Jalal Abualrub, 2015
News about the violence of today’s jihadis has become universally familiar, and so have their numerous names, Da`ish (ISI, ISIL, ISIS, IS), Al-Qa’idah, An-Nusrah, Ash-Shabab, Boko Haram, and so forth. Their names and news seem to have entered every house on earth. Hardly a day passes without news organizations and various governments mentioning these groups and using a collection of terms to describe them and describe their actions: murderous, abhorrent, they killed life (Iran’s leaders invented this one), extremist, terroristic, violent, barbaric, they resemble the worst in humanity (the Times said it), a menace (David Cameron used that), etc.; or to summarize, they call them, Jihadis.
Even Iran, of all countries, has been asked to help against ISIS, in spite of Iran’s nuclear weapons program; Iran’s support for murderous Shi`a gangs, such as Al-Quds, `Asa-ib Al-`Haqq, Mahdi Armies, Al-`Hashd Ash-Sha`bi, and similar savage groups who have killed countless Muslims in Iraq under the command of sectarian criminals, such as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, former Iraqi prime minister Nuri Al-Maliki, Muqtada
Remember the more than 350,000 Muslims killed in Syria by the inhumane Shi`a Alwai regime of Bashar Al-Asad supported by the murderous forces of Russia, Hezbollah and Iran; the western invasion of Afghanistan that cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of Muslims, mostly civilians; the million civilian Muslims killed because of the western invasion of Iraq; these incidents are irrelevant. Forget Israel’s killing of thousands of Muslims in Gaza, mostly civilians; the death and destruction caused by Christian terrorist groups in Africa against Muslims, especially the [Christian] Army of God; the violence, uprooting, and killing being committed against Muslims in Burma. All these, and many other incidents of mass atrocities committed against Muslims, mostly Sunnis, are being treated by the West as of less importance than battling ISIS.
The fact is that all the violence ISIS and every other jihadi group has committed, combined, cannot possibly compare to the death and destruction the West, directly or indirectly, caused by their invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan alone. Another fact: most of the violence committed by jihadi groups and western powers
Another fact: hypocrisy is the trademark of the age we live in. Hypocrisy dictates that wherever and whenever Islam is involved, even if vaguely, western governments, western media organizations, western political and religious institutions, along with the western masses that believe them, magnify the perceived danger, raise the
They also, typically, use the actions of today’s jihadis to discredit Islam and its laws, while knowing well that today’s jihadis defy Islam and its laws. As stated, they largely ignore more violent acts if not committed by Muslims, or at least do not keep the news alive for as long as they keep circulating the news about jihad, the
Even though jihadi groups have numerous names, the actions associated with them are similar in that they all carry the exclusive trademark of Khawarij practices and methods used throughout history. They attack civilians, mostly Sunni Muslims, revolt against Sunni Muslim governments and societies, while accusing them of reverting from Islam, commit uncontrolled, indiscriminate violence, attack civilian non-Muslims, capture prisoners from Muslims and non-Muslims without
Modern-day jihadis claim to want to resurrect Islam and its Shari’ah laws, especially in the areas of politics, Islamic law, and jihad. Instead, their actions contradict the very fabric of Islam and its Shari’ah laws. Consequently, Islamic tenets and terms, such as
The Search for the Mother of All Beheadings
Every recent war against jihadis did not start because of the killing and destruction they caused among [Sunni] Muslims. Western countries are able, ready, and willing to wage war against ISIS, not because they overran huge areas in Iraq and Syria; not because hundreds of thousands of Sunni Muslims in Iraq and Syria were displaced and became refugees because of ISIS; not because ISIS attacked Iraqi and Syrian Christians and Yazidis, capturing many of their girls for sale as slaves (as we are told); not because ISIS beheaded and executed so many Muslim men, even women and children, mostly Sunnis. The West wages war against ISIS because they beheaded a few western men.
Beheadings: Comparisons and Contrasts
Westerners are peculiar. They treat the beheading of a few of their men by ISIS as if was the most horrific act since the killing of Adam’s son, Cain, by his other son, Able. It seems that it will always be written in western psyche that in 2014, ISIS beheaded three western men. However, by
The French Revolution:Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, these being the slogans of the French revolution, have always captivated and fascinated the West. Westerners consider the French Revolution to be the beginning of modern western civilization, especially their culture of freedom, equal citizenship, and sense of community. Except that the French revolution was far from being a model or a symbol for anything other than mayhem, extreme violence, death, destruction, backwardness and, of course, the guillotine. The French did away with a king, who they beheaded, and then raised his severed head to the crowds. However, the French soon were content to install an emperor to escape the horrors of their own revolution that caused the death of hundreds of thousands of French men, women and children. At the lowest estimate, 16,594 French men and women were guillotined, beheaded, during the revolution; others estimate the true number to be at least 40,000. This did not stop the West from glorifying this revolution, never using the word ‘terrorist’ to describe those who supervised this bloody carnage, nor did they attack the culture that produced this terrible violence with the same choice of words they now use against jihadis. Odd as it may seem, America was especially impressed with this revolution and modelled their own revolution and society based on it.
People who were beheaded: we do not have much confidence in Wikipedia, but most of the cases on this list are verifiable:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_who_were_beheaded.
On this Wikipedia page, press ‘control’ then ‘f’, and type: ‘terror.’ You will find that every case of the word ‘terror’ found, is indeed ascribed to Muslims, where they are said to be the aggressor. Every case of a Christian listed here is either mentioned as a martyr, or it is said were killed for not becoming Muslim, or were killed by jihadi terrorists. Except for this entry, “Note: some estimates place the number of persons executed by the guillotine, particularly during the Reign of Terror, at 40,000.” However, even though the word ‘terror’ is used here, it does not necessarily mean that those who did it were terrorists as we define the word today; the perpetrators were not Muslim.
UK Beheadings: On the same Wikipedia page, look up the history of the UK with regards to beheadings. Britain may very well be qualified to be the mother of all beheaders.
Huangdi Beheadings: However, there is very strong competition coming from the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi. He reportedly had 435,000 people beheaded, but who is counting? He offered his soldiers a cash prize for every severed head of enemy soldiers they brought him.
Mexican Cartel: How many times did you hear of the four women who were beheaded by the Mexican cartel? DO NOT SEE THE VIDEO, PLEASE! But you can read about the violence of Mexican drug cartels here:
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/02/world/americas/mexico-drug-war-fast-facts/
El Ponchis Beheadings: Ever heard about this American man? On the same Wikipedia page mentioned above, read this: “July 27, 2011 – Edgar Jimenez Lugo, known as “El Ponchis” or “The Cloak”, a 14-year-old American citizen with suspected drug cartel ties, is found guilty of beheading at least four people and sentenced to the maximum for a juvenile, three years in a Mexican correctional facility.” Note how El Ponchis is not called a terrorist, and how his religion is not attached to his crime. He only spent a total of 9 months for each head he severed. ISIS got a coalition of 50 countries for beheading only three western men, one less than El Ponchis!
Mexican Cartel Beheadings: Here, read how a Mexican drug cartel beheaded nine people …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSuxpPVEVpg.
Here read about the reign of terror by Mexican drug cartels, which includes beheadings, and ask
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mexican-drug-war-toll-47500-killed-in-5-years/
The beheading of an elderly man in America: This made CNN news, but briefly. The criminal(s) have not been found yet, and the good news is, it was not a terrorist (i.e., a Muslim) who did it, or else, it would have really made CNN news just like the recent beheading of a woman in Oklahoma by a mad lunatic who is claimed to be Muslim.
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/08/justice/georgia-elderly-man-decapitated-wife-missing/
British beheading crime went almost without mention in the news. Of course, the man is described as being mad (mentally unstable) when he did it, since he is not Muslim. But if it were a Muslim –who is mad- who did it, he is still called an Islamic terrorist
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/4755617.stm
When Was the Final French Beheading? Most people, including the French, may think that the guillotine was ‘fired’ with the beheading of the revolutionary bloodthirsty lunatic, Robespierre. Think again. Do you know when the French government disallowed using the guillotine? Do you know that it was only in 1977 that the guillotine was used for the last time? Also, “In the 1950s to the 1970s, the number of executions steadily decreased … President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing oversaw the last executions. Up to 1981, the French penal code stated
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_France
Well, this incident is not exactly execution by beheading, but why is not this crime classified as terrorism?
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/01/us/intruder-kills-chickens/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
So, Which Is the Mother of All Beheadings?
According to the West, the killing of 3 western men is the ‘mother of all beheadings’ deserving a coalition of 50 countries. The fourth and successive ISIS beheading of western men happened after the western war against ISIS had already started. According to logic and history, none can compete with the first Chinese emperor; the guillotine comes in a second; the UK comes in a close third; ISIS comes far later on the list, right after El Ponchis! The hypocrisy that reigns today is not normal.