The NEW and IMPROVED...

UBL!

The Father Jonathan blog I have listed to the right ran an article yesterday giving the good Padre's thoughts on the latest Usama video, and I have to admit, they are very interesting.

I hadn't seen the video until just now... and I will say right now, I'm not impressed. He sounds terrible (but, I don't speak his language, so maybe there is an appeal there I'm unaware of), he looks like a Muppet with a horse-hair beard glued on, and the translation running at the bottom makes as much sense as an Ann Coulter book-on-tape.

However...

IF, as has been said, much of the Islamic world is entrenched in medieval esthetic theological dogma (meaning they respect and admire even the appearance of hardship and sacrifice in their religious leaders), then he might seem very appealing to millions, indeed. No fatigues, no AK-47, no web-belt slung across his shoulder… even his turban and robes are clean and stain-free. He doesn’t shout or raise his voice, and the only object brandished in the video is a small book (I assume it is a Koran).

The consensus seems to be that he is trying to re-invent himself as a new icon of Islamic theology… maybe a new Ayatollah “bin Laden” (that analogy is mine alone, I KNOW he’s Sunni and not Shi’ite). My first impression on hearing of the video was to dismiss it as more violent and hate-ridden rhetoric, but it seems this is a departure from the norm at last.

UBL breaks with traditional, mainstream Islam by stating that no interpretation of the Koran is allowed, as it is handed down directly by Allah. He says that all conflict in this world stems from the simple fact that Jews and Christians are not Muslim, and to end all conflict, the entire world must become Muslim. He clearly states that Allah is “will” alone (where Judaism and Christianity teach that He is all LOVE), and all people must bow to Allah’s will, as we are slaves to that will.

There is an insidious side to this speech that all might not see. In denying the interpretive nature of the Koran, he tells people who might not understand better that if it is clearly spelled out in the holiest of books, then it must be true. No amount of contextual consideration matters… if it is there, it is true. By claiming that non-Muslim peoples are the cause of conflict, he as much as says that the troubles facing the Middle East, West Africa, Afghanistan, Mesopotamia, Southeast Asia, and all the hundreds of millions of poor, ignorant Muslims living in those regions are BLAMELESS in their plight. It isn’t their fault, so they can do what they want to correct it… without consequence or repercussion.

Most importantly… if people have no free will and all must slave themselves to the Will of Allah… who explains the will of Allah in a language they understand? Less than 20% of Muslims in this world read Arabic… but that is the ONLY language that they will read the Koran in. So how do they know what Allah wants?

UBL will tell them!

T