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Taqiyya and Kitman: The role of Deception in Islamic Terrorism

Reader comment on item: Islamists, Get Out

Submitted by Donald Hudson (Singapore), Sep 1, 2005 at 11:35

Tradecraft. Persona. Deception. Disinformation. Cover: Western operational terms and techniques. But, Islamic terrorists have their own terms: taqiyya (pronounced tak-e-ya) : precautionary dissimulation or deception and keeping one's convictions secret and a synonymous term, kitman: mental reservation and dissimulation or concealment of malevolent intentions...

Taqiyya and kitman or 'holy hypocrisy' has been diffused throughout Arabic culture for over fourteen hundred years since it was developed by Shiites as a means of defence and concealment of beliefs against Sunni unbelievers. As the Prophet said: 'he who keeps secrets shall soon attain his objectives.'

The skilful use of taqiyya and kitman was often a matter of life and death against enemies; it is also a matter of life and death to many contemporary Islamic terrorists. As so often in the history of Islam, a theological doctrine became operational.

During the Spanish inquisition, Sunni Moriscos attended mass and returned home to wash their hands of the 'holy water'. In operational terms, taqiyya and kitman allowed the 'mujahadeen ' to assume whatever identity was necessary to fulfill their mission; they had doctrinal and theological and later jurisprudential sanction to pretend to be Jews or Christians to gain access to Christian and Jewish targets: 'the mujahadeen can take the shape of the enemy'.
According to Christian ethics lying is a sin; In Islamic jurisprudence and theology, the use of taqiyya against the unbelievers is regarded as a virtue and a religious duty.

Like many Islamic concepts taqiyya and kitman were formed within the context of the Arab-Islamic matrix of tribalism, expansionary warfare and conflict. Taqiyya has been used by Muslims since the 7th century to confuse and split 'the enemy'. A favored tactic was 'deceptive triangulation'; to persuade the enemy that jihad was not aimed at them but at another enemy. Another tactic was to deny that there was jihad at all. The fate for such faulty assessments by the target was death.

Submitting....

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Title Commenter Date Thread
21Islam has no future in the West [102 words]EricDJul 16, 2008 13:47135282
6Suicidal [76 words]PapaFeb 22, 2010 19:50135282
2No. [134 words]MuhammadSep 3, 2010 22:09135282
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what a powerful argument for the apologists to answer [4 words]rajeevSep 27, 2010 03:35135282
2PRIME EXAMPLE [10 words]Heathen RulerJun 26, 2011 13:59135282
6let in only good muslims [38 words]Phil GreendMay 18, 2008 01:35128970
6Among Muslims,Those who kill Infidels like you are considered the best. [69 words]James ThomasOct 11, 2010 17:58128970
1Who Told U this [177 words]ZeeshanDec 13, 2010 08:43128970
1Thanks all [231 words]Dr.KarimFeb 26, 2006 09:3138073
5be serious [93 words]not worriedApr 8, 2006 15:2838073
1To Dr Karim and Nida [113 words]wamahNov 7, 2006 17:3338073
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1excuse me??? [37 words]D. LennonAug 3, 2008 06:5935458
4ISLAM-The religion of peace [2755 words]Nida MukhtarJan 20, 2006 11:0432053
10Nida - Are you for real..? [336 words]TonyFeb 9, 2006 21:2532053
6Nida -Where were you Born? [44 words]EmileoFeb 10, 2006 07:3132053
nida...totally right.. [30 words]ahmad zafireFeb 15, 2006 03:4032053
1Jihad and Islam -Read it carefully friends [5159 words]Nida MukhtarFeb 18, 2006 10:1232053
1Missing The Point [62 words]BlewynFeb 22, 2006 10:2032053
2Sure... [20 words]AnneMar 9, 2006 20:5732053
Thanks Anne, Blewyn and Ahmad. [135 words]Nida MukhtarMar 13, 2006 11:5632053
As usual you are right Nida. [90 words]F. AnwarApr 19, 2006 15:0532053
4‘al-Taqiyya' [348 words]PeteApr 29, 2007 02:0332053
5Islam is NOT peace - That statement is fallacious [47 words]FredJun 26, 2007 20:4032053
Nida i loved your effort [67 words]amna virkSep 23, 2007 07:1732053
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3reply to letter from NIDA MUKHTAR [87 words]Heinz SchmidJun 2, 2008 13:3132053
2Islam is a religion of a PIECE! [8 words]MunirAug 9, 2008 06:3832053
5Same old deceiption just like the title argument suggests [225 words]EvanOct 5, 2010 09:5632053
1If only [157 words]GarethOct 10, 2010 14:2732053
1Stop talking in circles. [12 words]GETHE,,,Feb 27, 2012 17:3032053
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1Canada's open welcome mat [15 words]ralphDec 26, 2005 15:0230576
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1Sydney Riots [455 words]GDec 18, 2005 19:5130163
3That's Allah Folks! [207 words]CFeb 21, 2006 17:5030163
To G [38 words]David SmithFeb 25, 2006 09:0230163
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Pipes' Bashing at Uni of Toronto [457 words]Patrick McGeeNov 4, 2005 16:3527786
2UofT administration continues to protect Muslims and increasingly abuse academic freedom [199 words]John FuredyJun 19, 2006 00:5327786
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to Rick [458 words]FreelancerSep 25, 2005 13:0026290
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165Taqiyya and Kitman: The role of Deception in Islamic Terrorism [318 words]Donald HudsonSep 1, 2005 11:3525320
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w/response from Daniel Pipes
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