?.


He needs a kick up his butt!



I wonder what became of him after the Conference.
 

EnlightenedMonk

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Actually, I think the essence of what Jethmalani said cannot be disputed. Most of what he said was true. But he did sound rather indiscreet considering the Saudi envoy was around...

But, thinking of it from another way, maybe it is about time we showed the Saudis what we really think of them...

What does everybody else think ???
 

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