The Most Important Question: On Inevitability And The War On Terror

What I am attempting here today might be overly ambitious. But I want to get at the most important thing you need to know about the so-called War on Terror. I am not suggesting that the War on Terror is false or foolhardy. There is undoubtedly the Islam-fueled machinery of terrorism aimed at the West. But what I am suggesting is that the War on Terror is not really aptly named. It would be like calling the practice of medicine a "War on Pain". Pain is only a symptom. Of course, sometimes medicine can only treat symptoms; the common cold is so treated. But a medical War on Pain is about etiology, about causes and origins. It is not about pain per se, but what the pain signifies. Hence, medicine is about treating causes; about eradicating threats to health. But even that is not the ultimate aim of medicine. Medicine is not ultimately about a War on Pain or Causes. It is ultimately about a War on Death.

Similarly, the War on Terror, playing out as a war on symptoms, should be a war against causes. But the causes are not failed foreign policy or trade imbalances or territory occupations. Those themselves are symptomatic. What the war is ultimately about is something far scarier, and far more elusive. The War on Terror is really a war about the nature of God. My aim is for this essay to be the most important thing you've ever read about radical Islam, and its aggressions toward the West. And it is to suggest two things: The West either needs to completely redefine its use of military force in this war, or it needs to stop such force altogether. In short, the War on Terror might be better fought by theologians than soldiers.

I begin with the National Geographic documentary "Inside 9/11". This well-done though imperfect and incomplete 4-hour film defines the key "causes" of 9/11, though it reaches only back into the deep history of 1980. That this is a tremendous shortfall is obvious, though the reason for this mistake is likewise obvious: Islam and the West have been at 0dds for over 1000 years, so a line must be drawn somewhere. What happened in 1980? The former Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, an invasion which was nothing but struggle for the Soviets for 8 years. Eventually, Muslim fighters – the mujahideen – backed with weapons supplied by the US' CIA, forced the great socialist state to retreat in defeat.

This defeat set the tone for men like Osama bin Laden (OBL): They were on the right side of God, as Allah decreed. This religious confidence would expand, finding itself expressed in the "defeat" of American forces in Mogadishu (backed by OBL) made infamous in the film, "Black Hawk Down" (I have read that Somalia celebrates an annual holiday in honor of its victory over America); through September 11, as Muslim crowds cheered the demolition of the World Trade Center; and even on through to today, as Israel completes its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Where does this confidence come from? Why do Muslims cheer as thousands die? And why have no major Islamic leaders – political or religious – denounced those horrific acts?

The confidence of Islam and its glee over and seeming indifference to death comes from one of the most important teachings of Islam. It is to this teaching that I will now turn.

al-Qadar

If you are at all familiar with the Calvinistic idea of predestination, then you are on the road to understanding the Islamic teaching of al-Qadar. It is, in simplest possible terms, the idea that an all-powerful, all-knowing Allah wills and decrees and foreknows every thing that comes to pass. That this teaching is fraught with difficulty is admitted by Muslim scholars the world over, as many struggle to maintain a concept of human free will in the presence of an omnipotent Allah. Of course, this same problem exists for Christian theologians, particularly those in the Calvinist tradition.

Granted, I have perhaps over-simplified the doctrine, but I have stated its essence accurately. One online definition and description is to be found here; a more thorough one can be read here or at this link.

Let me share three things I've learned over the years as I've studied this. First, this doctrine is not peripheral or tangential to Islam, it is essential. In fact, it is the sixth of the Six Articles of Belief. "Islam", let us remember, means "to submit or surrender"; the surrender of the Muslim (one who surrenders) to the will of Allah. Second, to deny or challenge this foundational doctrine is to risk divine judgment. And third, this teaching has led many to believe that Islam is essentially fatalistic: That there is nothing in life but inevitabililty; there is no personal control over destiny. In fact, G.K. Chesterton nearly 100 years ago repeatedly referred to Islam as the religion of fatalism. Muslims have actually addressed this charge (for an example, go here). For a discussion about such fate, study this link.

I want to highlight two statements regarding al-Qadar from sources already cited:

"Al-Qadar is a matter of Allah's Knowledge. No one can uncover his own Qadar but after it happens. One's intention to perform a deed precedes the action itself. He does not know what Al-Qadar holds for him."

"Allah created everything and nothing happens without His permission. He said that all actions taken by His slave happen by His Will, (If Allah had willed, succeeding generations would not have fought against each other, after clear Versus of Allah had come to them, but they differed, some of them believed and others disbelieved. If Allah had willed, they would not have fought against one another, but Allah does what He likes.) [2:253] and, (And if We had willed, surely! We would have given every person his guidance, but the Word from Me took effect (about evil-doers), that I will fill Hell with Jinn and mankind together.) [32:13].

"As for the mind, the universe is Allah's Kingdom and mankind are a part of this Kingdom. Therefore, all mankind are owned by Allah. The slave cannot do anything in this Kingdom unless its Lord, Allah, gives him permission."

THE PROBLEM

I hope the reader can guess where I am going here. I am suggesting something entirely simple, and it is this: When something occurs, whether it be the defeat of the Soviet army, the withdrawal of American troops from Somalia, a bombing in London or Madrid, or the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, Muslims MUST view those events as Allah's will, his Qadar. There is no other choice. And if you've read the articles to which I've linked, then you know that al-Qadar is not an easy teaching for Muslims: It is nearly impossible for them to separate a person's freedom from Allah's decree. In fact, if I were a Muslim, I would always choose, largely because of the difficulty of the teaching, to assign all actions to a sovereign deity in order not to offend that deity's omnipotent honor.

Osama bin Laden himself submits to this teaching, as proven by his comments released in December 2001. Surely we all remember the videotape, with OBL sitting in a cave speaking about 9/11 to a Saudi sheik? What did they say about the World Trade Center? They said this, translated of course [UBL is Usama bin Laden, a variant spelling]:

UBL: (... Inaudible...) we calculated in advance the number of casualties from the enemy, who would be killed based on the position of the tower. We calculated that the floors that would be hit would be three or four floors. I was the most optimistic of them all. (... Inaudible...) due to my experience in this field, I was thinking that the fire from the gas in the plane would melt the iron structure of the building and collapse the area where the plane hit and all the floors above it only. This is all that we had hoped for.

Shaykh: Allah be praised.

UBL: We were at (... inaudible...) when the event took place. We had notification since the previous Thursday that the event would take place that day. We had finished our work that day and had the radio on. It was 5: 30 p. m. our time. I was sitting with Dr. Ahmad Abu-al-(( Khair)). Immediately, we heard the news that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. We turned the radio station to the news from Washington. The news continued and no mention of the attack until the end. At the end of the newscast, they reported that a plane just hit the World Trade Center.

Shaykh: Allah be praised.

UBL: After a little while, they announced that another plane had hit the World Trade Center. The brothers who heard the news were overjoyed by it.

Shaykh: I listened to the news and I was sitting. We didn't... we were not thinking about anything, and all of a sudden, Allah willing, we were talking about how come we didn't have anything, and all of a sudden the news came and everyone was overjoyed and everyone until the next day, in the morning, was talking about what was happening and we stayed until four o'clock, listening to the news every time a little bit different, everyone was very joyous and saying "Allah is great," "Allah is great," "We are thankful to Allah," "Praise Allah." And I was happy for the happiness of my brothers. That day the congratulations were coming on the phone non-stop. The mother was receiving phone calls continuously. Thank Allah. Allah is great, praise be to Allah.

(Quoting the verse from the Quran) Shaykh: "Fight them, Allah will torture them, with your hands, he will torture them. He will deceive them and he will give you victory. Allah will forgive the believers, he is knowledgeable about everything."

Shaykh: No doubt it is a clear victory. Allah has bestowed on us... honor on us... and he will give us blessing and more victory during this holy month of Ramadan. And this is what everyone is hoping for. Thank Allah America came out of its caves. We hit her the first hit and the next one will hit her with the hands of the believers, the good believers, the strong believers. By Allah it is a great work. Allah prepares for you a great reward for this work.

(Read the complete transcript here)

What is the response to OBL's having learned that the towers have collapsed? "Allah be praised". It is more than anyone hoped for.

Hence, that the towers collapsed PROVES to (most?) Muslims that they were MEANT to collapse, by divine decree. In fact each terrorism attack that succeeds vindicates militant Islam's belief in its superiority to the religions of other nations. Moreover, Muslims can't really denounce something if it has already occurred: Allah willed it!

Where does that then leave us? It leaves us in the heart of a theological debate, even if each of us in the West living under Osama bin Laden's fatwa is an atheist. There is no way around this religious issue. It is the heart of the struggle, and that struggle begs this most important question: Is the deity of Islam WILLING the West's destruction or not?

It is food for thought.

(Click here for Part II)

©Bill Gnade 2005/Contratimes - All rights reserved.