It is unfortunate that the American Thinker recently published an article by Pamela Geller entitled "Perry's Problematic Pals," discrediting the aspiring Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry, such that he has now been dubbed "the stealth jihad candidate" by one popular blogger. Pamela begins her attack on Perry by pointing to the politician's alleged friendship and cooperation with the Aga Khan, the philanthropic head of the Ismaili Shi'a sect that rejects the traditional, orthodox concept of jihad as aggressive warfare against unbelievers. Instead, the Ismailis favor an interpretation of jihad as working on and financing charitable, economic projects to improve the well-being of humanity as a whole. However, while Geller concedes the Ismaili rejection of violence, she goes on with her smear-by-association in pointing out that the Assassins were historically Ismailis. True enough, but the Ismailis, at the zenith of their influence, also gave rise to the Fatimid ruling dynasty in Egypt (969-1171 CE) that was notorious among orthodox clerics for flouting the discriminatory restrictions for dhimmis. Would it be valid....
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