by A.R. Cruz

Created on: August 25, 2008

The theology of Islamic Extremists and can we win the war on Terror

In the politically correct world of the United States and Europe we often blame our own foreign policies as the main cause of Islamic extremism. Foreign policy may be part of the problem but it should not be regarded as the only reason why the Muslim extremists use terrorism as a means to justify the ends. The other part of the problem which foreign governments are reluctant to address is the theology of Islam. As I researched I found that there are many different sects of Islam and each has a different interpretation of the Qu'ran.

The Sunnis followers which number to be 800 million, they accept "sunnas" the oral traditions and interpretations of the Qu'ran after Muhammad's death called the sunnas and later the hadiths. They believe that the Caliph the successor of Muhammad should always be elected, not confirmed by heredity. They claim to be true followers of the faith and until 1959 they refuse to recognize the Shiites as true Muslims. Caliphs are called sultans.

Shiites are about 100 million mainly Iran, Iraq, and Palestine follow more orthodox and militant views. Their leader is the Ayatollah "signs of god" sees himself as the joint caretaker or spiritual leader directly descended from one of the twelve Imams descended of Ali. The last Ayatollah claimed to be descended from the lineage of the seventh imam.

The Wahhibi- A small group founded by Al-Wahhib in the 18th century, primary force of creating a Saudi Arabian state in 1932. Wahhibism has influenced Muslims to make pilgrimages to Mecca, they follow the strictest, and severely enforced moral standard of conduct and their call for a pure Islam regulated by the literal interpretation of the Qu'ran.

Deobandi are Muslims of South Asia and Afghanistan it is a reformist movement within the hanabi school of Fiqh which advocates a return to the early days of Islam, a strict and simplified version of the schools teachings. The Taliban follow the teachings of the Deoband School.
Many fellow Muslim countries have denounced the Taliban and do not accept them as true Muslims.
Other sects are the Ismailis and the Kharijiates which may not exist any more in Iraq, to read more on this subject refer to religion-cults.com/islam/islam5.html

There are many sects in different parts of the world and many interpretations, so how does the United States and the European nations deal with terrorism. The United Nations should convene and first understand first hand

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