Criminizing Fatwas

Submitted by E. J. (United States), Sep 28, 2010 at 17:37

With all due respect to Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Daniel Huff, a fatwa calling for someone's death is not an intentional tort: it is an act of war. As such, the issuer of the fatwa should not be addressed through the courts, he should be addressed through military action. In issuing the fatwa, the individual has committed a terrorist act and should be treated as an illegal combatant, subject to immediate attack by our armed forces whereever located. The due process would be an executive order finding that such a fatwa had been issued and authorizing military action, not months or years of pointless court proceedings.

After all, what does the resident of another country have to fear from a civil suit? How can the average victim afford to pursue a court action for damages that, even if successful, can never be enforced? How does this help someone who is in fear for their very lives?

Islamists need to understand that the consequences for them will be as dire as those for the intended victim. They count on our unwillingness to effectively defend ourselves as they advance their agenda through stealth, violence and threat of violence.

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