Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism - Jobenomics | A …jobenomicsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Jobenomics...4 Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Key Points The global challenge

Engaging Islam,

Ummah, Islamism Irhab &

By: Chuck Vollmer www.Jobenomics.com Original: 27 November 2001

Latest: 6 January 2016

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab

Jobenomics & The MidEast

While Jobenomics is a U.S. business and job creation initiative, it has a large following around the world. MidEast countries are interested in Jobenomics as a way to create regional businesses and jobs, respond to discontent voiced by the Arab Spring, and mitigate existing and new terrorist threats.

Having spent 10-years under contract to the U.S. government to build coalitions with the Arab Gulf region royals and military officials, this author asserts that the main obstacles to coalition-building are cultural in nature.

• Religion, tribe, clan, lineage, societal and brotherhood considerations play far more significant roles in MidEast policy-making than in the West.

• After centuries of conflict, Muslims are reluctant to participate in Western intervention until trust relationships are established on common goals.

• Arab governments are more prone to provide humanitarian aid to other Muslims than engaging in combat operations outside their borders.

In the aftermath of 9/11, this author began lecturing on Islam, MidEast and Muslim culture to Western audiences. The positive response from the Ummah lead to much more effective overall engagement and coalition-building.

This presentation is the latest in a series of updates to the original presentation given to U.S. policy-makers two months after the dreadful attacks on 9/11.

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Presentation Outline

Jobenomics Counterterrorism Strategy

Islam: The Religion

Ummah: The Worldwide Muslim Community

Islamism: The Political Ideology

Irhabi: The Terrorists

Final Thought

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Key Points

The global challenge to mitigating the growing plague of terrorism is to develop a counterterrorism strategy that includes mainstream Muslims in the Ummah who have been reluctant to join international counterterrorism operations.

Limited Western cultural engagement with the Ummah and religious understanding of Islam puts mainstream Muslims in a dilemma between defending radicalized Muslims and cooperating in counterterrorism operations.

Without global coalition-building and common cause, terrorism will grow. The vast majority of terrorist groups are Sunni-led faux armies, militias and

insurgencies that claim to be advocates for oppressed Sunnis. Until safety and prosperity are secured for impoverished Sunni by the Ummah,

radical groups like ISIS, an offshoot of Al Qaeda, will continue to proliferate. Since the centroid of Sunni-Arab leadership resides in the Arab Gulf region, Gulf

Cooperation Council (GCC) involvement is essential with the Arab League and international community support.

Cultural engagement with the Ummah has proven to be very effective in getting the GCC and Arab League more involved in counterterrorism operations. The West’s challenge is to engage the Ummah to (1) eradicate terrorist groups and

stop new groups from forming, (2) help displaced people and repatriate refugees, and (3) rebuild war torn countries in the MidEast. Syria is an ideal place to start.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Strategic Framework

The Ummah (the worldwide Muslim community) is not homogeneous. The Ummah understands that terrorist groups are predominantly disenfranchised Sunni groups. Mainstream Muslims, especially the rich Gulf Arabs, know that they have to do more with the international community to engage terrorism.

Islamism (political Islam) generally favors a society governed by Islamic (Sharia) law. Islamists are composed of a number of groups with differing underpinnings, goals and levels of militancy and modernity. Islamism should be a choice made by citizens, not a decree made by radical clerics or insurgents.

Irhab (Arabic term for terrorism and irhabi for terrorist) defines those who wage war outside limits set by the Quran. Offenders need to be sentenced by Muslim courts or religious decree (fatwas) as terrorists (irhabi) or outlaws (hirabah) in order for the Ummah to allow foreign (non-Muslim) intervention.

Limited Western cultural engagement with the Ummah and religious understanding of Islam puts mainstream Muslims in a dilemma of defending radicalized Muslims and cooperating in global counterterrorism operations.

Mainstream Muslims

The Ummah: 1.6 Billion Muslims Worldwide

Terrorists (Irhabi)

Political Islam (Islamists)

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Current Counterterrorism Environment

Christianity is the largest religion with 2.2 billion followed by Islam with 1.6 billion. However, Islam is growing at twice the rate as Christianity and could surpass Christianity in several generations (but not soon).

Only 22% of all Muslims are Arabs. The top 5 nations with the largest Muslim populations are non-Arab (Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria).

Approximately 6% of Europeans are Muslims compared to 1% in the USA.

Muslim terrorists (irhabi) kill far more Muslims than Westerners. However, recent attacks in the West have intensified Islamophobia and calls for reciprocity.

The vast majority of Muslims say that violence against civilians in the name of Islam are rarely or never justified. Over half of U.S. Muslims say their religious leaders have not done enough to speak out against Islamic extremists.

The U.S. State department lists 59 terrorist groups—80% Muslim in which Boko Haram (Nigeria) and ISIS (Syria/Iraq) are the deadliest—and three state sponsors of terrorism (Iran, Syria and Sudan).

The global challenge is to develop a counterterrorism strategy that includes the Ummah and mainstream Muslims who have been reluctant to join the fight.

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There Are Reasons To Be Concerned From the dreadful day in September 2001 to 2010, Muslim-led terrorist groups

averaged 11.7 attacks per year. From 2010 through 2013, attacks increased to 17 attacks per year. 2014 registered 35 attacks. 2015 is the worst year ever with an incredible 106 terrorist attacks across the entire planet.

From 9/11 to 2010, 36% of all attacks were against Israel. From 2010 through 2015, 97% of all attacks were outside of Israel with the majority (77%) on Muslim civilians in Africa, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan and Pakistan. As evidenced by recent events in Boston, Paris and San Bernardino, terrorists are moving West. Even if ISIS is eliminated, these attacks are likely to continue to metastasize until leading Muslim nations take a greater role in eradicating irhabi from the Ummah.

The cultural/religious/economic/political center of the Ummah resides in the Arab Gulf region’s six GCC countries that are primarily focused on self defense. If the GCC remains inwardly focused, Sunni militant groups will continue to proliferate and the Shia Crescent will continue to expand and envelop the region. The ideal starting point for out-of-area GCC operations is in Syria to contain ISIS, help displaced citizens rebuild their lives, and reverse the flow of refugees that are overwhelming neighboring countries and putting the entire region at risk.

It incumbent for the West to engage GCC as equal partners in counterterrorism. However, this is a global challenge. Institutions, like the United Nations, should build a coalition between leading Muslim-majority nations and the international community to eliminate the plague of terrorism before it destabilizes the world. This presentation is designed to help start a global coalition-building dialogue.

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Foreign Terrorist Organization Criterion U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) criterion:

• It must be a foreign organization. • The organization must engage in terrorist activity or retain the capability and

intent to engage in terrorist activity or terrorism. • The organization’s terrorist activity or terrorism must threaten the security of

U.S. nationals or the national security (national defense, foreign relations, or the economic interests) of the United States.

U.S. FTOs grew from 39 (27 Muslim-led) in 2004, to 59 (47 Muslim-led)—an overall growth of 51% and 74% growth in Muslim-led FTOs. • The vast majority of Muslim-led FTOs consist of faux (artificial) armies of non-

state, Sunni-led insurgencies, such as ISIS and Al Qaeda. • The minority of Muslim-led FTOs are state-sponsored Shia groups like the

Iranian-sponsored Hezbollah (Lebanon) and Houthis (Yemen). Other international organizations that do not meet U.S. FTO criterion.

• Muslim countries have completely different criterion (from 0 to 80 FTOs.). • The Council Of The European Union lists 23 groups as of January 2015. • The United Nations does not have a general list of all terrorist organizations.

Without global coalition-building and common cause, terrorism will grow.

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Muslim Terrorist Groups Location Muslim Terrorist Groups LocationAbdallah Azzam Brigades (AAB) Lebanon/Syria Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-Sudan (Ansaru) SudanAbu Nidal Organization (ANO) Lebanon Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) Af-Pak/KashmirAbu Sayyaf Group (ASG) Philippines/Malaysia Jemaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT) Malaysia/PhilippinesAl-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AAMB) Gaza/West Bank Jemaah Islamiya (JI) Indonesia/MalaysiaAnsar al-Dine (AAD) Mali/Southern Libya Jundallah Af-Pak/BaluchistanAnsar al-Islam (AAI) Iraq Jundallah Kahane Chai Kata’ib Hizballah (KH) IraqAnsar al-Shari’a in Benghazi (AAS-B) Libya Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) Turkey/Iraq/SyriaAnsar al-Shari’a in Darnah (AAS-D) Libya Lashkar e-Tayyiba South AsiaAnsar al-Shari’a in Tunisia (AAS-T) Tunisia/Libya Lashkar i Jhangvi (LJ) Af-Pak/BaluchistanAnsar Bayt al-Maqdis (ABM) Sinai/Egypt Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) Libya/EuropeArmy of Islam (AOI) Gaza/Egypt/Israel Mujahidin Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem (MSC) GazaAsbat al-Ansar (AAA) Palestine/Lebanon Al-Mulathamun Battalion (AMB) North AfricaBoko Haram (BH) Nigeria Palestine Islamic Jihad – Shaqaqi Faction (PIJ) Gaza/West BankGama’a al-Islamiyya (IG) Persia/Europe Palestine Liberation Front – Abu Abbas Faction (PLF) Gaza/WB/LebanonHamas Gaza Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) LevantHaqqani Network (HQN) Af-Pak/Syria PFLP-General Command (PFLP-GC) LevantHarakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HUJI) South Asia Al-Nusrah Front (ANF) SyriaHarakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami/Bangladesh (HUJI-B) Bangladesh Al-Qa’ida (AQ) GlobalHarakat ul-Mujahideen (HUM) Pakistan/Kashmir Al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) Arab GulfHizballah Lebanon/Syria Al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) North AfricaIndian Mujahedeen (IM) India Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) TurkeyIslamic Jihad Union (IJU) Pakistan/Europe Al-Shabaab (AS) SomaliaIslamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) Uzbekistan Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Pakistan

Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) Levant/Global

Non-Muslim Terrorist Groups Location Non-Muslim Terrorist Groups LocationAum Shinrikyo (AUM) Japan National Liberation Army (ELN) Colombia/VenezuelaBasque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) Spain/South France Real IRA (RIRA) Ireland/Great Britain

Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army Philippines Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) South AmericaContinuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) Ireland Revolutionary Organization 17 November (17N) GreeceKahane Chai Israel Revolutionary Struggle (RS) GreeceLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Sri Lanka/India Shining Path (SL) Peru

U.S. Listed Terrorist Groups (June 2015)

Challenge is to eradicate terrorist groups and stop new groups from forming.

59 Total: 47 Muslim (80%), 12 Non-Muslim (20%)

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Ever-Evolving Terrorist Organizations

Al-Qaeda Example: Leaders: Osama bin Laden (killed), Ayman al-Zawahiri (current) 1980s: Afghan War Mujahideen fighters against Soviets 1990s: Core al-Qaeda (AQ) against the US-led Invasion of Kuwait, against Saudi

Arabia and Egypt regimes and in Bosnia, 1993 World Trade Center bombing 2000s: al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) against Shia during Gulf War and USA (9/11) 2010s: al-Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) against Yemen, Saudi Arabia and

Somalia with affiliates in Maghreb (AQIM), Syria, India, Europe and Kurdistan

Islamic State Example: Leaders: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (killed), Abu Ayyub al-Masri (killed), Abu Omar

al-Baghdadi (killed), Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (current) 2000s: Jamāʻat al-Tawḥīd wa-al-Jihād (1999-2006) in Jordan, part of AQI, Islamic

State of Iraq (ISI) against Gulf War (2006-2013) 2010s: Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham/Syria (ISIS) and al-Nusra Front (2013)

opposition forces in Syrian Civil War, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, 2013-2014) and Islamic State (2014-present)

The majority of non-state sponsored terrorist groups are ever-evolving, Sunni-led militias claiming to free the oppressed from their oppressors.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Islamic State: The Faux Sunni Army

For all its evils, ISIS has filled the security void for helpless and impoverished Sunnis subjected to oppressive regimes and encirclement by hostile Shia forces.

ISIS now controls over 10 million poor Sunnis in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria and Afghanistan as well as operating globally via refugees, cells and radicalized lone-wolf converts.

As a caliphate, ISIS claims authority over the Ummah and that “the legality of all emirates, groups, states, and organizations, becomes null by the expansion of the caliphate's authority and arrival of its troops to their areas”. ISIS standing army is estimated at 40,000 fighters financed by $1 billion/year

revenue from oil revenue, extortion and sympathetic supporters/investors. Over the next several years, ISIS plans major military offensives against

neighboring countries of Jordan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. While ISIS is vulnerable to counter military offensives from NATO and the

Russian-Iranian backed Assad regime, the exodus of millions of refugees and the displacement of tens of millions of people could collapse the region. Until safety and prosperity are secured for poor Sunni by the Ummah, radical groups like ISIS, an offshoot of Al Qaeda, will continue to proliferate.

Islam State Flag and Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab GCC Involvement Is Critical

International terrorism is predominantly a Sunni Muslim problem that needs to be solved by leading Sunni-majority nations.

For centuries, Egypt was the leader of the Sunnis. Even though Egypt has been actively engaged in the fight against Sunni radicals, uprisings and financial conditions have limited their influence.

Jordan is a leader in counterterrorism operations but has become overwhelmed with refugees and is severely constrained financially.

GCC nations could do more counterterrorism operations outside the GCC. • GCC has shown willingness to be part of Western coalition operations. • GCC has more capital than the other 46 Sunni-majority nations combined. • GCC is well equipped with 900 modern combat aircraft and helicopters. • If ISIS and refugees overwhelm Jordan and Iraq, the GCC will likely be next.

The absence of GCC involvement in poor areas of the Sunni world, allows radical groups, like ISIS, to fill the void by promising security and a better way of life.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Saudi-Led “Islamic Military Alliance”

In December 2015, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman announced the formation of a 34 state Sunni-led coalition to combat terrorism.

While this development shows willingness “of the Muslim world to fight this disease which affected the Islamic world first before the international community as a whole,” it has been met with skepticism due to the Saudi government’s paradoxical problem of containing its society’s support of puritanical and militaristic Wahhabi Islamism. On the other hand, in January 2016, the government executed 47 terrorists including a Sunni and Shia cleric.

In 2015, largely in response to the Iranian-backed Shia Houthi terrorist group, Saudi Arabian-led military intervention (codenamed Operation Decisive Storm) in Yemen was conducted by nine Arab countries. Combatting Sunni-led terrorism, such as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is also foremost on the Saudi and regional agenda. Along with Jordan, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, Saudi Arabia joined the U.S. in the fight against ISIS in Syria/Iraq.

The Saudi-Led “Islamic Military Alliance” could be a promising initiative against global terrorism and should be properly engaged by the international community.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab The UAE Is Combating Islamism and Irhab

The United Arab Emirates has been a leading coalition partner as far back as the Bosnian War and is currently engaged with the GCC, Ummah and the West against Sunni- and Shia-led terrorists from Libya, to ISIS, to AQAP, to the Shiite rebels in Yemen.

Major Mariam Al Mansouri (shown) was the first woman to join the Emirati Air Force and the first female pilot to lead an airstrike on ISIS in an ultra-modern, US-made F-16.

Rapprochement with Iran and withdrawal from Iraq makes renewed U.S./Western cultural, political and military engagement with the GCC extremely important.

This author helped conduct six 12-nation Middle East Air Commander Symposia and helped develop warfare training centers in the UAE Unfortunately, these, and similar coalition-building, efforts lost momentum after the Abu Ghraib scandal and withdrawal of Western forces from the region. The U.A.E’s isolation has increased further by recent U.S.-led Western détente agreements with Iran.

The rise in terrorism, and the UAE’s response to it, has made the UAE a target. Now is the time for the West to redouble its engagement with the UAE and GCC.

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In Dealing With The Ummah, Cultural Engagement Is Often The Missing Dimension Of Western Statecraft

Cultural Engagement

• Ethnology* • Accomplishments • Ambitions & Goals

Political Engagement • Governmental

• Diplomatic • Economic

Military Engagement

• Offensive • Defensive • Deterrent

Cultural engagement with the Ummah has proven to be very effective in getting Sunni nations, like the GCC, more involved with counterterrorism operations.

Unfortunately, the GCC has become less trusting of Western intentions

today than when the global war on terror first began.

* The study of the characteristics of people and groups and the differences and relationships between them.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Why Do Muslims Distrust The West?

Historical Reasons: A history of crusades, colonialism and foreign occupation by the West. Misperceptions, apathy and disrespect towards Islam and Muslim culture. Failure of capitalism and globalization to benefit the greater Muslim

community while enriching the Middle East elite. A double standard of empathy towards Israel and distain for Arabs. Immodest and immoral lifestyles glorified in the media and society. Rising apostasy, atheism and secular values.

Recent Reasons: Portrayal of Islam as a religion of war and Muslims as terrorists. Use of military coercion as the primary instrument of foreign policy. A go-it-alone counterterrorism strategy with limited ummah input. Treatment (e.g., Abu Ghraib prison torture and prisoner abuse), Muslim

profiling and growing Islamophobia in the West.

Many of these trust issues can be changed by a process of cultural engagement and coalition-building starting with a better understanding of Islam, the Ummah, Islamism and Irhab (terrorism from an Islamic point of view).

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The Challenge of Opposing Worldviews

Western Secular Worldview Secularism

Separation of church and state Worldliness Democracy Freedom Capitalism Liberalism Globalization Pluralistic

Industrial/technological Future innovation

Institutionalized change

Islamic Spiritual Worldview Spiritualism Religious state Godliness Theocracy Structure Socialism Puritanism Ethnicity Partisan Agricultural Past inspiration

Institutionalized tradition

Worldviews of Western and Islamic societies are distinctive. Disparate cultures separate us as much as different religions.

Better understanding of the Islamic worldview will enhance coalition-building.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Recommended Counter-Terrorism Strategy

Given recent ISIS attacks in the West, Westerners are rightfully concerned and supportive of actively engaging ISIS. While ISIS is one of the most vicious terrorist groups, there are an additional 46 Sunni-led terrorist groups to engage. Ultimately, defeating Muslim-led terrorism involves Sunni Arab leadership. Shia leadership is unlikely since Iran, and its satellites, actively sponsor terrorism.

Any Western-led military operation against ISIS should include consent and inclusion of the leading 50 Muslim-majority nations. A major military operation without proportionate diplomatic and cultural engagement will likely alienate vast numbers of the Ummah and enable Islamist and terrorist groups.

From a Jobenomics perspective, a counter-terrorism strategy should be: 1. Knowledgeable of Islam and deferent Is to its cultural differences. 2. Sanctioned by the Ummah and inclusive of Muslim coalition partners. 3. Oriented to limiting the spread of Islamism to non-Muslim nations. 4. Dedicated to dismantling terrorist networks and eliminating terrorism.

The Ummah will consent to “infidels” attacking fellow Muslims only after perpetrators of violent acts are “excommunicated” from the Ummah and deemed

terrorists (irhabi) or outlaws (hirabah) by Muslim authorities.

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Jobenomics Coalition Strategy for Eliminating Islamic-Extremist Groups

Cultural engagement deals with acknowledging Islam and gaining consent, cooperation and meaningful engagement of the Ummah.

Political engagement deals with working with the Ummah to contain Islamism. Military engagement with the Ummah deals with the final item of dismantling

the Irhabi and their supporters. • To effectively dismantle, the coalition needs tactics to excommunicate,

infiltrate, deprive, disband, disrupt and destroy—in this order. • The final step after destroy in the dismantling process is adjudicate. Swift

adjudication and stiff sentencing of former combatants and warlords by the Ummah is necessary to send a signal to other and emerging terrorists.

Category Strategy 1. Islam (the religion) Acknowledge 2. Ummah (worldwide Muslim Community) Engage 3. Islamism/Islamist (political Islam) Contain 4. Irhabi & Islamic Extremism (terrorists and supporters) Dismantle

A balanced cultural/political/military coalition approach to eradicating terrorism will yield greater long-term solutions than military engagement against

individual groups, like ISIS, that could regenerate in other forms..

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Syria Is An Ideal Place To Start

Syrian conflict has metastasized to the point of upending the entire Middle East. If neighboring countries, like Jordan or Iraq, fails, so will the region.

The Syrian crisis presents three separate challenges to the West: 1. Dealing with the Russian/Iranian-backed Assad regime that appears to

be willing to escalate an internal civilian war to a regional conflict. 2. Destroying ISIS, the world’s largest and best financed terrorist

organization that has global reach via modern network technology. 3. Resolving the blight of 7.6 million displaced Syrians, repatriating 4.3

million registered refugees and reducing the pipeline of emigres who are overwhelming neighboring countries and Europe.

The Jobenomics Syria Cantonment Concept focuses on the third challenge by providing security and economic development opportunities for victims of the Syrian conflict. The primary goal of cantoning is to secure, rehabilitate and assist the afflicted to resume productive lives. The secondary goal is to provide meaningful participation for Arab coalition partners to contain the spread of terrorism before it spreads to their communities and the region.

A canton is an administrative subdivision of a country. Formation of modern-day cantons can be traced to NATO’s Cantonment Phase during the Bosnian War.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Bosnian War: A Model For Syrian Intervention

Bosnian and Syrian conflicts have much in common: multiple combatants, ethnic cleansing of minorities, crimes against humanity, air-centric involvement of foreign forces and massive internal destruction. Both have multiple phases with distinct military operations under the leadership of different international organizations.

Prior to the end of hostilities in the Bosnian War, NATO established cantonment zones to protect and unify warring ethnic groups and factions. Today, ten cantons are member states of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Established in 1994, these cantons function as autonomous administrative districts to prevent dominance by any single ethnic group. Each canton has a prime minister, cabinet ministers and a security establishment.

Now is the time, prior to the end of Syrian hostilities, to implement a Syrian cantonment strategy similar to the one accomplished by NATO in Bosnia.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Syrian/Arab Cantonment Zones

Syrian cantonment zones would be located inside Syria. Security would be provided by a combination of foreign military forces from neighboring Muslim nations and moderate domestic Syrian opposition forces until the cantons could operate independently.

Cantonment zones should help to maintain regional stability by keeping conflicts contained. It is vitally important to the global community that the governments

of Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon remain resilient and stable.

Notional cantonments could include a Syrian Turkmen Zone (supported by Turkey), Syrian Sunni Zones (supported by Jordan and the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] countries), a Syrian Kurd Zone (supported by Kurdish forces) and a Free Syrian Army Zone—all managed by Muslims, supported by the West.

Syrian cantonment zones would also incorporate a Cantonment Business Generator Concept that would mass produce small businesses that could employ millions in Syria as well as supplying the expatriate GCC workforce.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Cantonment Business Generator

The Jobenomics Cantonment Business Generator places the onus on cantonment members to be self-sufficient according to measurable

milestones and an exit plan for the international community.

Jobenomics Cantonment Business Generator Concept

Initial Candidate Assessment and ScreeningNGO/PVOs Canton Officials Schools Aid Organizations Government

Secondary Candidate Assessment and Screening

Cantonment Business Generator (CBG)Testing, Evaluation and Triage

High Potential Business Leaders High Potential Employees and Workers

Sponsors & Financial InstitutionsCorporations Impact InvestorsInternational Institutions (UN, US, NATO, EU, GCC, Asian)

Business Training & Financing

Startups: Construction, retail, energy,

agriculture, education, healthcare, transportation,

logistics, IT, e-commerce and other service firms.

Workforce Entry:Join CBG startup businesses.

Arrange for internships, apprenticeships or vocational work.

Skills and Vocational Training, Certification Programs, Workforce Preparation

Vet, certifiy and assist to get jobs with large domestic or foreign institutions. Vet for emigation out of the country for work or to join families abroad.

Position for next generation jobs or reapply to start a business.

CBG post-startup/employment training, mentoring and financial support services

Cantonment Labor Pool

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab 7-Step Approach For Destroying ISIS

1. Excommunicate. When various Arab nations balked at the initial U.S. operations against the Taliban in Afghanistan, it was because Arab officials needed to “excommunicate” and designate Taliban rebels as irhabi (terrorists) in order to allow outside “unbelievers” to attack their former Muslim brothers. Consequently, the West needs to work with Muslims to declare ISIS and other terrorist organizations as irhabi and/or hirabahi (outlaws), which will facilitate coalition-building and joint military operations.

2. Infiltrate. To defeat ISIS irhabi, the US needs greater intelligence from the local populace. Locals would be publically recruited as resistance-fighters, covert agents, spies and mercenaries. This should be an overt action (opposed to covert) to create as much paranoia in the communities where irhabi are operating, to generate a common operating picture, and produce local intelligence for Arab-led coalition operations.

3. Deprive. The Arab-led coalition must pursue a combined effort to deprive ISIS supporters of the rights and privileges afforded to regular citizens involved in various ummah and international activities. These deprivations could range from bankrupting or freezing assets of known or suspected irhabi to fines and incarceration for hirabahi aiding and abetting the enemy. This also includes embargoing businesses and banning trade with their trans-national alliance partners. Seizing bank accounts of high-net worth ISIS donors will deprive ISIS of the financial means to conduct operations and intimidate future donors.

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4. Disband. It is as important to disband emerging ISIS and irhabi affiliates as it is to disrupt or destroy existing strongholds. If the excommunication/ infiltration/deprivation process is successful, the coalition must be prepared to grant degrees of immunity and amnesty with requisite accountability and transparency for entities that relinquish egregious activities.

5. Disrupt. ISIS and other irhabi have been very effective in using Western media to provoke the West into military actions in order to orchestrate a global war on Islam. A counter network-centric campaign needs to be launched to deny, disarm, deface or misinform. A psychological operations campaign is needed to expose and intimidate individuals, institutions, agencies and business that support and enable irhabi operations. Shining light on entities operating in the shadows will produce immediate results.

6. Destroy. In addition to more airpower, Arab-led ground forces are needed to continue to destroy command and control, resupply, massing of enemy forces and elimination of remaining irhabi. Any major Western boots-on-the-ground operation is likely to be unproductive unless spearheaded by Arab forces. Once destroyed, ground forces must be from the Ummah in order to avoid any notion of occupation from the dar al harb. Cantonment zones would be implemented to provide interim security, business development and reconstruction.

7-Step Approach For Destroying ISIS

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7. Adjudicate. • The final step after destroy in the dismantling process is adjudicate. Swift

adjudication and stiff sentencing of former combatants and warlords by the Ummah is necessary to send a signal to other and emerging terrorist groups.

• The international community needs a different judicial system to capture and prosecute captured irhabi. Since irhabi have been declared terrorists by the Ummah, the Ummah should be responsible for adjudication, incarceration or execution. Pakistan has now empowered their military courts to try domestic civilian terrorists as well as reinstituting the death penalty. Due process for irhab and hirabah is likely to be swifter and harsher in the Ummah than in the international community.

• The U.S. judicial system should also allow the Uniform Code of Military Justice to deal with U.S. domestic terrorism. This system would retain the right to a speedy trial but adjudicate according to the rules of war as opposed to domestic crime. It would also mitigate the necessity for offshore incarceration facilities, like Guantanamo, and the entanglements of due process, like Miranda rights, afforded to domestic criminals.

7-Step Approach For Destroying ISIS

This 7-Step Process, or one similar, would set an international standard for dealing with the growing international threat of terrorism regardless of its

national, ethnic or religious incarnation or ideology.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Dealing With The Assad Regime

Russian involvement is a game changer for the international community. Not only does Russia have veto power in the United Nations but it has the wherewithal to escalate military confrontation regionally and in Europe.

For the time being, Assad and his loyalist supporters should be allowed to control the Western areas of Syria that they already occupy. Assad sympathizers should be allowed to migrate to this area.

Offering Assad the option of remaining in power might be attractive enough for him to call for a ceasefire and a negotiated settlement. Considering a civil war that has metastasized to the point of an unlikely cure, fewer places willing provide asylum, and the increasing likelihood of prosecution by war crime tribunals for his crimes against humanity, Assad could be willing to give up quite a lot to preserve his life, provide for his family, and obtain continued support from his Alawite and Russian/Iranian backers.

The Arab League has already expelled Syria from the 21 Arab League member states. The other 36 member states in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the majority of the remaining 136 member nations in the United Nations should consider doing the same.

Dealing with the Russian/Iranian-backed Assad regime should occur after the Syrian displaced and refugee situation is stabilized and ISIS is eliminated.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Conclusion

Jobenomics Counterterrorism Strategy includes a balance of cultural, diplomatic and military engagement.

Cultural engagement has been the missing element of Western statecraft in dealing with the Ummah, Islamism and Muslim-led terrorism.

To defeat the irhab (Muslim terrorism), the West must rely to a much greater extent on the leading and resource rich Sunni-majority nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which heretofore have taken minimalist roles in out-of-area counterterrorism operations.

The following sections of this presentation are offered to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the key elements of cultural engagement: • Islam: The Religion • Ummah: The Worldwide Muslim Community • Islamism: The Political Ideology • Irhabi: The Terrorists

Download a copy of Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism and Irhab and the Jobenomics Syria Cantonment Concept report at: www.Jobenomics.com

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Islam: The Religion




Final Thought

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Great

Religions

1500BC 1440 BC 30AD 622 AD 563 BC

Islam (Mohammed)

Christianity (Jesus)

Buddhism (Buddha)

Judaism (Moses)

Hinduism

Jews

Christians 33%

Muslims 20%

Hindus 13%

Chinese Folk Buddhists

Other

Nonreligious/ Atheist 22%

With 1.6 billion adherents, Islam is the world’s second-largest religion.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Mainstream Islam

Purpose of life • Worship Allah and live according to His commandments • Serve His cause by doing right and shunning evil • Be just to Him, to ourselves, to fellow human begins and all creatures

Complete way of life • Spiritual: hope and trust in Allah at all times and doing good • Intellectual: true knowledge based on clear proof and evidence • Personal: purity, healthiness, proper behavior, sex within marriage • Family: members bound together by blood or marriage and nothing else • Social: no superiority based on class, color, origin or wealth • Economics: based on moral principles, man is a trustee of Allah • Political: the State is to administer justice and security for all citizens • Happy: life full of God-consciousness and satisfied with what He provides • Freedom: freedom from being controlled by base human desires • Global: other people’s interest and right to life, property and honor are

respected as long as the rights of Muslims are intact

War: • Is only justified if state security is endangered. Destruction of

crops/animals/homes and killing of women/children/aged is forbidden.

A billion mainstream Muslims are repulsed by extremist acts of terrorism.

32


Major Islamic Schools, Sects and Movements

The Ummah is not as homogeneous as the West perceives.

Islam

Sunni Shia Sufi Mystics

Hanafi School - Deobandi (Indo-Pak) (Taliban)

Hanbali School - Wahhabism (Muslim Brotherhood)

- Salafists (Al Qaeda)

Shafii School Miliki School

Jafari School - Twelvers

- Alawites (Assad Regime, Syria)

• Zaiddiyah (Houthis, Yemen) • Ismailiyah

- Seveners

Other Sects* • Ahmadis

• Druze • Ibadi

• Karijites (ISIS)

* There are approximately 73 various Islamic sects and offshoots in the Ummah—many are deemed

heretical to mainstream Muslims.

33


Despite their differences in opinion and practice, Shia and Sunni are considered by most to be brethren in the same faith. War on one could become war on all.

Major Shia And Sunni Religious Differences

Sunnis believe themselves to follow the sunnah, or the path/customs, of the Prophet. Shiites follow Ali, the closest relative of Mohammed, as Mohammed's successor.

Shia split from Sunnis over hereditary succession after the death of the Prophet leading to major religious, societal and political differences that have erupted into military conflicts and sectarian violence over the ages.

Shia and Sunnis agree on core beliefs of Islam: Quran and Pillars (but not in the same number or order). Sunni and Shia differ on the oral tradition, or Hadith, as reported by the companions of the Prophet.

Shia believe 12 Imams were divinely inspired and infallible, while Sunnis believe that all humans have the same relationship to God.

Shia clerics hold an elevated spiritual status forbidden by Sunnis.

Sunnis reject the Shia doctrine of the “hidden” imam but accept many end-time beliefs including the possibility the “Messiah” may return soon in an era of extreme conflict called the Mahdaviat.

34


What Is Islam? The core belief of Islam is the shahadah (two testimonies), “There is no deity

other than Allah (God) and Mohammed is the messenger of Allah.” A person who truly believes in the meaning of the shahadah is a Muslim.

Islam translates to peace, purity, submission and obedience.

Islam is a complete way of life and means submission to the will of Allah and obedience to His law.

Everything on earth, other than man, is totally administered by Allah-made laws, is obedient to these laws, and is in the “state of Islam”.

Man possesses the quality of intelligence and choice, thus he is invited to submit to the will of Allah, obey His laws and become a Muslim.

Submission to the good will of Allah, together with obedience to His beneficial law, is the best safeguard for man’s peace and harmony.

Islam’s message was conveyed to man by Allah’s Prophets and Messengers including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed.

Islam’s message is that Mohammed is the Last, or The Seal, of the prophets and that his teachings will last until The Day of the Resurrection (Qiyamah).

Islam is considered an Abrahamic religion along with Judaism and Christianity.

35


Tenets Of Islam All Muslims agree on the following five basic obligations:

• Shahadah: Two testimonies • Salah: Performing daily prayers • Sawm: Fasting during the month of Ramadan • Zakat: Tithing • Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca (if possible)

Shia and Sunni agree on the following beliefs, but classify them differently: • Adl: The justice of God • Qiyamah: The Day of Resurrection/Judgment/the Last Day • Amr-Bil-Maruf: Commanding what is good • Nahi-Anil-Munkar: Forbidding what is evil • Jihad: Striving to seek God’s approval.

Distinctive Shia beliefs include: • Imamah: Divinely appointed and guided imams • Khums: Paying the tax on profit

Most Muslims agree, while there are two sects, there is only one faith.

36


The Quran (Koran) is the sacred book of Islam.

Muslims assert that the Quran is the main written record of Allah’s revelation to humanity that is flawless, immutable, and the final revelation.

Quran was revealed to Mohammed by God through the Angel Gabriel between 610 and 632 A.D., who memorized and had his followers write down his revelations to preserve their integrity, which is maintained today.

The Quran was complied from Mohammed’s manuscripts around 650 A.D. and organized in 114 chapters (suras) with 6236 verses. As a sign of respect, many Muslims commit to memory the complete Quran.

The arrangement of every word and letter in the Quran has sacred meaning.

Muslims believe that parts of the Gospels, Torah and Jewish prophetic books have been forgotten, misinterpreted, incorrectly edited or distorted. As a result, Muslims view the Quran as a correction of Jewish and Christian scriptures which have been corrupted over time.

The Quran refers to Jews and Christians as “people of the Book.” Those who submit to Muslim authority in Muslim lands retain freedom of religion.

Holy Book: The Quran

The Quran is the sacred writings of Islam revealed by God to the prophet Mohammed during his life at Mecca and Medina.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Rules Of War In The Quran

Quran 2:190. “Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors.”

Quran 2:217. “Your enemies will not cease to fight against you until they have turned you away from your faith…if any turn away from his faith…are destined for the fire.”

Quran 2:244. “fight, then, in God’s cause, and know that God is all-knowing.” Quran 4:74. “for unto him who fights in God's cause, whether he be slain or be

victorious, We shall in time grant a mighty reward.” Quran 5:32. “If any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading

mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people.” Quran 8:61. If the enemy incline towards peace, then you (also) incline towards peace.” Quran 8:39. “And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there

prevails justice and faith in Allah altogether and everywhere. But if they cease, verily Allah doth see all that they do.”

Quran 9:5-6. So when the sacred months (of cease-fire) have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them,.…then if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”

Quran 22:39. “Permission to fight is given to those on whom war is made.” Quran 60:9. “Allah only forbids you, with regard to those who fight you for (your) Faith,

and drive you out of your homes and support (others) in driving you out, from turning to them (for friendship and protection).”

Islam expressly prohibits the killing of non-combatants, civilian women, children and the elderly, during war.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Hadith: The Traditions Of The Prophet

Prophet Mohammed’s companions and followers recorded his life, deeds and sayings, and assembled these records in a number of manuscripts called hadith (ahadith, plural).

As opposed to the Quran which records the revelations of Allah to the Prophet, the Hadith focuses on the life of Mohammed, the model Muslim.

Hadith record the way and the sayings of the Prophet Mohammed, as recounted by his household, progeny and companions.

• A hadith is usually a story or anecdote about Mohammed, Mohammed’s companion or family member’s response to a specific situation.

• Some ahadith collections have as many as 9,000 ahadith. • The ahadith are about the ways of the companions of the prophet and

are regarded not as important as those of the prophet. • Sunnis and Shia put different weight on a hadith depending on the

authority of the person reporting the hadith since Mohammed did not record these himself.

Hadith collections are regarded as important tools for determining the Sunnah, or Muslim way of life, by all schools of Islamic jurisprudence since Muslims look to Mohammed’s life as one to be emulated.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab The Prophet Mohammed PBUH: The Seal

Muslims believe that Mohammed (also Mohammad or Muhammad) is God’s final prophet, “The Seal”, in the lineage all God’s prophets: Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus. Each are afforded the respectful title, Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH).

Mohammed was the first Muslim and the Messenger of God to all humanity.

Mohammed was born (c. 570 in Mecca) and died (June 8, 632 in Medina) in the Hejaz region of present day Saudi Arabia. He lived 62 years.

Up to age 40 (c. 610), Mohammed was a merchant when he was visited by the angel Gabriel who commanded him to memorize verses from God.

He then became a prophet who preached strict monotheism and warning of a Day of Judgment when all would be held accountable for every action and deed.

At age 52 (c. 622), his preaching angered many in Mecca, causing him to flee to Medina. For the remaining ten years of his life, many battles occurred. Against many odds, Mohammed and his followers were victorious.

By the time of Mohammed’s death, he had unified much of Arabia under his rule, and launched expeditions to the north, towards Syria and Palestine

Mohammed’s life and ways (Sunnah) are recorded in the Hadith.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Sharia Law And Jurisprudence (Fiqh)

Jurisprudence: Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence made

up of the rulings of Islamic jurists to direct the lives of Muslims.

Sunni Schools: • Hanbali (Saudi Arabia). • Shafii (Indonesia, Malaysia,

Yemen, south India) • Hanafi (Turkey, Balkans, Asia,

India, Egypt, China) • Maliki (Africa and some Arab

Gulf states) Shia School:

• Jafari (Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain, Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan)

Sharia Law Sharia is the body of Islamic law

derived from the Quran and Hadith, also known as “Allah’s law”.

Sharia covers religious rituals and most aspects of day-to-day life.

Acts-of-Worship Laws: • Ritual purification, prayers,

fasts, charities, pilgrimage Human-Interaction Laws:

• Financial, endowments, food and drink, marriage/divorce, inheritance, penal, war and peace, judicial

Under sharia law there is no separation of church and state.

Sharia refers to the principles of divine law, and fiqh involves “understanding of details” of the divine law.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Abrahamic Tradition Scripture

The Quran is based on the underpinnings of Judeo/Christian scripture.

Jewish Christian Muslim

Bible Quran 450 BCE 375 CE 657 CE

Torah (Teachings of Moses) Neviim (Prophets) Ketuvim (Writings)

Old Testament

39 books, 929 chapters, 23145 verses

New Testament


Talmud (Learning)

Midrashim (Interpretations)

Halakha (Jewish Law)

Hadith (Ways of the Prophet)

Torah, Psalms, Gospels Sharia

(Islamic Law)

None

Holy Book

1 book, 114 suras (chapters), 6236 ayat

(verses)

(Revelations from Allah to the Prophet Mohammed)

Oral Code

(Secondary Writings)

Tanakh


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Abrahamic Traditions Have Much In Common All Three Religions (Islam, Christianity, Judaism) believe in:

Monotheism: One God the Creator, Maker and Ruler of all.

Good & Evil: Heaven and hell and contest between good and evil.

Messianic Return: The concept that a Messiah will return to save the world.

Devil & Demons: The authority of Satan and demons in this world.

Prophets & Angels: The messengers and servants of God.

Miracles: Miracles are real. Muslims accept the miracles of Jesus.

Judgment: Humans will be judged by God at the day of judgment.

Freewill: God grants humans freewill to accept or reject Him.

Soul: Humans have a spirit worthy of good works or evil.

Mercy: God will forgive mistakes as long as one repents.

Prayer: Prayer is a priority and a way of worshiping God.

Charity: Charity and tithing are important aspects of worship.

These beliefs provide a baseline for mutual respect and cooperation.

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Isa bin Maryam PBUH (The Islamic Jesus)

The Quran states that Jesus was borne of the Holy Spirit and God strengthened Jesus with the Holy Spirit to accomplish his mission on earth.

Jesus is mentioned in 15 suras (chapters) and 93 verses in the Quran: • Jesus is called the Islamic "Messiah" 11 times. • The name Jesus (Isa) is mentioned 25 times. • The name Jesus son of Mary (Isa bin Maryam) appears 23 times.

Mary is the only woman mentioned by name in the Quran. An entire sura is dedicated to Mary.

Christian image of Jesus (Note: Islam does not allow images of

their Prophets including Jesus)

Quran accepts the following about Jesus: • Divine birth • Earthly miracles • Prophet of God • “Word” of God • Only “sinless” man • Ascended to heaven • Divine return (2nd Coming) • Kills al-Dajjal (anti-Christ) • Brings peace to the world • Reigns forty years, dies, buried in

tomb beside Mohammed

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Differences Between Abrahamic Traditions

Oneness (Tawhid) of God (Allah): • Allah “begets not, nor was He begotten; and there is none co-equal or

comparable to Him”. Muslims do not believe in the Trinity. • As stated in the Bible (Gospels), Jesus respected the principle of tawhid.

Jesus told us to pray directly to the Father and no one is “good” except Father. Jesus described himself as “Son”, “Lamb” and “Word” of God.

Jesus (Isa bin Maryam) and His atonement for sins: • Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified but ascended to heaven,

“God raised him up to Himself.” • Muslims believe that each person is responsible for his or her own actions

and that no-one else can atone for them. Jesus was only a prophet. Grace: Muslims emphasize works. In Islam every act or deed is graded. A

majority of Muslims also affirm that God may pardon every sin and every crime (i.e., grace) except disbelief in God.

Quran exists today exactly the same as it was revealed to Mohammed. Whereas the Bible has evolved through numerous councils and translations. Hence, Muslims believe that Christians have lost their way.

Secularism: Muslims do not believe in the separation of religion and state. There are differences in concepts, moral code and practices but none so great that

would prevent us from living in harmony with respect and tolerance.

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Understanding eschatology will provide decision-makers and war-planners with a framework to better understand ultra-religious fundamentalists.

The three major eschatological religions (Islam, Christianity and Judaism) have devoted significant scripture about eschatology. • Since the Quran accepts many Judeo/Christian scriptures (Torah,

Gospels, etc.), it is important to understand Judeo/Christian eschatology as a basis for Islamic eschatology.

• Except for the theme of monotheism, the Quran speaks more of the coming Qiyamah than of any other topic. The Qiyamah is connected to a time of momentous upheaval, calamity and the end of the world.

For those seeking a better life in the after-life, eschatology is powerful motivating force (especially to those whose earthly existence is dismal).

Eschatology

Since eschatology often serves as the basis for religious fundamentalist actions, it is important for decision-makers to understand its tenets.

Eschatology is a part of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or the ultimate destiny of human kind, commonly phrased as the end of the world or end of the age.

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Jewish, Christian And Islamic Religions Have Similar Eschatological Roots

Radical Muslim terrorist groups, like ISIS, emphasize the eschatological battles of the apocalypse and the imminent arrival of the Mahdi.

Christianity Islam Judaism

End Times

2nd Coming Of Jesus Christ

Masih or Mahdaviat Malahim (Armageddon)

Qiyamah (Day of Distress)

Mashiach The Anointed One

The “Messiah"

Messiah Jesus Christ Isa bin Maryam (Jesus son of Mary)

Future descendant of King David

Awaited Leader - Mahdi/Mehdi/12th Imam -

Goal

End a war that would destroy mankind and

establish Jesus' Millennial Kingdom

(theocracy)

Imam Mahdi, with Jesus' help, will usher in a new

age of peace, and restore a perfect Islamic society

(theocracy)

Rebuild the nation of Israel and bring world peace by

restoring the Davidic Kingdom (theocracy)

Return Location Israel Palestine Israel

False Messiah Anti-Christ al-Dajjal -

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Islamic Trials Preceding The Mahdaviat Taken From 50+ Hadith Writings

Abasement of Arabs & Islam Plagues and other afflictions Fornication & sex in public Comet, celestial signs, eclipse Despair & desire for death Death of 1/3 of mankind Earthquakes (major) Elimination of scholars European prosperity & rise False prophets (sixty liars) Fireball in the sky (nuclear?) Gulf wars (for black gold) Hajj for pleasure Hajjis plundered Imitation of the West Injustice prevalent

Killer aerial craft and death Lack of humility Lack of knowledge and prayer Lack of trustworthiness Slaughter, blood runs in streets Profanation of the House of Islam Prophet’s mosque desecrated Reversion to idolatry Skyscrapers and technology Spread of usury (banking) Time shortening Transmogrification (rapture?) Trials and tribulations War, East vs. West (Armageddon) Wealth abundance Unrighteous in public office

Many fundamentalist Muslims believe last days are here.

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Sunni & Shia Sources Of The Al-Mahdi

Of the two branches of Islam, Shia are more oriented to ritual, mysticism and eschatology.

Sunni and Shia Islam • Descendent of the Prophet Mohammed • His first name is Mohammed and has the character of the Prophet • He emerges from Mecca and precedes Jesus • Wins last battle on earth against the infidels in Palestine • He establishes Islam as the world’s religion to bring peace and justice

Sunni Islam • Will be born in Medina, Saudi Arabia • Father's name will be Abdullah and his mother's name is Aamina • His name is Mohammed • He looks like the Prophet Mohammed • He emerges at age forty (like the Prophet)

Shia Islam • Was born in 868 and is still alive • Father's name is al-Askari (11th Imam) and his mother is Narjis • His name is Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Mahdī (12th Imam) • He has a broad forehead and prominent nose • A loud call from the sky signals the Mahdi's appearance

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Two occultations: first in 9th Century, 2nd prior to the Day of Judgment. Mahdi is the leader with the sword who will fill the world with justice and

fairness to end oppression and tyranny and undertake the achievement of truth. Mahdi’s reappearance is as the chosen executor of the divine law with the sole

purpose of converting all religions of the world into Islam. The time will come when al-Mahdi will be ordered by God to appear on the

scene of humanity for the performance of the executive task assigned to him: • He will then enter the sacred mosque at Mecca and declare his appearance

to deliver mankind from the miseries of injustice. • There will be a similar declaration from the al-Dajjal, “the anti-Christ”. Both

declarations will be heard throughout the globe at once. • The Mahdi army will reach Israel within a very short time. • Mahdi will use superhuman spiritual and psychic powers to battle evil. • The Mahdi army will sustain great losses until Isa bin Maryam (Jesus) and his

legions join the fight from heaven. The Dajjal is defeated. Isa bin Maryam (Jesus son of Mary) becomes ruler of the world (theocracy) and

establishes Islam as the global religion.

Eschatology Of The Shia's 12th Imam

12th Imam will rally the faithful on earth to oppose “anti-Christ” in Israel.

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Imam al-Mahdi – The Military Leader

The “Expected” or “Awaited” leader who will herald the end of time and the Day of Judgment (Qiyamah).

The Imam al-Mahdi and his followers will be Isa bin Maryam’s (Jesus son of Mary) army prior to when the Messiah returns and assumes the role of global Caliph.

The Mahdi and Jesus will jointly defeat the Dajjal (anti-Christ), liberate Palestine and unite the world under Islam.

Mahdi community themes: • Evil versus good • Embattled minority • Suffering and martyrdom • Preparation for salvation

(Top L) One of Ayatollah Khomeini’s “Mahdi” soldiers during 1980-88 Iran/Iraq war. (Top R) Muqtada Al-Sadr, Mahdi Army leader during 2003-11 Iraq War. (Bottom L) President Ahmadinejad’s 2005 UN Speech calling for the Mahdi (12th Imam) to lead the

world to justice through conflict. (Bottom R) ISIS leader Al-Baghdadi who in 2014 was named the Caliph who will precede the Mahdi.

Article 5 of the Iranian Constitution states that the Mahdi (Wali al-'Asr) will assume his rightful role of Supreme Leader of Iran when he returns from his occultation (his disappearance in 873 AD) and usher in a new era of justice.

51




Islam: The Religion




Final Thoughts

52

Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Worldwide Islamic Community: The Ummah

Ummah population was 1.1 billion in 1990, 1.6 billion in 2010, and is projected to be 2.2 billion by 2030—an average growth rate of 27% per decade.

Major Muslim Communities Vast majority (Arab States) Vast majority/majority (Shia) Majority Sunni Major minority Sunni Minority Sunni

American Muslims

Malay

Shia Maghreb Arabs

Gulf Arabs

Eurasian Muslims

Turkic

Levant Arabs

Arabs

Sub-Saharan Muslims

Indo-Aryan Muslims

Shia 10%

Arabs 22%

Other Muslims

53

Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Original Ummah

The father of all Muslims is Abraham who is also the father of Arabs and Jews, both of whom are Semites.

Abraham’s first born was Ishmael from his wife’s handmaiden, Hagar. As the first born son, Ishmael had birth and territorial rights which are disputed even today.

Islamic tradition holds that: • Abraham and Ishmael established the tradition of

pilgrimage, or Hajj, still followed today. • Ishmael, not Isaac, was spared by God from

sacrifice and is celebrated yearly as Eid ul-Adha. • Ishmael and Hagar were sent to the deserts of

Arabia on the orders of Allah to settle in Mecca. • Ishmael then helped his father, Abraham, build

the House of God, or the Kaaba, in Mecca. • Prophet Mohammed is a descendent of Abraham

through Ishmael.

Isaac Father Of Jews

Ishmael Father Of Arabs

2000 BCE Abraham

Abram

Isaac Ishmael .إسماعيل

Kaaba in Mecca

Muslims trace their heritage back to Abraham and Ishmael.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Key Milestones In Islamic History

The life of the Prophet, 570-652 • 570 Birth of Mohammed • 610-632 Revelations given • 632 Mohammed dies • 652 Koran (Quran) written

Mecca/Medina Caliphate, 632-661

Damascus Caliphate, Ummayyad

Dynasty, 661-750 • 685-687 Shi’ite revolt in Iraq • 711 Conquest of Spain • 732 Battle of Tours

Baghdad Caliphate, Abbasid

Dynasty, 750-1285 • 751 Conquest of eastern China • 765 1st School of medicine • 850 Schools of law established • 1258: Mongols sack Baghdad

Ottoman Empire, 1350-1918 • 1453: Constantinople conquered • 1500: North Africa seized • 1517: Sultan, Caliph of Islam • 1526: Hungary defeated • 1683: European supremacy ends • 1914: Ottomans enter WWI • 1915: Hussein-McMahon

Correspondents/Agreement • 1916: Sykes-Picot divide empire

Modern Era, 1900-Present

• 1901: Oil discovered • 1917: Balfour Declaration • 1932: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia • 1948: State of Israel • 1949-82: Arab/Israeli Wars • 1987-Pres: Palestinian Intifada • 1991-Pres: Gulf Wars & 9/11

In the 7th and 16th Centuries, Muslims were the dominant society on earth making many educational, scientific and cultural achievements.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab The Islamic Golden Age: 750-1500

During the Islamic Golden Age, scientists and engineers of the Islamic world contributed enormously to technology, both by preserving earlier traditions and by adding their own inventions and innovations.

Islamic civilization grew and expanded on the basis of a merchant economy, in contrast to their Christian, Indian and Chinese peers who built societies from an agricultural landholding nobility.

Major global achievements during the Islamic Golden Age: • Islamic art: ceramics, glass, metalwork, textiles • Technology: science, astronomy, navigation, mathematics • Philosophy and education: established schools of higher learning and

saved western literature from destruction in the Western Dark Ages • Medicine: Islamic physicians and scholars developed medical literature

synthesizing the theory and practice of medicine • Commerce and urban life: the Islamic global trade network helped

establish modern cities with complex infrastructures • Architecture and engineering: evolved from Islam as a social, cultural,

political and religious phenomenon

The Ummah is highly motivated to regain the prestige of its Golden Age.

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Arab Identity Pervades The Muslim World

The al-Ummah al-Arabiyyah is united by religion, culture and language.

Even though Arabs represent only 22% of Muslims, their language, religion and culture permeates the Ummah (90% Sunni).

“al-Ummah al-Arabiyyah” is a uniting concept that all Arabs are linked or related to a family of nations or a “greater Arab nation”.

While the only “racially” pure Arabs are from the Arab Gulf region, other ethnic groups have intermixed with indigenous Arabs.

The Arab tradition is composed of three main elements: • The Arabic language • The Muslim religion (Islam) • The Arabic culture

As defined by the Arab League, an Arab is one who speaks Arabic, has lived in an Arab country, and identifies with Arab culture.

Arab Gulf

Region Mecca

Medina

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Arab Culture Differs From Western Culture

In contrast to the West, in Arab society, tribal welfare supersedes individual rights as well as national and regional considerations.

Arabs have a naming structure to identify their religious status (Haji, imam), social class (sheikh), rank (Colonel) and position within the family, clan and tribe. Arabs are therefore careful with whom they associate socially and deliberately ask a person’s name to establish pedigree, social position and family affiliation.

Westerners tend to live in guilt-cultures and Arabs in shame-cultures. In shame-cultures avoiding public embarrassment, humiliation (saving face), restoring honor (eye for an eye) and public perception are very important.

An Arab has a strong motivation to avoid dishonor from foreigners. Arabs remember to avenge dishonored family and tribes longer than Westerners.

Arabs tend to have fatalist perspectives, whereas Westerners tend to believe that they have more control over life’s events. To most Arabs, no event takes place unless it is the will of Allah. Fatalistic perspectives can foster acceptance of things and events as inevitable as well as positions of non-accountability, blamelessness and reluctance to accepting responsibility for actions outside of one’s immediate control.

Arabs more often do business with people they trust and respect than the West.

58


Islamic International Organizations

The largest inter-governmental Islamic organization is the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) with 57 member and 5 observer states.

59

Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab League Of 21 Arab States (Arab League)

Arab Gulf Region Saudi Arabia Bahrain

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Oman Kuwait

Qatar

Yemen Iraq

46 Million People

59 Million

Levant Region Jordan Lebanon Palestine

18 Million

North Africa Region Egypt Algeria Tunisia Libya Morocco

176 Million

Other Arab League Countries Comoros Somalia Djibouti Mauritania Sudan

51 Million

“Arab League helps the Arab world grow economically and culturally, while finding solutions to resolve conflicts both within and outside the league.”

Grand Total 22% Of Ummah

350 Million or

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

2% Of Ummah

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Map_of_League_of_Arab_States_countries.png

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Arab League & Gulf Cooperation Council

The GCC has amassed approximately $1.5 trillion in rainy day funds (sovereign wealth funds)—more than any other region on earth—some of which could be

deployed for countering Sunni-led terrorist groups.

Arab League

The Arab League is involved in political, economic, cultural, and social programs designed to promote the interests of its 21 member states.

In November 2011, the Arab League suspended Syria due to uprisings and the government’s brutal way of dealing with political opponents.

Gulf Cooperation Council

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), political and economic alliance of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman

The highest decision-making entities GCC are the Supreme and Ministerial Councils that set policies to strengthen relations, promote cooperation and provide security. Other than the collapse of oil prices, the biggest threat to GCC prosperity is terrorism.

Arab League

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Turkey, Iran & The “Stans” Are Not Arab

60% of the Ummah live in seven non-Arab countries: Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Iran and Turkey

Turkey

Iran

“The Stans” Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan

Afghanistan

Pakistan

Republic of Turkey (Turkey) • Is a secular 100% Sunni state with a population of

79,000,000 (75% Turk, 18% Kurd, 7% other). • Turks speak Turkish written in a Latin alphabet.

Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran) • Is a theocratic Muslim state with a population of

81,800,000 (95% Shia, 5% Sunni). • Iranians speak Farsi, an Indo-European language.

• The Homelands of the “Stans” • 7 Stans have population of 259,600,000. • 5 Central Asian Republics were former Soviet Union

Republics with 95%+ Muslim with the exception of Kazakhstan (70% Muslim, 26% Christian).

• Afghanistan (85% Sunni, 10% Shia) • Pakistan (85% Sunni, 10% Shia)

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Islamic Sects

Formal Islam • Cognitive • Legalistic • Ultimate Issues • Quran/Hadith • Institutional • Supplicative

Folk Islam • Emotional • Mystical • Everyday Issues • Supernatural • Inspirational • Manipulative

Secular Islam •Materialistic •Pragmatic •Everyday Issues •Modernity •Social/Political •Agnostic/Atheist

Islamic Sects Sunni Muslims: 90% Shia Muslims: 10% Both groups have adherents of Sufism

(A mystic sect of Islam)

As in every other religion, Islam is not uniform in its application.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Shia Islam (Shiites)

Shiites are the second largest denomination in Islam (120 million or about 10%).

Shia and Sunnis agree on core beliefs of Islam: Quran and Five Pillars.

Shia split from Sunnis over hereditary succession after the death of the Prophet.

Shia believe the twelve Imams were divinely inspired and infallible in their judgments, while Sunnis believe that all humans have the same relationship to God.

Shia clerics (imams) hold an elevated spiritual status that is forbidden by Sunnis.

Sunnis reject the doctrine of the “hidden” imam but accept many end-time beliefs.

Shia faith has a deep regard for martyrdom, incorporating many rituals and demonstrations absent from Sunnis.

Shia are more eschatological than Sunnis.

Total Muslims Shias

Azerbaijan 75% 8 7 6Iran 69% 66 65 46

Bahrain 65% 1 1 0.4Iraq 63% 21 21 14

Lebanon 45% 4 3 2Kuwait 27% 2 2 1

Afghanistan 15% 23 23 3Yemen 15% 13 13 2

Pakistan 15% 129 125 19Qatar 15% 1 1 0.1UAE 14% 3 3 0.4Syria 13% 16 14 2

Turkey 6% 62 62 4Saudi Arabia 5% 19 19 1

India 1% 952 133 13

Major Shia Concentrations

Shia Majority NationsLargest Shia Populations

Population (Millions)Country % Shia

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Religious Leaders In The Ummah

Caliph: Successor to the Prophet and leader of global Islam. The last caliph was in 1924. Only Iran and Islamists advocate a new Caliph.

Sunni Imam. Imam is the Arabic word meaning “leader”. The ruler of a country might be called the imam. In a religious sense, an imam is a prayer leader at the mosque. Sunnis do not give elevated status to prayer leaders.

Shia Clerics:

• Grand Ayatollah. Means “Great Sign of God” and is only accorded to few individuals considered to be extremely wise and learned in Islam. Only several dozen Grand Ayatollahs are alive and most are in their 80s.

• Ayatollah. Means “Sign of God” and is a high rank given to major Shia clerics, who are experts in Islamic studies and usually teach in Islamic schools. There are only several hundred Ayatollahs.

• Hojataleslam. Means “Authority on Islam” and has the rank of a middle cleric. Several thousand Hojataleslam exist and many are granted the rank as an honorific.

• Mullahs. Are Islamic clerics. Ideally, they have studied the Quran, Islamic traditions (hadith), and Islamic law (fiqh). There are numerous mullahs.

Religious leaders play an important role with theocracies (Iran) and Islamists.

65




Islam: The Religion




Final Thought

66

Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Political Islam

Political Islam (Islamism) is an ideology, not a religion, that advocates Islam as a viable alternative to capitalism and globalization.

Political Islam is a phenomenon taking place in cities with most prominent members being educated young who, despite degrees, have not advanced socially.

Islamists are concerned about differences between rich and poor and negatively inclined towards the West for unequal distribution of wealth, reluctance to address world poverty and corrupting influence on Muslim governments.

Since many Muslim countries limit political expression, Islamists use the mosque as a channel to voice their frustrations.

Islamists believe that Islam is a viable political alternative. • Islamists advocate re-establishing an Islamic state that

once made their society grow from unknown tribes into world rulers in a few decades.

• While Islamists have not been successful at a national level (with exception of Iran), they are experiencing success at the local levels by establishing welfare and organizations that cater to the poor and orphans.

67

Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Islamists

Since many Muslim countries limit political expression, Islamists channel their frustrations to the mosque which is relatively open to freedom of expression.

Islamists are a phenomenon taking place in cities with most prominent members being educated young who, despite degrees, have not advanced socially.

Islamists argue that Muslims are losing their identity and culture to Western values as well as capitalism.

Islamists are strongly concerned about social differences between rich and poor and negatively towards the West for its unequal distribution of wealth, reluctance to address world poverty and corrupting influence on Muslim governments.

Islamists believe that Islam is real political alternative in modern times.

• Islamists advocate re-establishing an Islamic state that once made their society grow from unknown tribes into world rulers in a few decades.

• While Islamists have not been successful at a national level (with the possible exception of Iran) they are experiencing success at the local levels by establishing welfare and madrassas that cater to the poor and orphans.

Islamism is the vehicle for expression in politically controlled societies.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Four Leading Islamist Movements

Khomeinists are Shia Islamists who include Iranian Islamic revolutionaries, Hezbollah (Lebanon, Palestine), Mahdi Army (Iraq). Their messianic goal is global Islamic rule (imamate) governed by the Islamic Messiah and Mahdi, who are predicted to be arriving soon as chaos increases.

Salafists are Sunni Islamists who include ISIS (global), Al Qaeda (global), Wahhabis (Saudi Arabia, Qatar), Muslim Brotherhood (Egypt), Taliban (Afghanistan), Hamas, Fatah and al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades (Palestine), National Islamic Front (Sudan), and Armed Islamic Group (Algeria). The Salafi’s goal is unification of all Muslims under Islamic rule (caliphate) governed by the original principles (sharia) of the pious ancestors (salaf).

Deobandis are Southeast Asian Sunni Islamists who reside largely in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Deobandis advocate strict adherence to the Sunnah (ways of the Prophet Mohammed) under Sharia law as the international standard.

Pan Arabists are secular Islamists who include Baathists (Syria), insurgent Baathists (Iraq) and Nasserites (Arab countries). The Pan Arabists goal is unification of all Arabs under secular and socialistic style governance.

Islamist movements are dedicated to an Islamic revival (Sahwah) that will return the Ummah to the fundamentals of the Islamic religion.

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Religious And Secular Muslim Nations

Not all nations populated by Muslims are religious states.

Governance Leadership

Rule of Law

1.6 Billion Muslims In 172 Countries

Iran & Emerging

States

Sharia (Clerics)

Sharia

Emerging States: Islamic State, Palestine, Chechnya, Kashmir, Mindanao

17 Countries

Secular

Sharia

Mostly Arab and SW Asian countries

154 Countries

Secular

Secular

Example: Turkey (97% Muslim population)

Only 20% of all Muslims live under Sharia law and 4% under Sharia plus a theocracy (Iran).

70

Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Mainstream Islam And The Use Of Force

Islam is not opposed to “force” but seeks to control it in the light of the divine law (sharia).

Islam is based upon moderation and is grounded upon the principle of avoiding extremes.

Islam opposes violence except in war and punishment of criminals.

Muslims must only wage war according to the principles of Allah’s justice.

War is permitted in self defense, when Islam is attacked, and if Muslims are being suppressed.

Conduct of war should be disciplined, without anger, and with humane treatment of prisoners.

Inflicting injury to non-combatants, women, children and civilians is forbidden by the Quran.

The moral depravity of 9/11 came as a shock not only to non-Muslims, but to Muslims as well.

To the vast majority of Muslims, terrorism is a hate crime and is contrary to the complete and balanced life espoused by the Quran.

71

Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Mohammed As A Warrior

In the last ten years of his life, Mohammed engaged in about twenty-five raids or battles which ultimately established the religion of Islam.

• When Mohammed and his followers were rejected from Mecca, they were forced to raid Meccan caravans to survive. These raids were considered legitimate due to the fact that they were at war with Mecca.

• In Medina, their new home, the Muslims fought against other Arab and Jewish tribes. Many of these tribes allied themselves with the Meccans.

• Both the Muslims and the Meccans developed large alliances with nomadic Arab tribes that engaged in raids and battles for regional dominance.

• Mohammed pursued a truce (Truce of Hudaybiya) with the Meccans that lasted several years until the Meccans attacked one of Mohammed’s allies causing the Battle of Mecca (630 AD). Only thirty Meccans died before surrendering and converting to Islam.

In response to Mohammed’s critics about being a man of war, today’s Muslims say that he fought honorably to defend his people with limited loss of life, and that Mohammed usually used diplomacy prior to fighting.

Mohammed was also a prophet, leader, diplomat and merchant.

72

Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Jihad

The term "jihadism" was coined in the 2000s by the West to define Islamic insurgency and Islamic terrorism. Today, jihad, or Holy War, has become a battle cry for the West. Consequently, this term often makes Muslims feel that the West perceives or paints all Arabs and Muslims as terrorists.

As defined by the Quran, jihad means struggle, to toil, to strive, to exert. The Quran addresses four forms of jihad: • To struggle to purify the soul. • To struggle on behalf of justice. • To struggle for the sake of Islam. • Defend the Ummah against non-Muslim aggression (Defensive jihad).

Offensive jihad is not found in the Quran or Hadith. Offensive jihad is usually used regarding Sunni armed struggle to expand dar al-Islam (the realm of Islam) and transform the dar al-harb (literally “the realm of war” or the non-Muslim world) into a global Islamic caliphate.

As opposed to jihad, Muslims use the term irhab for terrorism and irhabi for terrorists to define those who wage war outside limits set by the Quran.

The West has translated jihad into English to mean “holy war”.

“The greatest jihad is to battle your own soul, to fight the evil within

yourself.” Prophet Mohammed

73




Islam: The Religion




Final Thought

74


14 years after 9/11, the West does not have a term to describe the enemy.

Islamists, Islamic Extremists and Islamo-Fascists are Western terms that malign Islam and offend mainstream Muslims. If the West wants to avoid the perception of a religious war, these terms should be avoided.

Salafis generally refers to those want to return sharia due to incompatibility of the West values with Islam. Salafis are often inaccurately labeled by Westerners as Wahhabis, a term that offends Sunni Muslims and Saudis.

Jihad means to Muslims to “strive”. In a military context it means to defend one’s faith (i.e., defensive jihad). “Holy War” is a expression coined in the West that distorts jihad’s original meaning. “Offensive” jihad is not Quranic.

To win mainstream Muslim support, the West should adopt Islamic terms of reference toward terrorists and outlaw organizations:

Irhabi is Arabic for terrorist and irhab for terrorism.

Hirabah stands for unlawful warfare (hirabahi for outlaw) who wage war or commit crimes.

Irhabi vs Jihadi

Even though one’s terrorist may be another’s freedom fighter, we would be better served to use the same terminology to jointly identify and defeat those (individuals

or groups) we are collectively fighting without unintentionally maligning Islam.

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Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Militant Islam

Militant Islam holds that the religion and its followers must be aggressively fought for on a political and religious level. Examples include: • Muslim Brotherhood. Founded in Egypt in the 1920s, the Brotherhood

wanted a return to sharia due to incompatibility of the West values with Islam, and advocated death or violence to those who did not follow Islam.

• Wahhabi (Salafi) Movement. Started in the 18th Century by a Saudi, Muhammad al-Wahhab, who believed that an isolationist, puritanical and anti-heretical (hence militaristic) Islam was needed by the Ummah.

• Islamic Revolution (Iran). According to the Iranian Constitution, “the Army of the Islamic Republic…will be responsible not only for protecting and safeguarding the frontiers but also for the ideological mission, jihad.”

• Hamas. Is the Islamic Resistance Movement dedicated to the destruction of Israel and is best known for its suicide bombers and civilian casualties.

• Al-Qaeda. Started in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and now are militaristically engaged to rid all of Islam of outside influence.

• Islamic State. Is a Sunni Islam group that proclaimed itself to be a global caliphate with religious, political and military authority over the Ummah.

Militant Islam is often referred to as Islamist, fundamentalist, terrorist, and/or radical, all of which are technically incorrect. However, it is an extremist sect.

Militant Islam may be winning its war against moderate Islam.

76


Vast Majority of Mainstream

Peace-Seeking Muslims

Defense Department View Of Militant Islam

Modified from Militant Ideology Atlas, Combating Terrorism Center, U.S. Military Academy

Islamists Enabling Muslims

Jihadis are militants who employ terror, violence and conflict, like ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah.

Salafi is a term for Salaf (righteous ancestors) revivalists who want to purge pluralism, secularism, democracy and foreign influence from their society.

Islamists are the political element advocating religious law and governance. Enabling Muslims are not actively involved but enable terrorists to operate.

Americans are often overly focused with who and not enough about why.

Jihadis Salafis

US Focus

Is Here

More Attention Is Needed

Here

77

Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Militant Islamists

Militant Islam asserts that Muslims must aggressively fight on both a political and religious level, outside established boundaries of the Quran, to establish the ideal Islamic state (i.e., a theocracy governed by Sharia law).

Militant Islam is more about a culture of violence than religious duty. Influential militant Islamists:

Key militant themes: • Extreme Tawhid (to assert the unity of God) where anything representing

God or divinity is idolatrous (shirk) and should be eliminated. • Obsession with Qiyamah (Judgment Day and things eschatological). • Salafism (rejection of contemporary Islamic teachings in favor of a return to

Islam as practiced during the 7th Century founders—caliphs) • Coercive Dawah (to intimidate and proselytize “errant” Muslims)

Militant Islam’s main goal is to win against mainstream Islam.

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Establishment of a Shia Crescent is the first step in regaining dominance over the Sunnis for control of the Ummah.

Iran’s Militant Shia Crescent

The Iran/Syria/Hezbollah alliance is already causing significant instability in the region: • Western economic and military strategic interests are

regularly being challenged by Iranian leaders. • Occupation of Iraq is largely complete. The Iranian regime has allocated

billions of dollars to set up an Iraqi puppet state. Today, Iranian intelligence forces and unconventional warfare forces (Quds) are in Iraq. Several million Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Basiij (paramilitary) and law enforcement personnel have been mobilized.

• Syrian armed forces and Hezbollah militias are key Iranian “proxy” forces that follow the principles of the Islamic Revolution.

• The Shia Crescent is largely backed and weaponized by Russia.

A militarized “Shia Crescent” is forming: • From Iran through Iraq to Syria, Lebanon and the

Hezbollah in Palestine. • From Iran to eastern parts of Saudi Arabia/Yemen.

ISIS

ISIS

79


Islamist Iran Iran is provoking a conflict with the West. The following five factors, in order of priority, are motivating the Supreme Leader, Ayatollahs and Iranian Islamists:

Political: Supreme Leader Khamenei is committed to revive the declining Islamic Revolution and advancing the conservative position over the liberal reform faction and the youth who are attracted to Western pop culture.

Military: Iran has tens of thousands of special ops (Quds) forces in Iraq and a million armed forces on the border. Development of a nuclear weapon has now been green-lighted by the West to the dismay of Arabs and Israelis.

Historical: Confederacy with Shiite Iraq is a historic opportunity after 1,000 years of domination from Sunni Arabs and Ottoman Turks.

Economic: Control of 50% of the world’s oil and gas reserves greatly benefits Iran. The strategic choke point of the Strait of Hormuz is the only sea route through which oil and gas from Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates can be transported to the rest of the world.

Religious: Shia leaders are preparing for the near-term return of the 12th Imam, expansion of The Islamic Revolution, and confrontation with Israel (the “Little Satan”) and the United States (the “Great Satan”).

The Iranian religious dimension is greatly underestimated by Western leaders.

80


Islamification of Africa

Muslim extremist groups, like Boko Haram, are very active in Africa.

Arab (League) African States with close to 100% Muslim populations. African States with Muslim-majority (50% to 100%) populations. African States with significant (10% to 50%) Muslim populations.

Boko Haram Logo and Leader Abubakar Shekau

African States ISIS-affiliated Boko Haram: Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Translated Boko Haram means “Western education is forbidden”.

Ansar al-Dine (AAD)

Boko Haram

(BH)

Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-Sudan

(Ansaru)

Libyan Islamic Fighting

Group (LIFG) Al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)

Al-Mulathamun Battalion (AMB)

Al-Shabaab

(AS)

81


Islamification of Europe

In 2007, the total number of Muslims in Europe was about 53 million.

Islam is now the dominant religion in Europe (largely due to Christian apostasy and atheism). Islamism is spreading across Europe.

• Europe’s demographics could be a Muslim majority by 2050.

• Major Eastern European cities (like Paris, Rotterdam, Brussels, London, Copenhagen), have major concentrations (10% to 25%) of Muslims who are often isolated and disassociated with their host countries.

• Eastern European countries (like Turkey, Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia) have a majority of Muslim populations.

• Sharia law is already operating in European mosques and may soon be established in the United Kingdom and Sweden.

Unlike American Muslims, who are geographically diffuse, ethnically fragmented, and generally well off, Europe’s Muslims gather in bleak enclaves with their compatriots: Algerians in France, Moroccans in Spain, Turks in Germany, and Pakistanis in the United Kingdom.

Europeans are much more dependent on Middle Eastern oil than the USA.

82

Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Islamists and Israel

To Arabs, Israel is the enemy because Israel exists today on stolen Arab land: • Abraham’s covenant to Ishmael • Egyptian exodus and Holy Land entry • Balfour Declaration and post-WWI partitioning • Arab-Israeli wars (1948/56/67/73/82) • Palestinian genocide

Palestinian refugees: the new Diaspora: • 6 million refugees in West Bank, Gaza, Arabia and

around the world awaiting return for 57 years • Israelis “occupy” Palestine and only plan to return a

fraction for a Palestinian State, if ever. Of the 22 Arab League states, only Egypt, Jordan and

Mauritania recognize Israel (Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated for this act).

Arabs accuse America of a double standard, unfair treatment when it comes to dealing with Israelis and Arabs.

Anti-Israel sentiment is a political rallying point for Islamists.

Palestinian Controlled Land 1946

Palestinian Controlled Land 2015

83




Islam: The Religion




Final Thought

84

Engaging Islam, Ummah, Islamism & Irhab Recommendations

International policy-makers need to better incorporate Islamic religious, cultural and social factors into their analyses and strategic planning.

• Today’s decision-making relies too much on empirical and objective factors based mainly on military, political and economic factors.

• Cultural analyses are more abstract and subjective, but equally important—especially regarding messianic-inclined leaders in Iran and the Islamic State.

Limited international engagement with the Ummah and religious understanding of Islam puts mainstream Muslims in a dilemma of defending radicalized Muslims and cooperating in global counterterrorism operations. The international community needs a better strategy of cultural engagement to win over reluctant Sunni leaders and reduce growing Islamophobia in the West.

The vast majority of terrorist groups are radicalized Sunni-led insurgencies. Without leadership and participation of the leading Sunni-majority nations, counterterrorism efforts will likely be prolonged as Sunni-led irhab evolves and reconstitutes. Since the centroid of Sunni-Arab leadership resides in the Arab Gulf, GCC involvement is essential. As recommended herein, a good place to start is with settling displaced Syrian citizens and repatriating Syrian refugees.

Questions or comments contact Chuck Vollmer at [email protected].

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