FrontPage Interview’s guest today is al-Qaeda expert Raymond Ibrahim. His work includes the al-Qaeda entry for the World Almanac of Islamism; an analysis of al-Qaeda’s worldview for the Middle East Review of International Affairs; and most recently an article on Ayman al-Zawahiri for Bloomberg. He is best known for compiling, translating, and annotating The Al Qaeda Reader (Doubleday, 2007), the definitive work on the terrorist organization’s writings. Because the book contains al-Zawahiri’s premiere treatises and provides a snapshot of his mind, it takes on renewed relevance now that al-Zawahiri has been declared the leader of al-Qaeda.
FP: Raymond Ibrahim, welcome to Frontpage Interview.
I would like to talk to you today about what you know about Ayman al-Zawahiri. But I think it would be best to begin with The Al Qaeda Reader. Tell us what the book is about and why you wrote it.
Ibrahim: Sure, Jamie.
I primarily wrote The Al Qaeda Reader (AQR) to demonstrate the organization’s doubletalk. After the strikes of 9/11, al-Qaeda’s messages to the West began to be translated and disseminated in the media; and their theme was one—that al-Qaeda’s terrorism was in retaliation to any number of Western crimes. Then, back in 2005 when I was working at the Library of Congress, I came across unknown Arabic texts written by bin Laden and al-Zawahiri that articulated their violence and terrorism purely within a jihadist paradigm; the temporal and emotive language directed at the West, when re-directed at fellow Muslims, was discarded for the eternal and immutable language of Islam.
For example, for all of al-Qaeda’s talk that Israel is the heart of the problem, bin Laden exposed his true position when he wrote to fellow Arabic-speaking Muslims not long after the 9/11 strikes the following:
Our talks with the infidel West and our conflict with them ultimately revolve around one issue—one that demands our total support, with power and determination, with one voice—and it is: Does Islam, or does it not, force people by the power of the sword to submit to its authority corporeally if not spiritually? Yes. There are only three choices in Islam: [1] either willing submission [conversion]; or [2] payment of the jizya, through physical, though not spiritual, submission to the authority of Islam; or [3] the sword — for it is not right to let him [an infidel] live. The matter is summed up for every person alive: Either submit, or live under the suzerainty of Islam, or die. (AQR, p. 42)
As you can see, this view, which is well codified in Sharia, is the ultimate source of conflict—not political, temporal grievances.
FP: Ok, so how does al-Zawahiri fit into the AQR?
Ibrahim: I have always believed that al-Zawahiri was the key to understanding al-Qaeda’s worldview. When I compiled the book between 2005-2006, I intentionally included more of his writings than bin Laden’s (an approach deemed unconventional then, as most people were more interested in learning what the more visible and notorious bin Laden had to say). The ironic result is that today the AQR exposes the philosophy of al-Qaeda’s new chief more than other al-Qaeda books, which had focused on (the now moot) bin Laden.
FP: What does the book tell us of al-Zawahiri and what can be learned from his words?
Ibrahim: I split the book into two sections, “Theology” and “Propaganda.” In the theology section, I included three long treatises by al-Zawahiri amounting to over 100 pages:
According to his “Loyalty and Enmity” (AQR pgs. 63-115), the Muslim believer is “obligated to befriend a believer—even if he is oppressive and violent towards you and must be hostile to the infidel, even if he is liberal and kind to you.” Al-Zawahiri bases this doctrine on Koranic verses that prohibit Muslims from befriending non-Muslims, specifically Jews and Christians (e.g., 5:51, 60:4).
He advocates deception, or taqiyya—that Muslims feign friendship with non-Muslims whenever it is advantageous; he quotes early Muslims saying “We grin to the faces of some peoples, while our hearts curse them” and recommending “lamenting and mourning in order to dupe the infidels.”
In “Sharia and Democracy” (AQR pgs.116-136), he advocates strict enforcement of Sharia law and animosity for democracy—complaining that democracy creates “equality between the citizenry,” allows freedom of religion, and abolishes “man’s domination over woman.”
In “Jihad, Martyrdom, and the Killing of Innocents,” (AQR, pgs. 137-171), al-Zawahiri goes to great lengths to promote suicide operations, grounding them in little known hadiths and historical anecdotes, as well as Koranic verses like 9:111; he quotes Islam’s prophet saying that the “martyred” jihadist “will couple with 72 maidens” in paradise. And he adheres to a very narrow definition as to who is considered “innocent” during the jihad—which precludes women, children, and even Muslims, if necessity calls for it.
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This dimented savage , was a participant in Sadats assasination .He was captured …..and released by the Egyptians . He was bin Ladens mad dog on a long leash .He needs a dirt nap. Navy Seal Team ……your next mission .
Actually, Bin Laden was always the poster boy. al-Zawahiri is and has always been the brains. His real roots go beyond the Muslimbrotherhood. He is of the age old cult of the Assassin's that originated at Alamut.
And our white house says islam is a religon peace!!!
Jimmy Carter was instrumental in getting al-Zawahiri released from prison in Egypt. Al-Zawahiri and other future leaders of Al- Queda were in prison there and Carter pressured their government to release the poor opressed Mu-slims including.Al-Zawahiri. The Egyptians said "are you crazy do you know who these people are" ?
There is footage of al-Zawahiri in this jail cell screaming "The world will know who we are" Carter (the leftist know it all that he is ) just ignored the warnings and pressed foreward with the release on humanitarian grounds This sound just like the fool we have in the WH now doesn't it ?
if he isnt a muslium I'll kiss your ass at broad and high and give you an hour to draw a crowd!!!!
Another oxygen taker. This guy should be smeared in pork juices and have an IED shoved up his rear-end. I love the way they always stand in front of an automatic weapon that they have no clue how to use.
Good article Jamie, we need to be informed!!!! Thank You Jamie Glazov
I Would love to know how much money is he getting from our boys in the CIA And who is he really who is he working for?
I can't see the weapon but it maybe a AK63 With a GL.
Hmm…you ever think that if there weren't a bunch of false-jew squatters in historically Muslim land, you wouldn't even HAVE Al Qeada? Yeah didn't think so.
hmm did you ever think that thoes "squatters" are the real owners and muslims are lying? especially since historically it was jewish land! or that this has been going on for the past 1500 yrs and islam is just a violent religion and 'al queda' is but 1 section of a religion that automatically approves of rape, murder, slavery as a normal everyday thing? yeah didnt think so!
It's important to have sources of information that explain the ideology behind the war against the US, against the free world, and against the entire Dar al Harb. This is especially important when the President of the United States, Barack Obama, will not refute or even discuss the ideology behind the war against us, and even bans the words that are needed to rationally discuss or describe that ideology. Obama's counterterrorism chief, Brennan, is clueless and worse than useless when he describes "jihad" as a wonderful concept, and pretends that he doesn't know how it is used in radical Islam. This interview should be read by every thinking American.
" Islam new frontiers",.. mean not to behead until you rule over the subhumans after that you as a good muslim can rape and behead all subhumans. WHAT IF i DON'T WANT ISLAM TO BEHEAD ME? WELL You call the cops and the muslims just shot me in the head, after that you behead me!
The question i have now is…"and?" Believe me I am not besmurching the author here. But my question to all the readers is when when are we gonna get it? when are we going to realize that Islam is a foul monster that cannot be reasoned with? I am athiest. So i do not want a theocracy for any reason. However Islam, is a danger to all. Convert or die, thats the simple truth of the matter. there is NO tolerance with islam. As we see yet again that there is NO limit to what they will do. they will lie, cheat steal, kill, rape and everything in between to destroy the enemy…that enemy is us! they even say, the liberal who befreinds them is a pawn at best and will be killed as well once their usefulness runs out. ,.,.,.,.,.,.,.
P2,.,.It is time to quit thinking the liberal govt etc will do anything, and its time to stop pussyfooting around and DESTROY ISLAM! you may not like it, but its survial time here kiddies, we either kill all of them, the men, the women, the children and wipe out the cancer of islam. OR they will killl us, Our women, our men, our children. muslims should be targeted as enemies and killed. Its that simple. Anyone want to disagree bring it on! But as far as I am concerned, reading muslims and these peoples OWN WORDS…..they frankly tell us exactly how to stop them, and what happens if we dont! So I with all pride and all force proudly say I AM A PROUD INFIDEL AT WAR WITH ISLAM! DEATH TO ISLAM! KILL THEM ALL
MN18 is not sincere. muslims dont condem, other muslims becaue he agrees with them. there are 2 types of muslims. thoes who are sucide bombers and thoes who are not suicide bombers yet.,,..better to destroy islam and muslims rather than find out the hard way that the "moderate muslim" that you have been defending as "not that way" is 2 feet away from you with a explosives belt and not so moderate after all
not so, remember 'peace' is subjective. we believe peace is toleration and cooperation with all thoes even thoes different than us. Muslims believe that peace is the subjigation and murder of any and all thoes not muslim until only islam is left
islam means nothing and is nothing and can stand for nothing it is total stupid.