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26 both Saudi radical cleric Nasir al-Fahd and Ayman Zawahiri, and it seems to be one of the only examples they cite when justifying such general destruction. Thus, Islamist militants consider retaliation, and like-for-like, as being both broadly accept- able and encouraged under the Quran, but only in a strictly “defensive manner.” The argument boils down, then, to a definition of what constitutes “defensive” action. The Quran has a clear injunction against taking offensive action; one can, and perhaps should, only punish them the way in which they have punished you. This implies that WMD simply cannot be used as a first-strike engagement, but it can po- tentially be used in retaliation for use in kind. This seeming allowance for WMD, however, begins to blur in the light of the Quran’s clear injunctions against killing the aged, women and children; how can one retaliate with a weapon that will inevitably cause such damage? Questions over what sort of guidance trumps another form of guidance will inevitably spark discussion. You cannot be for both rules given their contradiction, especially in the context of WMD. It is clear where al-Qaeda stands on the rule they have chosen, but it’s hard to find a Quranic justification for using WMD as a first-strike weapon, even before one decides whether or not noncombatant immunity applies. There has also been some discussion on 8:60 and its interpretation as one that characterizes the notion of deterrence. If this is the case, possession of WMD does not equal use, though it may certainly be allowed to possess. That being said, even if one does possess such weapons, one can only seem to use them in retaliation if they were attached with the same weapon. This, however, is a fragment of a much larger discussion on which considerations trump others in the context of war. Also, the statement by Abu Bakr to his Muslim armies before invading Syria, makes clear note that it is not permissible to burn trees, destroy agriculture, and in another translation (perhaps a longer one) not even harm animals of any kind—this can certainly be applied to the WMD context, for such a weapon is bound to cause exactly this kind of damage, in addition to killing noncombatants. Religious Rulings (fatwa) An Islamic legal ruling, or “fatwa,” has a special importance in the debate for and against WMD. It is accepted in the Islamic community that only religious authorities can rule on Islam and the Bomb: Religious Justification For and Against Nuclear Weapons
moral and ethical matters. This is salient in defining rules of war. Militant Islamists feel a compunction to seek legal rulings (fatwa) to support their argument that that they are engaged not in terrorism, but in war; that it is a just war because the enemy is the aggressor; and that their means of waging war are justified under Islam. Called “Usul al-fiqh” (Prin- ciples of Jurisprudence), a fatwa is binding when these four conditions are satisfied: It is in line with relevant legal proofs, deduced from Quranic verses and Hadiths; It is issued by a person (or a board) having due knowledge and sincerity of heart; It is free from individual opportunism, and not depending on political servitude; It is adequate with the needs of the contemporary world. 38 Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs | Harvard Kennedy School 27
Page 1: Islam Islam and the Bomb Religious
Page 4 and 5: Belfer Center for Science and Inter
Page 6 and 7: AUTHOR’S NOTE Threats cannot be f
Page 8 and 9: CONTENTS Foreword 9 Living in an Ag
Page 10 and 11: 8 Islam and the Bomb: Religious Jus
Page 12 and 13: 10 ing nuclear weapons? Has a decis
Page 14 and 15: NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE 21 ST CENTUR
Page 16 and 17: 14 The Allure of Nuclear Weapons Th
Page 18 and 19: 16 Islam. They claim to represent t
Page 20 and 21: 18 In applying this hierarchy of mo
Page 22 and 23: 20 The Court of Public Opinion “C
Page 24 and 25: THE QURAN AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTR
Page 26 and 27: 24 The first Caliph (successor to t
Page 30 and 31: AL-QAEDA’S RELIGIOUS JUSTIFICATIO
Page 32 and 33: 30 On that basis, and in compliance
Page 34 and 35: 32 ings of US and Saudi targets in
Page 36 and 37: 34 In November, 2007, Sayid Imam Ab
Page 38 and 39: 36 He offers a meticulously researc
Page 40 and 41: 38 Zawahiri’s Three Operational M
Page 42 and 43: 40 they have done good for their re
Page 44 and 45: 42 Because the document was written
Page 46 and 47: SUNNI VOICES REJECTION OF TERRORIST
Page 48 and 49: Chronology of Sunni Voices Against
Page 50 and 51: Reactions to the anti-WMD Fatwa Dr
Page 52 and 53: SHIA VOICES IRAN AND THE BOMB Follo
Page 54 and 55: 52 “The decree by Khamenei “pro
Page 56 and 57: 54 “From all I can see, it’s no
Page 58 and 59: president of the Kayhan chain of ne
Page 60 and 61: Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah-Yaz
Page 62 and 63: you can do whatever you want to def
Page 64 and 65: Comment: For additional information
Page 66 and 67: APPENDICES Appendix A - Background
Page 68 and 69: 66 Early Muslim scholars developed
Page 70 and 71: 68 located in Yemen, Iraq, and part
Page 72 and 73: 70 Appendix B: Al-Qaeda Nuclear Pla
Page 74 and 75: Appendix C: Events from 2003-2010 -
Page 76 and 77: In his book “Cosmology and Human
Page 78 and 79:
76 and hidden matters, the conseque
Page 80 and 81:
78 pressed. Thus, this prohibition
Page 82 and 83:
80 Appendix E: Sunni Biographies Dr
Page 84 and 85:
82 despite our strong oppositions t
Page 86 and 87:
84 to the United Nations. He presen
Page 88 and 89:
86 losophy and in particular Sadra
Page 90 and 91:
88 nied him food and drink until he
Page 92 and 93:
90 Zawahiri: Page 5, 8, 25, 26, 50,
Page 94 and 95:
92 “As everyone knows, whoever at
Page 96 and 97:
94 fought with fire, and Khalid ibn
Page 98 and 99:
96 Sa’id reported to us that al-L
Page 100 and 101:
98 “The Prophet, may God bless hi
Page 102 and 103:
100 and to refrain from them if the
Page 104 and 105:
102 permissible, and one may setup
Page 106 and 107:
104 “Al-‘Ayni said in ‘Umdat
Page 108 and 109:
106 C. The third position on the is
Page 110 and 111:
108 the prophet (may God bless him
Page 112 and 113:
110 facilitate victory over them. T
Page 114 and 115:
112 “In this Hadith there is perm
Page 116 and 117:
114 The Imam al-Nawawi (may God hav
Page 118 and 119:
116 Referencing Al-Ayni Al-Fahd: Pa
Page 120 and 121:
118 board with them. Malik said tha
Page 122 and 123:
120 “They said that this is a gen
Page 124 and 125:
122 that a tradition from the proph
Page 126 and 127:
124 “Similarly, if an non-believe
Page 128 and 129:
126 The second aspect: Muslim leade
Page 130 and 131:
128 beginning of the verse, God giv
Page 132 and 133:
130 book “Consensus on Matters of
Page 134 and 135:
132 Ibn Qudamah also said: “Chapt
Page 136 and 137:
134 Referencing Muhammad Ibn Isma
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136 in the Name of God and in God
Page 140 and 141:
138 Ibn Taymiyyah (may God have mer
Page 142 and 143:
140 a martyr. Anyone undeserving of
Page 144 and 145:
142 Zawahiri: Page 35, 80, 82, 83,
Page 146 and 147:
144 Similar to this is what Muhamma
Page 148 and 149:
146 ENDNOTES 1. Tzu, Sun. The Art o
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148 Times. 29 May 2003. http://www.
Page 152 and 153:
150 115. Intelligence and Terrorism
Page 154 and 155:
152 163. Gomaa, Ali. “Biography.
Page 156 and 157:
154 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report wo
Page 158:
156 Islam and the Bomb: Religious J
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