After Orlando

In order to successfully fight radical-Islamism, it is important not to silence it

A rally in memory of those who died at the hands of terrorists at the Pulse gay club, Orlando, Florida, USA, June 19, 2016

While the press and television in the United States in the smallest details are investigating the massacre, who was made in a gay club in Orlando on the night of June 12, a single terrorist Omar Matin, the experts-high-cost experts are busy understanding her lessons. One of them, a well-known American journalist, the regular author of The New Times Daniel Williams, is sure that it is pointless to fight the radical Islamists, silenting their ideological attitudes.

To defeat terrorism, first you need to prevail in an ideological war. In this position of the United States and countries of Western Europe, coincide. But with what ideas does the Western world fight? The massacre in the Pulse gay club in the American Orlando demonstrated: the ideas that are guided by terrorists such as Omar Matin, society still does not clearly understand, at least those ideas that are associated with Islam.

What does Islam have to do with it

US President Barack Obama, speaking of a tragedy in Florida, did not focus on the Muslim religion of the killer, saying only that Matin “distort” Islam. According to the American leader, in the death of 49 visitors to the night club you do not need to look for religious motives, but the problem of mass killings for the country is really relevant. During the television, the president was clearly dissatisfied when someone hinted that he was avoiding the truth about the ideological roots of terror. Obama later instructed the FBI, which was investigated by the murder in Orlando, to remove Matina from the rescue service of 911 from the rescue service of 911 (this, of course, remains) any links to Islam or the Islamic State and its leaders.

Hillary Clinton, which the Democratic Party sees the successor of Obama as the president, recognized the connection of what happened in Orlando with Islam. And she promised to activate intelligence activities aimed at neutralizing potential criminals in the States, as well as cooperation with allies. But here the question arises: did not intensify intelligence and international cooperation?

Republican candidate Donald Trump proudly stated that he had long expected something like that. Its recipe: you need to have more informants among Muslims and close the boundaries for immigrants from Muslim countries. Trump definitely likes the phrase “Islamic terror”, although he hardly seriously thought about what this means.

This hodgepodge is supplemented by typically vague disputes of various kinds of commentators about religious and ideological backgrounds of terrorist attacks. Critics of Islam claim that the whole thing is in religion itself; Supporters of Islam say that such terrorist attacks have nothing to do with Islam.

Truth, as usual, is somewhere nearby.

Sources of intolerance

To begin with, it must be recognized that the conceptual movements standing behind the massacre in Orlando are really based on a religious basis and have their own names - Salafism and Wahhabism. Both are small sects under the auspices of Sunnism, the main direction of religion in the Muslim world. If we recognize the influence of Salafism and Wahhabism on people's minds, this will put an end to the criticism of Islam as a whole.

The followers of these radical Muslim movements form their beliefs based on a very narrow understanding of Islam and his practices. Salafites attribute the beginning of their religion to the very rudiments of Islam; They say that their faith is based on the correct reading of the texts of the Qur'an, as well as on the words attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, and the actions of his immediate environment. No interpretation of the Qur'an is required by the Salafites. Analysis - even more so.

Wahhabis follow the similar teaching, which was outlined by the Arabian preacher of the 18th century Muhammad ibn Abd al-Vakhkhab. Over time, his ideas spread around the world with the Saudis (Saudis - the ruling royal dynasty in Saudi Arabia from the moment the country was formed in 1932. - NT ).

 ** Historically, jihad obliges Muslims to fight only with an armed enemy. Modern jihadists demand that their followers wage a sacred war with unarmed citizens, including peaceful Muslims **

Salafism and Wahhabism impose a strict ban on certain actions and thoughts, including homosexuality, which should be punishable by death through hanging. For women, very tough restrictions are also provided. The followers of other religions, including Judaism and Christianity, as well as the Shiite branch and other directions of Islam, are cursed for the Salafis and Wahhabis. Supporters of non -nmonotheistic religions like Buddhism and Hinduism are persecuted.

If you open and explain to the world: here they are, these sources of intolerance, would it offend all the other Muslims? It is unlikely, after all, according to the concepts of the Salafites and Wahhabis, the Chiite Muslims who have lost from the path-that is, those who refuse to follow the letter of their teachings-must also be punished. Both both despise Sufism, the mystical practices of which are widespread among Sunnis.

Many influential representatives of Islam speak out against Salafi and Wahhabitic ideologies, but they are not supported by any significant political movement, and they rarely manage to convey their position through the chaos of contradictions in the media. (And in the Middle East they found themselves in a double environment: not only religious fanatics, but also local dictators are configured against them).

Jihad in Vahhabitsky

Meanwhile, the threat from the Salafis and Wahhabis grows to a large -scale jihad - the Islamic Holy War. (French political scientist Gilles Kepel in 2002 called this mixture of ultra-conservative Islam and the Holy War "Jihad Salafism.")

The main task of jihad is the protection and spread of Islam. For many centuries, Muslim scientists, lawyers and preachers have constituted numerous Jihad practice guidelines, which is designed to protect the interests of Islamic empires, their rulers, armies and peoples. Wahhabis and Salafites abandoned many of these rules, including restriction of the right to declare a sacred war, from a ban on the murder of civilians, from a register against suicides. Initially, exceptions from this rule were suicide bombers-by the right of conducting "martyrs". Salafites and Wahhabis expanded the status of the martyrs: now they also include innocent Muslims who died at the hands of the warrior of Allah along with the enemies of Islam.

The online magazine of Jihadists Inspire advises the novice warrior Allah: “Choose a goal ... An example of a small, easily accessible and suitable target can be a military recruiter center, night club, highway or a crowded center”

Historically, jihad obliges Muslims to fight only with an armed enemy. Modern jihadists demand that their followers wage a sacred war with unarmed citizens, including peaceful Muslims. If earlier Christians suffered, provided that they subordinate to the faithful tradition, now the followers of the teachings of Christ are outlawed, because their very existence tempts to betray the “true faith”. At the same time, the modern warriors of Allah receive moral satisfaction from attacks that it gives the residents of the West of joy in life: Parisian terrorist attacks occurred in the entertainment-restaurant area of ​​the city and near the stadium. The reprisal in the American gay club also illustrates the custom of killing young and happy.

Showing archaic executions: decapitation of enemies or their burning alive, the crucifixion of the infidels, the abstract of women with stones, dropping homosexuals from the roof is a warning to everyone who dares to resist the new sacred war. Including Muslims: it was repeatedly reported on the compassion and bodily punishments in Mosul, the second largest city of Iraq, which the Islamic state *** captured in 2014.

The wolves are not alone

The form of participation in the modern sacred war has also changed, contributing to the spread of radical terrorism. Examples of this are mass killings in Orlando and San Bernardino in December last year, explosions at the Boston Marathon in April 2013 and murders at the Fort Shud military base in 2009. All these attacks were committed by loners who acted on their own, without any direct instructions from above.

This approach to the fancy war was formulated by the al-Qaeda tactics **** Mustafa Abdul-Kadir Set-Mariam, known as Abu Musab al-Suri. Over the past few years, he has developed a form of participation in Jihad, which has been based not on membership in a centralized hierarchical organization (like al-Qaeda itself **** ), but in involving individuals who share general “beliefs” at any point in the world in the “system of actions”. Al-Suri called this scheme "Personal jihad."

In his opinion, any Muslim can participate in the Holy War. The faithful jihadist is not required to belong to any group. If desired, he can declare loyalty to the “Islamic state” * , but this does not oblige formal membership or direct communication with the group. Autonomous fighters operate at their pace, independently plan promotions and prepare for them alone. The online magazine of jihadists Inspire advises the beginner warrior of Allah to conduct terrorist activities based on his “abilities”: “Choose the goal. There are a lot of goals, so consider all possible options. An example of a small, easily accessible and suitable target is a military recruiting center, night club, highway or a crowded shopping center. ”

It is possible that this advice was adopted by Omar Matin. The killer from Orlando had valuable deadly qualities: he was a certified guard and knew how to handle weapons. Matina did not have a criminal past that would closed the doors of the weapon store in front of him. His connection with the world of Jihad was so subtle that the FBI agents interrogated previously did not suspect anything. The jihadist from Orlando knew the central Florida well, where he lived, and chose a suitable goal. Something small and easily accessible: the night club Pulse.

In the West, such a terrorist is called a "lone wolf." But of course, the wolf is not at all alone. Mentors, instructions and support of the “personal sacred war” - all this is easily accessible on the network.

What to do?

How to protect American citizens from "single wolves" in their home country?

President Obama was in a difficult situation, which he himself was partly to blame. It was he who entered the United States in a sluggish war in Iraq and Syria against the “Islamic state” * - the main source of inspiration of the “personal jihad” soldiers. He is trying to prove that the internal threat and military operations outside the United States are not related to each other, but does not explain how these operations help not to allow terrorist attacks within the country.

Both main candidates for the presidency are united in the opinion that it is necessary to collect more information about potential jihadis-individuals. Trump intends to install a video surveillance system in mosques and interview local residents. These ideas could cause more approval if Trump had not insulted Muslims and minorities in his inherent aggressive manner. As for the "intensification of intelligence" by the Clinton recipe, it is hardly different from Obama's policy. The word "activation" itself is more like a slogan than a real plan; You involuntarily recall the sensational call of George Bush in 2007 to “activate the troops” in Iraq to restrain the riots with the participation of Al-Qaeda **** .

Muslim leaders of the United States, for their part, did not dare to name the sources of jihadist distortion of Islam. Although all the information about the differences between the dominant Sunni Islam and the beliefs of the Salafites and Wahhabis is easily available, including on the Internet. The network may also be useful to convey to people the idea that the goal of jihad is not only infidels, but also most Muslims.

Of course, it is not enough to win only in an ideological struggle. But to the cessation of endless military operations in the Middle East, most of which occurs with the participation of foreign powers, including the United States, and which have become decorations for the heyday of jihad, there is no need to hope - regardless of who will become the new president of the United States.

** * “Islamic State” (IGIL) is a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation.

**** “Al-Qaeda” is a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation.