Islam and the Bomb - Belfer Center for Science and International ...

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32 ings of US and Saudi targets in the Kingdom. Intelligence reporting produced growing signs of terrorist plotting that indicated al-Qaeda had decided to raise the stakes by under- taking attacks against the Saudi Royal family. There were also signs they were considering the use of some form of WMD against US and possibly UK targets, either inside or outside the Gulf region. In parallel to operational planning, Al-Qaeda continued to prepare to unveil a fatwa authoriz- ing the use of weapons of mass destruction. Radical Saudi clerics Nasir Sheik al-Fahd, Ali al- Khudayr and Ahmed al-Khaldi had drawn up and co-signed a religious ruling (fatwa) autho- rizing the use of WMD against the US and the UK. Nasir al-Fahd, a senior Muslim cleric who is closely associated with al-Qaida, has written dozens of books and publications containing religious edicts against the US and anyone cooperating with it. Among his well-known pro- nouncements is that “anyone assisting the Americans is an infidel.” His treatises incite animos- ity towards the West, toward Christianity, and particularly towards Americans. Following the terrorist attacks in Riyadh on May 12, 2003, Saudi security forces launched an extensive manhunt for the three radical clerics. In a panic, Nasir al Fahd posted the fatwa on May 21, 2003, just before he was captured by Saudi security forces in the city of Medina. 52 Al Fahd offered three central arguments for using WMD in his fatwa: 53 “One kills in a good manner only when one can. If those engaged in jihad cannot do so, for example when they are forced to bomb, destroy, burn or flood, it is permissible.” “One avoids killing women and children only when one can distinguish them. If one cannot do so, as when infidels make a night attack or invade, they may be killed as collateral to the fighters.” “Similarly, killing a Muslim is forbidden and not permitted; but if those engaged in jihad are forced to kill him because they cannot repel the infidels or fight them otherwise, it is permitted, as when the Muslim is being used as a living shield.” The arrest of the three clerics created a backlash and led to rumors that two of the clerics—Al-Khudayr and al-Khaldi—were killed during an arrest attempt. The rumors of their death aroused an outcry and calls for revenge surfaced on many web sites associated with al-Qaeda. 54 Figures close to bin Laden reported that news that the two clerics had been killed greatly affected bin Laden, who pledged to avenge their death by harming the al-Saud family Islam and the Bomb: Religious Justification For and Against Nuclear Weapons
“in a way never before seen in the past.” 55 Saudi Interior Minister Prince Bin Nayyif con- firmed that the three clerics were in custody, but denied any of them had died. 56 Throughout the summer of 2003, Saudi security forces conducted a series of raids that decimat- ed the al-Qaeda organization in Saudi Arabia. In June, senior al-Qaeda leader Yusef al-Ayeri was killed at a roadblock in a shootout with Saudi security forces. 57 Saudi security officials re- sponded decisively to arrest and interrogate anyone having any connection to the WMD fatwa. While under detention, Nasir al-Fahd recanted several of his fatwas on Saudi television—he referred to his previous views as being a “grave mistake.” It is unclear whether the WMD fatwa was among them. 58 In retrospect, the ambiguity of al Fahd’s recantation was purpose- ful. He subsequently wrote a letter from prison in which he asked his associates to spread the word that his recantation was coerced by Saudi authorities. The text of Nasir al-Fahd’s letter from prison is as follows: ‘Shawwāl, 1425 H In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful “Praise be to Allāh, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allāh, to proceed: Springing from Allāh’s saying: “But they never lost heart for that which did befall them in Allah’s Way, nor did they weaken nor degrade themselves. And Allah loves As-Sabirin. I write these words, and I declare before that, that I have dug a grave in my cell, and divorced this world thrice and have cut any link between it and me; and after this I say, and rely upon Allāh and seek His help...” “And may Allah reward all those who help spread, print and publish this on the internet and media channels.” 59 The al-Qaeda fatwa story drifted into obscurity after al Fahd’s letter from prison. Did the fatwa continue to have the endorsement of the al-Qaeda leadership? Was Zawahiri’s involve- ment in commissioning a WMD fatwa related exclusively to the nuclear deal, or did it serve a broader purpose in al-Qaeda’s future plans? Would the fatwa be required to justify a future WMD attack? If so, it would be vital to clarify such questions to ensure there is a widely ac- cepted understanding that the case has already been made to justify the use of WMD, explain that the fatwa remains valid. Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs | Harvard Kennedy School 33
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 28 and 29: 26 both Saudi radical cleric Nasir
Page 30 and 31: AL-QAEDA’S RELIGIOUS JUSTIFICATIO
Page 32 and 33: 30 On that basis, and in compliance
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
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84 to the United Nations. He presen
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86 losophy and in particular Sadra
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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
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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
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100 and to refrain from them if the
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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
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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
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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
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140 a martyr. Anyone undeserving of
Page 144 and 145:
142 Zawahiri: Page 35, 80, 82, 83,
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144 Similar to this is what Muhamma
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146 ENDNOTES 1. Tzu, Sun. The Art o
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148 Times. 29 May 2003. http://www.
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150 115. Intelligence and Terrorism
Page 154 and 155:
152 163. Gomaa, Ali. “Biography.
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154 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report wo
Page 158:
156 Islam and the Bomb: Religious J
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