In a recent book by al Qaeda’s chief theoretician, Sheik Abu-Bakar Naji, a new strategy needs to be applied in order to bring everyone into the submission of Islam. The basis of the change in strategy is simple - highly disparate terrorist acts by groups, cells, and individuals who are looking for a global change toward Islam. Jihad must be the means by which the operatives live without nationalist goals.
NO one should feel safe without submitting to Islam, and those who refuse to submit must pay a high price. The Islam ist movement must aim to turn the world into a series of “wildernesses” where only those under jihadi rule enjoy security.
These are some of the ideas developed by al Qaeda’s chief theoretician, Sheik Abu-Bakar Naji, in his new book “Governance in the Wilderness” (Edarat al-Wahsh).
Middle East analysts think that the book may indicate a major change of strategy by the disparate groups that use al Qaeda as a brand name.
Taheri notes the psuedo-literary style used to convey Naji’s message and the chaos in the Middle East after the fall of the Ottoman Empire coincidental with the end of WWI.
NAJI claims that the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the abolition of the Islamic Caliphate in 1924 marked the start of “the most dangerous phase in history.” Those events put all Arab countries, the heartland of Islam, under domination by the “infidel”- who later continued to rule via native proxies.
This style of writing was popular for conveying the Islamic, pan-nationalist message in the 1940s-1960’s across the middle east - and while Egypt was seen as the preeminent master of Islamic jihad (which is no longer the case).
What Naji, presumably, will fail to mention in his book is that the fall of the Ottoman Empire was not precipitated by “Crusaders” or “Infidels”, but by Jihad. The nationalist and pan-nationalist aspirations of the various rulers within the Ottoman Empire and their willingness to embrace the infidel to acquire a modern army in order to project power in the region was the means for the destruction of the Ottoman Empire. Sounds a bit like AQ - or Iran for that matter - doesn’t it?
Jihad failed 100 years ago and it will fail again. The difference today is the Jihadi is not relegated to his own backyard.
Subscribe to NPI
