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Azzam Tamimi, a former spokesman of the MAB, has advocated a similar message<br />
to <strong>that</strong> of his counterpart Altikriti. Speaking at a conference on ‘justice’, he told<br />
the audience:<br />
I tell you, the governments of Britain and the United States of America have been trying to turn<br />
this war on terrorism in to a war on Islam. All those alleged plots they are talking about, and<br />
I don’t believe any of them! I don’t believe any of them! And let this be recorded and let this be<br />
conveyed around the world! 313<br />
Significantly, Tamimi insists <strong>that</strong> his deeply political analysis is not just a subjective<br />
opinion open to debate, but an inherently doctrinal matter closely linked to the<br />
central normative theme of Islam – monotheism. 314 Again, there is a welding<br />
together of politics with matters of faith, reducing otherwise expansive topics to<br />
simple binary choices and stifling debate. Dissenting Muslims are not just lesser<br />
Muslims, but are also committing themselves to undermining their own faith.<br />
Such arguments are effective emotional pressure points – goading ordinary<br />
Muslims into absorbing highly curious and loaded political mantra as divine diktat.<br />
Barriers to entry: theological arguments<br />
The Army<br />
Yusuf al-Qaradawi, one of the best known Islamist clerics in the world today, was<br />
asked about Muslim participation in non-Muslim armies shortly after 9/<strong>11</strong>.<br />
Although based in Qatar, al-Qaradawi is chairman of the Dublin-based European<br />
Council for Fatwa and Research, and has frequently visited Britain – most recently<br />
in 2004. He told his interviewer:<br />
I would like here to stress the fact <strong>that</strong> Islam has prohibited a Muslim to fight his fellow<br />
Muslim brother to the extent <strong>that</strong> indulging in such a fight is considered a form of disbelief or<br />
kufr and a behavior pertaining to the pre-Islamic ignorance.<br />
[...]<br />
Here, the question arises: what about a Muslim recruited in the army of a non-Muslim<br />
country <strong>that</strong> is at war with Muslims? Such helpless Muslim soldier has no choice but to yield<br />
to the orders of his army commanders and he has no right to say ‘No’ or ‘Why’? This is a<br />
well-known military system worldwide.<br />
Such Muslim finds himself on the horns of a dilemma when his country and the army he<br />
joins tend to attack a Muslim country. What shall he do while he is no more than a small gear<br />
in a huge machine?<br />
The opinion, which is more akin to the sound juristic view here, is <strong>that</strong> a Muslim shouldn’t<br />
indulge in a war against his fellow Muslim brothers, and he may justify his position by asking<br />
for a leave or (a temporary) exemption from the military as the true conscience of a Muslim<br />
dictates <strong>that</strong> he shouldn’t indulge in killing a fellow Muslim brother without a justifiable<br />
reason. However, if there is no way but to participate, then a Muslim can join the rear to help<br />
in military service (i.e. not to participate in face-to-face confrontation).<br />
The Muslim soldier may resort to this form of limited participation in order to avoid harm<br />
to himself as well as to the Muslim community of whom he is part and parcel. Without this<br />
(limited participation) the Muslim as well as the Muslim community may be accused of high<br />
treason. Such an accusation may pose a threat to the Muslim minority and this may also<br />
Bri�sh Muslims and Barriers to Entering the Armed Forces<br />
313 http://www.islamicforum<br />
europe.com/live/ife.php?doc=arti<br />
cleitem&itemId=327<br />
314 Tamimi says, for example,<br />
“the value of justice in Islam is<br />
synonymous with the value of<br />
tawheed, Monotheism, and the<br />
evidence, I’m not making it up,<br />
read in the Quran...” at<br />
http://www.islamicforumeurope.<br />
com/live/ife.php?doc=articleitem<br />
&itemId=327<br />
policyexchange.org.uk | 69