Re: inquiry

Two things regarding this question:

First: suicide bombings were used by the Vietcong and Cuban revolutionaries
as a war fighting tactic long before they appeared in the Muslim world.
They are currently employed by the Tamil Tigers to far deadlier effect than
any Muslim group until the WTC bombings.  So what the "Islamic concept of
heaven" has to do with "9/11 and the US response" baffles me.

Second:  it is true that "Islam means peace," but what is meant by peace
here is not peace between states, or  peace defined as an absence of war.
More specifically, Islam means "peace through submission" to God.  Peace
here refers more to a spiritual state than a condition in society.  If you
read the Quran, you will find that 70 percent or so of it is full of talk
of war.  In the rush to counter warmongering jingoism, lets not kid
ourselves.  War is not alien to Islam.  The Salafiyah cadres know their
doctrines on Jihad very well.  They argue that this inner state of peace is
essential to victory in war.  We may not like to agree with them, but it is
not true that war is anathema to Islam altogether.  


Khurram Husain


At 02:03 PM 10/27/01 EDT, KSamman@aol.com wrote:
>>can anyone briefly discuss the Islamic concept of heaven. in particular,
what role does gender play in >>their conception of heaven. a good friend
is writing a column for a popular audience on 9/11 and the US >>response 
>
>He may want to also ask the question: 
>
>In order to learn more about the Oklahoma bombing and the US sponsoring of
terrorist organizations like the Contras (which killed 20,000 civilians
with the financial aid and training by the US), I'm also interested in the
Christian concept of heaven and especially how it pertains to the issue of
social justice.  Isn't the fact that this question is not asked of "the
West" but yet made repeatedly for Muslims a racialized question, even by
those liberals who are well meaning?  I for one am tired for speaking for
the Muslim world.  "Islam means peace . . ." and all that stuff.
>
>Khaldoun Samman
>
>