Al-Taqiyya and Kitman...

Ethics.

Main Entry: eth•ic

Pronunciation: 'e-thik
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English ethik, from Middle French ethique, from Latin ethice, from Greek EthikE, from Ethikos
1 plural but singular or plural in construction : the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation
2 a : a set of moral principles or values b : a theory or system of moral values c plural but singular or plural in construction : the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group d : a guiding philosophy

I find that many people make decisions, judgments, as well as base their beliefs on what they know and have experienced. And there are many times we make mistakes due to the lack of knowledge and understanding. We all make mistakes. I have made mistakes.

The Denmark Cartoons.

I find it quite disturbing to realize that there are many people who do not truly understand what it is that the Muslim community is doing. I know that I don’t have a complete grasp of what is currently transpiring. I also find it difficult to believe that the average citizen in the United States has a true understanding of what is going on as well.

I know what I believe in. I know what I feel. I know what I understand in my soul as what is right and what is wrong. I feel in my gut that the Muslim reaction to the publishing of the Mohammed cartoons in Denmark is wrong and strangely skewed. It’s in my gut. There is something not right here.

Certainly there are people who respond to offenses in a very negative way. We can see it here in the United States and we can view it on the evening newscast. But these reactionary responses are limited to a small population, many times being executed by single individuals and not by enormous groups of people.

What’s wrong here?

I find it very disturbing that the Muslim community is not speaking out against those that they have labeled as “radical” and “extremist”. I find it almost surreal that there isn’t a clear and distinct voice coming from the moderate Muslim community. When there is opportunity for civil discussion, they echo what the violent protestors have been yelling in the streets. They say they have been offended . They don’t offer any apologies for the radical behavior of their religious zealots. They do not display any shame or embarrassment for their actions either. The moderate Muslim community isn’t protesting, or showing up on the streets, with an opposing point of view and declaring, much less demanding, for a peaceful protest.

Why is that?

It is difficult for me to put a finger on what is wrong here. What is it that I am feeling in my gut? Why do I feel so strongly about this issue?

In trying to put into words what I am feeling, I find that I am falling horribly short in that task. What I can tell you is that I have a deep feeling of alarm. This feeling of foreboding seems to be directly related to what I am seeing being played out across the globe. When governments are pressured into apologies… when newspapers are firing editors and journalistic staff… when citizens relinquish their freedom of speech… when governments incarcerate those who have been outspoken… when no one will stand up for fear of offending the Muslim religion… I believe that these things trigger something deep inside of me.

The thoughts that come to my mind… blackmail, coercion, deception.

I have a real problem with people who support these apologies, terminations of employment, and the imprisonment of journalists and editors.

Muslim ethics ~ Al-taqiyya and kitman.

The Muslim faith supports deception and lies. It supports lying for malevolent intent. It also supports and encourages believers to take on fake identities for the purpose of achieving their goals.

Muslim ethics are not equivalent to my ethics, and I don’t believe that they match most of the ethical values that are held by most of the people in the United States. When people support the “soft approach” of being extra-sensitive to the Muslim psyche they are playing into the hands of the enemy.

I have received a couple of e-mails from individuals who support the “do not offend Muslims” stance.

And it is here that I defend my stance on why we should ignore their ‘fake outcries’ and see it for what it really is.

later…

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The excerpts printed below come from the article entitled Tactical Deception and Strategic Surprise in Al-Qai’da’s Operations. The authors have made an extensive study which includes a study of the Koran.

Please take the time to read the article. It is quite detailed and provides a lot of insights into the ethical viewpoints of the Muslim religion, infiltration into an established society, the World Trade Center bombing, and the 9/11 attack.

Al-Qa'aida's use of denial and deception operational techniques akin to those employed by intelligence services is also shaped by and related concepts found in Islam. Two in particular are relevant here -- taqiyya and kitman. Broadly speaking, taqiyya means precautionary dissimulation and keepin one's convictions secret, while kitman constitutes mental reservation or concealment of malevolent intentions. For the most part the concepts refer to Shi'a practices that have become tenets of Shi'a theology.

The authors:

Professor Richard H. Shultz is a professor of International Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and is director of the school's International Security Studies Program.

Professor Ruth Margolies Beitler is an Associate Professor of International Relations and Comparative Politics at the U.S. Military Academy.