Nothing new under the sun?
There was an interview with Gen. Allen in the WSJ, about how to fight ISIL. I did not read it, but a letter yesterday caught my eye. I have never heard of this Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza.
In his interview with Joseph Rago, Gen. Allen describes how part of his greater task in the war against Islamic State is “the rescue of Islam” to help Muslims “reclaim” their faith. These statements strongly suggest that Gen. Allen has fully internalized the concept that the Islamic State has no legitimate claim to represent Islam. Unfortunately, this proposition is dubious. In their savagery, ruthlessness and martial spirit, ISIL’s military campaigns are nothing if not remarkably similar to classic depictions of jihad conquests waged throughout the ages. Both ISIL and the Taliban have in recent weeks actually cited Muhammad’s 7th century victory over the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza as offering an authoritative precedent for their behavior. In this battle, several hundred Jewish males were forced to surrender and then summarily beheaded while their wives and children were enslaved and possessions taken as booty.
There is nothing more authentically Muslim than Muhammad’s actions, so downplaying ISIL’s behavior as non-Muslim seems downright uninformed and foolish. Gen. Allen’s elevation to grand strategy of pleasant sounding and politically correct—but false—dictums does not bode well for future American success in the region.
Allon Friedman
Carmel, Ind.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/we-can-and-should-do-more-to-obliterate-islamic-state-letters-to-the-editor-1420563519
