bestcurrentnews 2016 Ramadan Prayer

The Root of Modern Day Islamic Terrorism: Part 2

2016 Ramadan GraphicIn the late 1980s, two new leaders became prominent in radical Islam: Osama bin Laden from Saudi Arabia and Ayman al-Zawahiri from Egypt. Both of these men followed the ideology of a teacher named, Abdullah Azzam. The Investigative Project on Terrorism describes Azzam:

Azzam is more responsible than any Arab figure in modern history for galvanizing the Muslim masses to wage an international holy war against all infidels and non-believers until the enemies of Islam were defeated… Azzam helped bring about the mobilization of the Muslim Brotherhood movement more than any other leader. Today, the military wing of Hamas in the West Bank is called the Abdellah Azzam Brigades.

Al-Qaeda, which is Arabic for “the Base” was founded in 1988 by Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden and Abdullah Azzam recruited and trained thousands of “holy warriors” from more than fifty countries to fight in Afghanistan. Following the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, al-Qaeda began to attack western interests around the world.

Al-Zawahiri took over the leadership of Egyptian Islamic Jihad in 1993. In 1998, the group joined with five other radical groups including al-Qaeda to form the World Islamic Front for Jihad against Jews and Crusaders. One of the first joint acts of terror was the bombings of U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

When bin Laden was killed in May 2011, Ayman al-Zawahiri became the leader of al Qaeda – and still is. He has spent his life in “jihad” and is responsible for many terrorist attacks. He criticized the Brotherhood in his book “The Bitter Harvest”, condemning them for “taking advantage of the Muslim youths’ fervor by … steer[ing] their onetime passionate, Islamic zeal for jihad to conferences and elections.”

ISIS, a Sunni jihadi terrorist group had close links with al-Qaeda until February of 2014. The split between the groups came after al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was unable to stop fighting between ISIS and another rebel group, Jabhat al-Nusra. ISIS is known for its strict interpretation of Islamic (sharia) law and brutal violence including beheadings, rapes, and floggings.

Modern day terrorism started with Hassan al-Banna’s desire to see the Caliphate restored and continue today through groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS. The techniques for domination may differ from the Muslim Brotherhood, but the goal is ultimately the same.

Prayer Point:

Non-Islamic nations have very little understanding of the basic teachings of radical Islam and the seriousness of their message. Pray that our leaders will receive teaching about the radical side of political Islam and respond with God’s wisdom and insight to deal with the challenge and protect the innocent.

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Ramadan 2013 – Day 28 – Al Qaeda “Inspiring” Terror

2013 Ramadan PrayerThe U.S. State Department announced that nineteen embassies will remained closed this week because of a “specific” and “serious” terrorist threat from an al-Qaeda affiliate.

Al-Qaeda, which is Arabic for “the Base” was founded in the late 1980s by Osama bin Laden. It grew out of a clearinghouse for the international Muslim brigade, called the Services Office that opposed the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Bin Laden and Palestinian religious scholar Abdullah Azzam recruited and trained thousands of “holy warriors” from more than fifty countries to fight in Afghanistan. After the 1988 Soviet pledge to withdraw troops from the nation, bin Laden created al-Qaeda.

Al-Qaeda does not have a single, central headquarters. The U.S. government reports the organization has a worldwide presence consisting of at least several thousand members and associates from as many as 100 nations. Al-Qaeda cells have been found in the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Albania, Uganda and other nations.

Al-Qaeda is also affiliated with other “like-minded” terrorist organizations located in nations such as Egypt, Libya, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Kashmir, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Southeast Asia, along with Al-Qaeda groups in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq and the Islamic Maghreb. Intelligence experts also believe al-Qaeda cooperates on logistics and training with Hezbollah, a radical, Shiite, Iran-based terrorist group. Al-Qaeda training camps have been located in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Kenya and Sudan.

Terror attacks linked to Al-Qaeda include:

  • August 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania (killed 301 and injured 5,000)
  • October 2000 attack on the USS Cole (killed 17 and injured 39)
  • September 11, 2001 attacks in NY, DC and Pennsylvania (killed 2,996 and injured over 6,000)
  • April 2002 bombing in Tunisia (killed 19 and injured 22)
  • October 2002 attack on French tanker, MV Limburg near Yemen (killed 1 and injured 4)
  • October 2002 attack on U.S. military personnel in Kuwait (killed 1)
  • October 2002 nightclub bombing in Bali, Indonesia that (killed 202 and injured 209)
  • November 2002 hotel bombing in Mombasa, Kenya (killed 15 and injured 40)
  • May 2003 bombing of compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (killed 36 and injured 160)
  • May 2003 bombings in Casablanca, Morocco (killed 41 and injured 101)
  • August 2003 bombing of the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia (killed 17 and injured 137)
  • November 2003 truck bombing of a Riyadh housing complex (killed 17 and injured 122)
  • November 2003 bombings of two Turkish synagogues (killed 23 and injured 200)
  • November 2003 Istanbul bombings of the British Consulate and HSBC Bank (killed 27 and 455 injured)
  • March 2004 bomb attacks on Madrid commuter trains (killed 191 and injured 2050)
  • July 2005 bombing in London (killed 56 and injured approximately 700)
  • February 2006 attack on Abqaiq petroleum processing facility in Saudi Arabia (4 killed)
  • December 2009 attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines flight

The al-Qaeda affiliate in the Arabian Peninsula reportedly is the group that publishes Inspire Magazine, an online English magazine used to spread al-Qaeda’s message and methods. The first issue appeared in July of 2010, and the latest issue released in May 2013 claims it was the inspiration for the Boston Marathon bombing.

In a 2012 issue of Inspire, Australia was named as a prime target for terrorism. The magazine contained instructions to build an “ember bomb” saying it was the best way to start destructive fires and detailed the best times of the year to begin fires in different parts of Australia.

Prior to the Boston Marathon bombings the “Lone Mujahid Pocketbook” was released online that said its contents were collected from Inspire Magazine Issues 1-10. Included in this publication were instructions on how to torch parked vehicles, cause road accidents, start forest fires, destroy buildings, and make bombs including using iron pipes, pressure cookers, fire extinguishers and empty propane canisters.

The Washington Post reported Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (Boston Marathon bombing) told investigators that he and his brother learned to make pressure cooker bombs from the online magazine. He also claims he was inspired by online sermons of Anwar al-Awlaki, editor of the magazine until he was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2011. The latest issue of the magazine also has an article about the beheading of British soldier, Lee Rigby calling the act “the dear price” of Western oppression, and a small article about the Oklahoma tornadoes calling them “divine wrath.”

In one of the most recent cases of an “al-Qaeda inspired” plot, two people were arrested in Canada for attempting to detonate three pressure-cooker bombs at a Canada Day event on July 1. Authorities do not believe they had any personal ties to al-Qaeda, however with the easy availability of Inspire Magazine, potential Jihadis are easily inspired and equipped by the organization through a virtual relationship.

Prayer Points:

Al-Qaeda and its affiliates have been directly responsible for nearly 4,000 deaths since 1998, however many attempts by terrorists have been stopped. Thank God for his protection over our nations. Pray that He will continue to expose the terrorist and their threats before they are able to carry through with their plans.

Pray for law enforcement around the world – that they will not grow weary in their quest to stop attacks, that they will be supported in their efforts and be properly trained to understand the ideology behind groups such as al-Qaeda.

Pray that Christians will remain ever vigilant in prayer even after seasons such as Ramadan and the Night of Power are over so that even if the authorities do not announce a “specific” and “serious” threat, the intercessors will be aware and ready to intercede.

Ask God to reach the hearts of the terrorists with His love and conviction and give them a desire for a different way of life through Christ.

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Ramadan 2013 – Day 22 – The Root of Modern Sunni Islamic Terrorism

2013 Ramadan PrayerModern Sunni Islamic terrorism can be traced back to the ideas and theories of two primary Islamist leaders, Hasan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood and Sayyid Qutb commonly referred to as “the father of modern [Islamic] fundamentalism”.

The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in 1928, is one of the most influential Islamist organizations in the modern world. The Brotherhood has provided the ideological background for almost all modern Sunni Islamic terrorist groups including Hamas, al Qaeda and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The Investigative Project on Terrorism says the Muslim Brotherhood has “grown exponentially, from only 800 members in 1936, to over 2 million in 1948, to its current position as a pervasive international Sunni Islamist movement, with covert and overt branches in over 70 countries.”

The Brotherhood’s goal is to first restore the historical Islamic Caliphate and then expand the Caliphate’s authority to the entire world through both violent and non-violent means. Founder Hassan Al-Banna said, “It is the nature of Islam to dominate, not to be dominated, to impose its law on all nations and to extend its power to the entire planet.” This ideology is reflected in the creed of the Muslim Brotherhood, “God is our purpose, the Prophet our leader, the Qur’an our constitution, jihad our way and dying for Allah our supreme objective.” Al-Banna was shot by an assassin in 1949.

In addition to Hasan al-Banna, the works of Sayyid Qutb impacted the philosophy of the Muslim Brotherhood. Today Qutb may actually be more influential than al-Banna among Islamic radicals. His books can easily be found in bookstores in the West. Qutb’s book, Milestones has influenced Islamic extremists such as al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, current leader of al-Qaeda.

The premise of Milestones was that the world had degraded into a state of ignorance like the world prior to Muhammad’s existence. Qutb believed apostate rulers and the establishment of Islamic states through jihad was the only way to solve this state of ignorance. According to Qutb, since Arab secular leaders such as Egyptian President Nasser did not follow the sharia, he felt the Egyptian government should be resisted. After a Muslim Brotherhood member attempted to assassinate President Nasser in 1954, the organization was outlawed and dissolved by Nasser. He burned down its headquarters and arrested approximately 15,000 of its members and executed some of them, including Qutb.

The ideology behind the Muslim Brotherhood continues to drive the organization. Whether through overt or covert means – the infiltration into western governments, universities and political organizations continues to put freedom and safety at risk around the world.

Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader said, “What remains is to conquer Rome. This means Islam will come back to Europe for the third time, after it was expelled from it twice…Conquest through Da’wa [proselytizing], that is what we hope for. We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America! Not through sword but through Da’wa.”

Prayer Points:

Most Muslims desire to live in peace. Pray they will overcome their fears and rise up against organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood, al Qaeda, Hamas and others that are militant.

The Muslim Brotherhood members in western nations present themselves as peace loving and just another group – and yet their website and documents that have been exposed present a different picture. Ask God to expose the truth in our nations about the Muslim Brotherhood and cause leaders to understand their intent.

Pray that Christians will not fear Islam or Islamic terrorism. Pray they will boldly expose the evil in the system, while proclaiming the message of the gospel of the Kingdom of God to those caught in its grip.