‘This report would not have saved Lee Rigby’

An American Islamics scholar working with members of the House of Lords has dismissed the first English-language handbook to ‘debunk jihadist theology’, being launched in parliament today.

Prompted in part by the Woolwich massacre, the report writers who are research fellows at think tank Henry Jackson Society state:  ‘The killing of Fusilier Lee Rigby last year was a shocking reminder of the threat posed by violent extremism at home as well as abroad.

‘Jihadist groups offer theological reasoning in support of their political ideology and violent activities.

‘By demonstrating that these arguments are not based on traditionally recognised interpretations of classical Islamic sources, A Guide to Refuting Jihadism provides a scripturally sound counter-narrative to al-Qaeda and like-minded groups.’

It should be required reading by the UK government, say experts who stress that the report must be used to understand how extremist groups have ‘co-opted Islamic scripture and interpreted it to justify their vision of Islam.’  

Extremism expert at ETH Zurich, Lorenzo Vidinio, says it ‘should be mandatory reading for any government seeking to counter the recruitment drive of jihadist organisations’.

Yet Jay Smith, who has debated Muslim radicals at Speakers’ Corner and around the world for two decades, and advises Lord Pearson and Lady Cox, says the Guide to Refuting Jihadism will be debunked by jihadists themselves, who by definition ignore what they see as later theological compromises.

‘It will be seen as ‘yet another ploy by Westerners, and their Muslim “lackeys”, to try to “sanitize Islam”, he told Lapido ahead of the launch today. 

‘It would not have saved Lee Rigby.’

Debate

The report by Hannah Stuart will be launched at a ‘debate’ at lunchtime today (Tuesday) with the co-director of anti-terror think tank Quilliam Foundation, Sheikh Dr Usama Hasan.

Hasan, a former jihadist in Afghanistan in the early nineties calls the report ‘a welcome and much-needed contribution to the worldwide debate’.

The report has also received an endorsement from the Islamic world’s most prestigious university, al-Azhar in Cairo.  Sheikh Khalid Abdul Aziz Omran calls the report ‘an ambitious effort to understand the issue according to enlightened Sunni Islamic jurisprudence.’

However, Smith claims that almost every argument in the report refers to later traditions, actions and suppositions, and never goes to the example of the prophet Muhammed himself, who is the model for every Muslim, at every time and everywhere.

‘It doesn't matter what later Muslims did or thought, in the eyes of the Jihadists,’ he claims.

He is particularly scathing of attempts to ignore Muhammed’s own example.

‘It doesn't take seriously the power and authority behind the example of their prophet Muhammed (an example they believe to be for all people in all times, and in all places), nor of his supposed revelation, the Qur'an, a book they believe to be above criticism.

'To argue that classical Islam does not allow targeting of non-combatants stands against the example of Muhammed himself, who beheaded 800 men or the Banu Quraiza Jewish family, yet only 7 were guilty of siding with the Meccans at the battle of the Trench in 627 AD.

‘Jihadists do not care what later scholars said or did, as they would dismiss them as “puppets” of the states they were trying to advocate for.

‘The same goes for the signatories to this very document.’

Rescue

Dr Mark Durie, a Fellow of the Australian Academy for the Humanities, and a Shillman-Ginsburg Fellow at the Middle East Forum in the US, believes the report is part of a worldwide effort to ‘save Islam’.

‘It is good that the theological motivations for jihadi movements are being acknowledged and engaged with by peaceable Muslims.

‘There is a movement in Egypt and across the Middle East to save Islam from its reputational damage caused by the Brotherhood and Jihadis.  

‘Al Sisi is a strong supporter of this movement to  “rescue Islam”.  This is dividing Muslims greatly.

‘This report is a bit part in this larger story.’