THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume XII, Issue # 259, December 20, 2010
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
SWEDISH JIHAD REVELATIONS
By Raymond Ibrahim
THE ULTIMATE DETERMINANTS OF A JIHADI TERROR ATTACK ON A PARTICULAR COUNTRY: CAPABILITY &
TIMING. EVEN THE MOST NEUTRAL COUNTRY THAT HAS NO DEALINGS WITH ISLAM IS A POTENTIAL TARGET FOR
ISLAMIST TERRORISM. IF & WHEN THE COUNTRY IS ATTACKED IS BASED ON IF & WHEN THE ISLAMIC WORLD
RESURRECTS THE CALIPHATE. ONCE A MILITARILY CAPABLE CALIPHATE IS ESTABLISHED, OFFENSIVE JIHAD TO
SUBJECT THE WORLD TO ISLAMIC DOMINATION BECOMES NO LESS OBLIGATORY THAN ENDEAVORING TO RESTRICT
WESTERN FREEDOMS IN ORDER TO STIFLE MOCKERY OF MUHAMMED. ISLAMIST ANIMOSITY FOR NON-MUSLIMS IS
INTRINSIC, KEPT AT BAY ONLY BY CIRCUMSTANCE.
FULL STORY:
Back in 2004, in one of his most recognized messages to America, Usama bin Laden, responding to then President
George Bush Jr.'s claims that Al-Qa'ida hates freedom, rhetorically asked, "If so [if Al-Qa'ida hates freedom], let him
[Bush] explain to us why we have not attacked Sweden, for example."
Days ago, on December 11, 2010, an Al-Qa'ida affiliated suicide bomber attacked Sweden — the first terrorist attack in
Sweden in three decades, and its first ever suicide attack. The attempt largely failed (only the bomber died, two Swedes
were injured). Even so, it "could have been truly catastrophic," said one official.
So much for Sweden epitomizing Al-Qa'ida's "respect" for freedom. Why the change in policy? In fact, according to an
audio-recording issued by the terrorists minutes before the attack, the vitriol is such that "all Mujahadeen [jihadists] in
Europe and Sweden" are to prepare for action: "Now is the time to strike, don't wait any longer."
Would-be future jihadists were further advised to attack with "whatever you have, even if it is a knife" — a bag of nails
was found near the body of the suicide bomber — indicating that the jihadists may have been taking lessons from
Al-Qa'ida's popular online magazine, Inspire, which, among other things, offers creative tips on how to transform
household items into lethal weapons.
As for motives, according to the audio-recording, there are three: Sweden will be a target of the jihad "as long as you do
not end [1] your war against Islam, [2] your humiliation of the Prophet, and [3] your stupid support for the pig Vilks."
The first point — "war against Islam" — appears to be a reference to Sweden's 500 troop presence in Afghanistan. Yet,
Sweden is only one of nearly fifty countries — including Muslim ones — to have a presence in Afghanistan; Turkey,
alone, has contributed nearly four times as many troops. And most of these nations have not (yet) been targeted.
Moreover, Sweden has been a troop contributing nation since July 24, 2003 — well over a year before Osama bin Laden
portrayed it as a neutral country, undeserving of attack. (Perhaps he meant Switzerland, which is known for its neutrality,
and is often conflated with Sweden by Middle Easterners?)
The second and third reasons cited — "humiliation of the Prophet" and "support for Vilks" — are one and the same and,
in fact, the immediate reason behind the attack. Context: back in 2007, Swedish artist Lars Vilks drew unflattering
caricatures of the Muslim prophet Muhammad. Since then, Al-Qa'ida has set a bounty on him (the reward increases if he
is "slaughtered like a lamb"); he has already been physically assaulted and his house nearly burned down.
Swedish freedom of speech and expression, then, is what prompted the attack. In fact, eliminating Western freedoms —
or at least conforming them to the dictates of Shari'a law, which, among other things, forbids mockery of Muhammad —
is a longstanding Islamist goal. Nor is it limited to violence; rather, the West's very legal system is being exploited,
through Islamist "lawfare" designed to censor free speech concerning Islam (prompting countermeasures such as the
Middle East Forum's Legal Project).
More generally speaking, when assessing why jihadists attack this or that country, there are other factors to consider,
such as capability and timing ("Now is the time to strike, don't wait any longer," said the recording). The fact is, from an
Islamist point of view, Sweden has long been deserving of attack, simply for contributing the 500 troops to Afghanistan
— just as the nearly fifty contributing nations are all fair game.
More to the point, even the most neutral country that has no dealings with Islam is a potential target; if and when it gets
attacked is based on if and when the Islamic world resurrects the caliphate — again, capability and timing being the
ultimate determinants. Once a militarily capable caliphate is established, offensive jihad to subject the world to Islamic
dominion becomes no less obligatory than stifling mockery of Muhammad. In short, it is not about what this or that
country does; Islamist animosity for infidels (i.e., unbelievers, or non-Muslims) is intrinsic, kept at bay only by
circumstance.
And so, to respond to Usama bin Laden's 2004 question "why we [Al-Qa'ida] have not attacked Sweden," the answer is
— because the time was not quite right then.
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
Lawfare -- The Use of Law as a Weapon in War & Politics:
Islamist Lawfare & the "Legal" Jihad Against America & the West
Political Correctness, Censorship, Thought Control:
Supression of Unacceptable Views & Opinions
Islamism & Jihadism -- The Threat of Radical Islam
Page Three
Page Two
Page One
Middle East -- Arabs, Arab States,
& Their Middle Eastern Neighbors
American Foreign Policy -- The Middle East
International Politics & World Disorder:
War, Peace, & Geopolitics in the Real World:
Foreign Affairs & U.S. National Security
Page Two
Page One
Islamist Terrorist Attacks on the U.S.A.
Osama bin Laden & the Islamist Declaration of War
Against the U.S.A. & Western Civilization
Islamist International Terrorism &
U.S. Intelligence Agencies
Counterterrorism & U.S. National Security
U.S. National Security Strategy
Raymond Ibrahim, a historian of Islam, Islamism and the Middle East, is the Associate Director of the Middle East Forum,
a guest lecturer at the National Defense Intelligence College, and the editor of The Al-Qa'ida Reader, a collection
of tranlations of key texts and documents of the Islamist movement. Ibrahim's translations of the religious texts and
political propaganda comprising this collection help readers comprehend the origins, development, history, and serious
danger of the Islamist war doctrines of Usama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Founders of Al-Qa'ida and
implacable enemies of the U.S.A. and the West.
The foregoing article by Raymond Ibrahim was originally published in Hudson New York, December 20, 2010, and
can be found on the Internet website maintained by the Middle East Forum, a foreign policy think tank which seeks to
define and promote American interests in the Middle East, defining U.S. interests to include fighting radical Islam,
working for Palestinian Arab acceptance of the State of Israel, improving the management of U.S. efforts to promote
constitutional democracy in the Middle East, reducing America's energy dependence on the Middle East, more robustly
asserting U.S. interests vis-à-vis Saudi Arabia, and countering the Iranian threat.
(URL: http://www.meforum.org//2811/swedish-jihad-revelations)
Republished with Permission of the Middle East Forum
Reprinted from the Middle East Forum News
mefnews@meforum.org (MEF NEWS)
December 20, 2010
Return to Top of Page
Go to the WEBSITE INDEX
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Public Issues & Political Controversies
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
Most Recent Articles
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Volume XII, 2010
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Subject Matter Highlights
Return to POLITICAL EDUCATION Homepage
CONTACT & ACCESS INFORMATION
This is not a commercial website. The sole purpose of the website is to share with interested persons information regarding civics,
civic and social education, political science, government, politics, law, constitutional law and history, public policy and political
philosophy and history, as well as current and recent political developments, public issues, and political controversies.
POLITICAL EDUCATION, CONSERVATIVE ANALYSIS
POLITICS, SOCIETY, & THE SOVEREIGN STATE
Website of Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr.
Government, Politics, Public Policy, Legal Issues, Constitutional Law, Government & the Economy, Cultural Values, Foreign Affairs,
International Relations, Military Defense & National Security, Geopolitics, Terrorism & Homeland Security, American National Interests,
Political Systems & Processes, Political Institutions, Political Ideologies, & Political Philosophy
INDEX FOR THE ENTIRE WEBSITE
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Conservative & Free-Market Analysis of Government, Politics & Public Policy, Covering Political, Legal, Constitutional, Economic,
Cultural, Military, International, Strategic, & Geopolitical Issues
Conservative Government Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity