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the literal meaning of the Bible, whereas others choose to interpret the Bible according to one or another religious point of view. In this sense, Islam is no different.

In another sense, however, Islam is dramatically different from both Christianity and Judaism. The Judeo-Christian focus is mainly on peace and nonviolence - turning the other cheek. Granted, in practice, our own heritage has had its share of faith-based wars, but in today's modern world, both Christianity and Judaism can be considered entirely benign.

No so Islam - and especially not so the Wahhabi branch of Sunni Islam. The Wahhabis believe that Allah's organs are physical, and that Allah sits firmly on a ruling throne in Paradise. They take in a literal sense every Qur'anic statement, especially when it relates to warfare, and most particularly to jihad - religious war.

Sometimes called the Salafi school, Wahhabi is an 18th-century offshoot of the Hanbali madh'hab. In 1818 Wahhabi was nearly defeated and deprived of influence, but the Saudi dynasty breathed new life into the movement in the early 20th century when it drove the Hashemites out of Arabia into the present Jordan.

According to a prominent Lebanese Islamic scholar (who remains anonymous for obvious reasons), during the last decade, Saudi Arabia has financed all of the Wahhabi movements in the region either directly or indirectly through non-governmental organizations.

This means that al Qaeda, 9/11, and all the other terrorist acts against the United States and other nations received their funding from the House of Saud.

"This was really a strategic mistake," says this scholar. "The Arab rulers, as well as the policy analysts, have really underestimated the [fundamentalist] regeneration in the region. I would expect a war of Wahhabism against the Gulf countries, particularly Saudi rulers."

In effect the House of Saud tried to purchase protection for itself by channeling some of its vast wealth to the Wahhabis. Recent events, of course, have put the lie to this point of view.

Learn more about this author, Robert Williscroft.
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