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

10. The war in Iraq – apocalyptic visions
The war in Iraq and the Jihadi insurgency there are naturally accompanied by
reactions of al-Qa’ida, its front groups, and its many supporters and sympathizers in
the Arab and Muslim world. It serves also as an important element in recruiting and
creating more anti-American, anti-Western, and anti-Jewish feelings among much
wider circles of Arabs and Muslims. The war is also a source for apocalyptic visions
for many Muslim youngsters, who express their views freely through the “virtual
global jihad” of the Internet.
Many of these supporters look at al-Qa’ida and the Taliban, as “those who raise the
black banners” (Ashab al-rayat al-sud), that would come from the East on the eve of
the Islamic victory and proclaim the end of the world, to pave the way for the
appearance of the Mahdi. The longest article on this topic, based on many Islamist
sources, was posted on the net in March 9 th 2003, by its author Osama Azzam. 55 The
author based his consequences on primary sacred Islamic sources, but also on the
writings of contemporary scholars, mainly Abu Qutadah al-Filastini—one of the
leading scholars of global jihad in the Arab world and Europe—and his famous book
Ma`alim Al-Tai’fah al-Mansurah (Characteristics of the secured community). 56
Azzam’s main conclusions are:
1. We are facing the coming end of the world:
“Following the above said, is there anyone that still doubts that we are approaching
the end of the world? Does anyone think that the hour is far? We are on the eve of
the total dismantling that would be followed by our clear victory”.
2. The characteristics of “the owners of the black banners and the secured
community” are identical to al-Qa’ida and the Taliban:
55 Osama Azzam, Hal Taliban wal-Qa’idah hum Ashab al-Rayat al-Sud? 9 March 2003. See on-line in:
www.dawh.net/vb/showthread.threadid?php=12125
56 See on-line in: http://www.tawhed.ws/r?i=733
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