Takfiri narrative of the Enemy

Submitted by Arif Jayish Al Amirki (United States), Jun 22, 2008 at 22:33

Dr. Pipes,

I am sure a scholar such as yourself is familar with the term "Takfiri". For those who aren't:

"Those who excommunicate, or 'declare kufr', mainstream Muslim individuals, societies and leaders, and then kill them".

This is the name the Anbar Awakening has adopted for its enemy AQIZ (Al Qaeda in Iraq). And from a marketing and Information Operations standpoint, it caught on like wildfire. In fact the term "The Takfiri War" is catching on in the COIN community as well. I mention it here because; if you put the word "Muslim" or "Islam" or the word "jihad" in any discussion about the enemy, you alienate most of the Muslims who hear it, however well meaning their intentions are, it also allows the enemy to define himself as a defender of Islam, by default anyone opposing them is an aggressor - thereby justifying "Defensive" Jihad. (It would be more accurately called passive-aggressive jihad in their case, but never mind).

Use takfir, and you cut the ideological legs right out from under them. Best of all, their own favorite philosopher - Ibn Taymiyyah - came up with the term. (I realize it's not a perfect argument. This is war, good enough for government work). For more info, see below.

smallwarsjournal.com/blog/2008/05/well-intended-but-largely-mist/

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