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Monday 13 February RNW - NEWS AND ANALYSIS FROM THE NETHERLANDS IN 10 LANGUAGES, WORLDWIDE 24/7 ON RADIO, TV AND ONLINE

The State We're In - Taking back jihad

On air: 20 February 2010 0:30 - 25 February 2010 19:45 (Photo: EPA PHOTO AFPI/BANARAS KHAN/aq/rob/ct)

More about:

The State We're In, 20 February 2010. Noman Benotman was a jihadist who fought the Soviets in Afghanistan. He’s still a jihadist, but believes that the extremists are “idiots” and immoral. He wants the term restored to its spiritual sense and is fighting now with words, instead of guns, to do just that.
 
Listen to this week's show in full:

 
Photo: A poster at Al Bador jihad recruitment centre in Quetta, Pakistan - October 2001. It reads "America is the terrorist." The centre handles enlistments for jihads in Afghanistan, Kashmir, Palestine and Chechnya.
 
We're always searching for personal stories about human rights and how we treat each other. Do you have a story to share with us? If so click here.
 
OR - You can visit our Facebook page where you can discuss the program and send in ideas.
 
Taking back jihad
Noman Benotman spent five years as a jihadist fighter until he realised that the concept of jihad had been perverted and he told Osama Bin Laden and his followers as much. Now he’s waging a war of ideas and believes that the days of the extremists are numbered.
 

 
Fighting words
Noman and other Muslim thinkers have created a 400-page text that attempts to undermine the extremist interpretation of jihad. He hopes it may help change the course of history.
 
Link: To read more on "Corrective Studies in Understanding Jihad", visit the Quilliam Foundation website.
 

 
Allah made me funny
While the so-called clash of civilisations between the West and Islam continues around the world, two Muslim comics show Jonathan that laughter and Islam are natural allies.
 
Link: "Allah Made Me Funny" film website.
 

 
Aboriginal answers
Last October, we aired a controversial segment about how Aboriginal people in Australia were offended by a government-issued card which limits how they can spend their money. Many listeners, mostly in Australia, were angered by that segment. We revisit the issue through two Aboriginal women who support using the card.
 

  • Noman Benotman - present day<br>&copy; Photo: RNW - http://www.rnw.nl/english
  • Noman Benotman in front of a mosque<br>&copy; Photo: RNW - http://www.rnw.nl/english
  • Noman Benotman poses in his jihadist fighter uniform<br>&copy; Photo: RNW - http://www.rnw.nl/english
  • Azhar Usman and Preacher Moss<br>&copy; Photo: RNW - http://www.rnw.nl/english
  • Bess Nungarrayi Price<br>&copy; Photo: RNW - http://www.rnw.nl/english

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Discussion

The Orphan Factory 29 March 2010 - 4:04am / America

Here's a piece of music echoing Benotman's sentiments:
http://theorphanfactory.bandcamp.com/track/song-for-a-suicide-bomber

Zoezephyr 28 February 2010 - 8:24pm / Canada now; England formerly; England soon gain to retire

I applaud the Muslims who wish to fight against militant Islamic fascism. I do not like to see my beautiful country ( England) lessened by the hateful behaviour of those Islamic people who came as immigrants there and then proceeded to incite their people to bomb people on buses and the tube. I believe they are so misguided as they often kill their own kind- how idiotic is that?
I now believe that there must be stringent overhaul of immigration laws in the UK to keep these people out.
I believe that a close watch should be kept on those Islamic people who are in the UK already to prevent this happening again.
I believe there should be watchfulness on the part of English authorities to prevent this happening again.
I have seen with my own eyes the nastiness of some Islamic people in Birmingham, UK.
I believe that if Islamic people are allowed into the UK they should not be allowed to speak against the UK; or they should be sent back to where they came from.
England is a small country; we do not need people who want to be violent against the people who want to live peacefully in beautiful Britain!

jasmin 26 February 2010 - 12:48pm / India

I expected an answer to my post,TSWI, but instead the post has been removed. Wonder what kind of answer is that!

Dennis in USA 23 February 2010 - 8:13pm / USA

In my imagination, I try to understand a regular Muslim person. When I heard that Jihad meant, "to struggle" it made me think. I would like your staff to ask one of your expert sources on Islam if this analogy seems like a useful illustration:

Imagine you and some fellow alcoholics struggle with alcoholism and organize an AA meeting - for Alcoholics Anonymous. You and your fellow AA members take each day as a struggle. Then some other AA group in the next town goes in a new direction. As part of their struggle with alcoholism, they blow up a beer factory.

This is something you would never consider doing, but now you are being brushed with the same new stereotype as the new type of AA. And, as you try to recruit and retain members you find that the general public now is against you, while many of the people you would help are now being tempted into the new extremist version of AA.

Then, to add insult to injury, the more vocal and public group says that they are the true version of AA. Those who were already inclined to be judgmental of recovering alcoholics of the world, now are motivated to work against you. And, some people who would normally work with you, or be helped by you, now are not sure if it is wise to do that.

Does this seem like a good analogy? If so, I would like a response to my email from somebody on your staff who knows about these things.

Thanks.

Noah Flower 22 February 2010 - 11:32pm / USA

My heartfelt thanks go to Mr. Benotman. Sir, I wish you all the best in your fight against violent Islamic extremism. It is words such as your own, and the courage to lay your life on the line for their sake, that will rid the world of our plague of terrorism -- and hopefully undo the damage we have done ourselves in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. Salaam!

Anonymous 22 February 2010 - 6:52pm / Lalaland

He who overcomes by force, hath overcome but half his foe.

T 21 February 2010 - 10:53pm

This is one of the most informative interviews I've ever heard. Please keep putting this kind of material on the air to counter Al Qaeda propaganda. This is key to countering radicalization.

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