The bad terrorists are upset with the really bad terrorists. All together now — Awwwwww.
When terrorists blew themselves up in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula this week, the radical Palestinian group Hamas quickly joined Arab governments and Western leaders in condemning a “criminal attack against all human values.”
Egypt’s banned Muslim Brotherhood called the bombings “aggression on human souls created by God.”
The denunciations were unexpectedly harsh from the Islamic fundamentalist groups — Hamas has killed hundreds of Israeli civilians in suicide bombings, and the Brotherhood is determined to impose an Islamic government — but experts agree that radical Muslim organizations want to distance themselves from al-Qaida.
I’m no expert on the finer nuances of terrorist variations, but what is clear to me is that if you are intent on blowing up other Muslims, Israelis and westerners or merely wish to impose your Shaira law on the world — even “peacefully” — you are the enemy.
One expert quoted in the article thinks the differences are important.
“There is a fundamental difference between Islamic groups: Most are sociopolitical reformists, others are religious extremists,” said Dia’a Rashwan, an Egyptian expert on radical groups.
Hamas and Hezbollah, for example, have national agendas, he said. They want to reorganize society according to Sharia, or Islamic law.
Extremist religious movements such as al-Qaida are international revolutionaries who excoriate not only non-Muslims but also Muslims who fail to follow their views. Theirs is a holy war to spread their views among Muslims and to repel any “infidel invasion” of Islamic lands.
“Branding these two branches of radicalism the same way, as terrorist organizations, reflects a complete misunderstanding of the issue,” he said.
Actually, I think I understand it pretty well. Some groups want to kill only non-Muslims. The other group wants to kill non-Muslims and Muslims who aren’t their brand of Muslim.
Pardon me if I don’t see the difference.
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