Global Jihad: temi, piste di diffusione e il fenomeno del reducismo ...

This axiom, however, has to be considered less than absolute. As the harsh
condemnations issued by prominent clerics (but also from important islamist radical
leaders)
against al-Qa’ida 9/11 attacks have shown, the islamist field is not
monolithic and the risk of new deep fractures remains extremely high.
Furthermore, islamist radical organizations have always considered
legitimacy as
one of the main pillars of their struggle and they have always avoided to violate
universally recognized Islamic principles without a valid justification guaranteed by
a recognized religious authority. This stance is due to the fact that, especially in the
complex Islamic environment, legitimacy represents one of the key of the popular
support which is fundamental to prolong the struggle these organization
are
fighting.
In this regard, it is important to underline that, until 2003, no religious authority –
except ayatollah Khomeini in the Shia world – has issued any pronouncement on the
issue related to the un-Islamic character of WMDs. On May 2003 this silence was
broken by Shayk Nasir bin Hamid al-Fahd’s fatwa which legitimates the use of such
weapons against enemies responsible for killing thousands of the faithful and against
whom this kind of weapon represents the only possible means of achieving final
victory, even this could killing innocent Muslims too 137 .
This fatwa represents an important step towards the threat represented by the
acquisition of WMD by islamist radical organizations but it is also necessary to
consider that, even if there
hasn’t been any official confutation of al-Fahd’s thesis, the
issue remains extremely controversial and clarified in a definitive way.
An additional motive for the use of high impact weapons has also been suggested -
that of the ‘shock factor’. The threat of use of these weapons incites substantial
psychological, political and economic damage to the affected State and its population
(and possibly its neighbours). It has been noted:
137 Sammy Salama – Lydia Hansell, Does intent equal capability? Al-Qaeda and Weapons of Mass Destruction,
Nonproliferation Review, Vol. 12, No 3, November 2005, pp. 627-628
217