PrintSeptember 11, 2008
Osama Bin Laden as Robin Hood?
Are Osama bin Laden and other "salafi" Muslims being true to Islam's tenets or are they simply "freedom fighters" articulating their grievances against Western imperialism through an Islamic paradigm? The debate in the Islamic world over this question has profound consequences for the war on terror. That same debate is underway in the English speaking world.In English, best-selling author and ex-CIA analyst, Michael Scheuer compares the words of Osama bin Laden to Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence, as Jefferson spoke about the tyranny of Britain's King George III. There are indeed a few parallels, but Scheuer uses a false analogy. The fundamental problem with Scheuer's line of reasoning is that the "words" of Osama are backed by Islamic doctrine, and indeed are often verbatim quotations from Islam's most authoritative sources, namely the Koran, hadith (sayings of Muhammad), and the verdicts of Islam's premiere jurists and theologians. ...(Read Full Article)
