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The
Wahhabi Myth (2nd Edition) - Dispelling Prevalent Fallacies
and the Fictitious Link with Bin Laden
By Haneef James Oliver
The 'Wahhabi'
Myth by Haneef James Oliver clarifies many of the gross
inaccuracies and outright lies that have been attributed
to the belief of the Salafi Muslims (often referred
to as "Wahhabis"). Although some reporters
have been vigilant enough to rebut some of these widespread
fables, most have fallen headfirst into what one discerning
reporter called, "the neo-conservative line that
the whole conspiracy against America can be traced back
to Wahhabism and the government of Saudi Arabia."
The
author of The 'Wahhabi' Myth outlines the principles
of the Salafi creed in an easy to understand manner.
Using many different sources, he carefully presents
the arguments of the critics of Salafism and successfully
addresses the misconceptions that are contained within
these criticisms. Specifically, he addresses the commonly
held belief that Osama Bin Laden is a Salafi/"Wahhabi".
He compellingly dispels this myth and unveils the sect
that has provoked Bin Laden to become the leader of
a terrorist movement.
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Karen Armstrong speaks about the difference between
Osama bin Laden's sect (Qutbism) and Salafism/"Wahhabism"
in a Guardian article entitled "The label of Catholic
terror was never used about the IRA":
“Bin Laden was not inspired by Wahhabism but by the
writings of the Egyptian ideologue Sayyid Qutb, who was executed
by President Nasser in 1966. Almost every fundamentalist movement
in Sunni Islam has been strongly influenced by Qutb, so there
is a good case for calling the violence that some of his followers
commit "Qutbian terrorism." Qutb urged his followers
to withdraw from the moral and spiritual barbarism of modern
society and fight it to the death.
Western people should learn more about such thinkers as Qutb,
and become aware of the many dramatically different shades
of opinion in the Muslim world. There are too many lazy, unexamined
assumptions about Islam.”
Excerpt from The "Wahhabi"
Myth:
The
word "Wahabism" is in
fact nothing but a meaningless appellation which is used by
people in two cases: The term "Wahabism"
is often used to describe those who closely stick to the verses
of the Qur'an and the narrations of the Prophet Muhammad (may
Allah raise his rank
and grant him peace) in all religious affairs. Consequently,
instead of directly attacking Islam for those things that
do not appeal to their desires, they call anyone who follows
these texts "Wahabis."
Another
different and contemporary usage has appeared for this term.
Anybody who belongs to any of the current Qutbist
type groups or movements that call for political overthrows,
endless blind purported Jihads which are based upon principles
other than those found in Islam and led by people who have
no knowledge based background in Islamic scholarship, are
entered into a giant umbrella group called "Wahabism."
This is done even though these followers of Sayyid
Qutb despise the Salafi/"Wahabi"
scholars and their creed.
Hence,
in the first case, "Wahabism"
is used to mean "anything I don't like about Islam,"
and in the second case, "anything I don't like about
what the contemporary Qutbist
movements do; things that have no basis in Islam."
The
media and general population are invited to actually begin
to study the principles of Salafism/"Wahabism"
and report about it accurately, especially as it seems that
the "War Against Terrorism"
seems to slowly be turning into the "War Against Wahabism."
Some
Western intellectuals are doing something to contest this
trend, but they are few and far between, and their knowledge
of the nature of Salafism
is limited. Gary Leupp, a history professor and coordinator
of the Asian Studies Program at Tufts University, posed the
following question concerning this current of thought: "In
Saudi Arabia itself, is "Wahabism"
really the threat posited by some neocons? John Esposito,
director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding
at Georgetown University, suggests otherwise."
Professor
Leupp quotes Esposito as saying: "Even conforming to
an ultra-conservative, anti-pluralistic faith does not necessarily
make you a violent individual." Leupp adds: "There
are of course millions of peaceable if ultra-conservative,
anti-pluralistic Christians."
Driving
in his point, Leupp cites F. Gregory Gause III, a professor
of political science at the University of Vermont, when he
warned the House Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia
about the "dangerous trend" of linking "Wahabism"
with terrorism,
wherein he explained that this phenomena "is not Saudi
or 'Wahabi' in
any exclusive sense. It is part of the zeitgeist of the whole
Muslim world right now. It is undoubtedly true that the al-Qa'ida
network was able to recruit many Saudis. But it would be a
mistake to attribute this simply to some purported affinity
between 'Wahabism'
and al-Qa'ida's message
of jihad."
Stating
that although "some Saudi clerics and intellectuals have
supported al-Qa'ida's
message [note: the supporters of Sayyid
Qutb, the
Qutbists]," he adds that "the vast majority
have condemned it [note: the Salafi/"Wahabi"
scholars]."
"Moreover,"
he says, "Al-Qa'ida
has been able to recruit both fighters and intellectual supporters
from many countries - Egypt and Pakistan, to name but two
- where 'Wahabism'
is not a prominent intellectual current."
- abridged from the book: The 'Wahhabi' Myth
Gary Leupp, Saudis on the Defensive, Counterpunch, 28 August
2003.
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What
is Terrorism?
