April 01, 2005

Sunni Clerics Supporting Iraqi Police and Troops

Sometimes the good news coming out of Iraq is good, but we try to spin it with our optimistic enthusiasm in such a way as to over state the significance of the event. This news is very good--and that may be an understatement.

Those fighting us in Iraq are largely convinced that what they are doing is right in the sight of Allah. Religious motivations are essential to the 'resistance'.

When top Sunni clerics begin issuing fatwas calling on believers to join the Iraqi Army and police, you know something is going very very right. Middle East Online:

A statement signed by 64 Sunni clerics was released as the community, which largely boycotted national elections two months ago, watched the Shiite majority and Kurds grab the levers of power and dominate the military and police.

"Because the army and police are the safeguard of the nation, as it is the nation's army and not an army of some militias or any other party, a group of clerics and scholars have issued a fatwa (religious decree) to call on the people to join the army," the statement said....

"Keeping people and the country safe is a must which is not to be done but through faithful army and police elements," the clerics' statement said.

The statement said Sunnis should join the state's security apparatus "because without good elements in police and army, some other bad elements might find a way to infiltrate.

The statement included the signatures of such hardline Sunni luminaries as Sheikh Ahmed al-Samarrai, a member of the Sunni Muslim Waqf (endowment) and Sheikh Ahmed Hassan al-Taha, the preacher at Baghdad's radical Abu Hanifa mosque and the Samarra representative of the Committee of Muslim Scholars, which has back channels to the insurgency.

These are the same people that had labelled those working with the U.S. as 'collaboraters' and 'infidels', thus giving justification for insurgents to wage jihad.

For instance, Sheik Ahmed al-Sammarrai had previously defended the 'resistance' (Middle East Online):

We must distinguish between terror and resistance. People have an internationally recognised right to defend their country, but the rifle should not be pointed at the Iraqi brother who is trying to keep the peace.

The same applies for the security forces, they should not target someone they are sure is out to get the occupation.

One cannot read any of the statements coming out of al Qaeda in Iraq, The Islamic Army in Iraq, or Ansar al-Sunna without coming to the conclusion that a heart felt belief that what they are doing is right is at the core of these terrorist groups. While such groups probably will not be swayed by these clerics issuing this fatwa, countless other small insurgent groups not aligned with foreign or salafist elements will.

Today is a very good day. The Commissar even suggests that this may be the day the tide turned. He may be right.

By Rusty Shackleford, Ph.D. at 12:36 PM | |