We are all aware that there are clerics who have jumped on HMS Delusional and left the shores of reality far behind, but every now and then one comes along who is pushing out further into the unexplored territory of utter stupidity. It is usually the Islamic ones who do this, as in this latest example, but I have no specific Islamic bias here; if you scan across the entire belief spectrum, you will, without looking too hard, find numerous examples.
So what have we got then?
(warning: put you coffee down now, or it will end up splatted across your screen)
We have prominent Egyptian Salafi Shaykh Abi-Ishaq al-Huwayni who suggests that Muslims who have a few financial difficulties should go on jihadist raids a few times a year, and bring back prisoners, including women and children, which can be sold in the market like groceries to bring in extra income when times are tough …
<insert stunned silence here>
My first thought – its a Poe, and somebody is having a laugh to see how many folks work themselves up into a rage over this. But no, here is the man himself …
Here is the transcript:
We are in the era of jihad. The era of jihad has come over us, and jihad in the path of Allah is a pleasure. It is a real pleasure. The companions (of the Prophet) used to compete to (perform jihad). The poverty that we’re in—is it not due to our abandonment of jihad? But if we could conduct one, two, or three jihadist operations every year, many people throughout the earth would become Muslims. And whoever rejected this da’wa, or stood in our way, we would fight against him and take him prisoner, and confiscate his wealth, his children, and his women—all of this means money. Every mujahid who returned from jihad, his pockets would be full. He would return with 3 or 4 slaves, 3 or 4 women, and 3 or 4 children. Multiply each head by 300 dirhams, or 300 dinar, and you have a good amount of profit. If he were to go to the West and work on a commercial deal, he would not make that much money. Whenever things became difficult (financially), he could take the head (i.e. the prisoner) and sell it, and ease his (financial) crisis. He would sell it like groceries. Of those who are–(cuts off)
So there you have it folks, if short of a bit of cash, just pop out for a bit of rape, pillage and plunder.
If you should ever meet this chap and are wondering what the correct term of address is, then may I suggest that the most appropriate form to deploy should be “Clueless Immoral Gobshite” … but of course I’m quite open to any alternative suggestions you might have.