[ by Charles Cameron — there’s rather more going on in the burning of the Jordanian pilot than I can handle — here are some of today’s relevant highlights ]
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I’ll start and close with JM Berger, who has two of the wisest contextual comments of the day to offer us:
ISIS is so eager to turn back the clock that they sped past khawarij to jahiliyya.
— J.M. Berger (@intelwire) February 4, 2015
That’s the context as I see it, though you’ll note that Tim Furnish differs, later in this post.
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Two tweets give us Qur’anic justification for and against the use of fire in punishment:
The justification for burning Moaath is taken from Surat An-Nahl according to Minbr al-Taheed wl Jihad users. pic.twitter.com/pgvWGm9PLg
— Zaid Benjamin (@zaidbenjamin) February 3, 2015
and:
The Qur'an curses those who burned Christians alive (85:1-7). Can't imagine its author would be jazzed about doing same to Muslims.
— Will McCants (@will_mccants) February 3, 2015
The Quranic verse Zaid Benjamin quotes is given in English in his tweet. The first seven verses of Sura 85, quoted by Will McCants, read in the Arberry translation:
By heaven of the constellations, by the promised day, by the witness and the witnessed, slain were the Men of the Pit, the fire abounding in fuel, when they were seated over it and were themselves witnesses of what they did with the believers.
I would really like to see a detailed scholarly post commenting on McCants’ reading of Qur’an 85.1-7, with or without notes on related ahadith and tafsir.
**
Two tweets offer ahadith related to the case:
@ground_glass Here… @will_mccants pic.twitter.com/3eyRhQfa4E
— Hameed (@SheikhThingsUp) February 3, 2015
and:
@SheikhThingsUp and yet this hadith exists as well. are they not contradictory? @will_mccants pic.twitter.com/hvFi2iB0On
— Christopher Dawson (@ground_glass) February 3, 2015
**
Two from Tim Furnish:
#ISIS cites ISLAMIC doctrine of shifa' al-sudur ("retribution") & #IbnTaymiyya on bodily desecration–so once again Islamic norms followed.
— Timothy Furnish, PhD (@Occidentaljihad) February 4, 2015
and:
"#ISIS & #Islamic #Immolation:" my analysis of the brutal burning of the Jordanian pilot; http://t.co/qCGXc00Jwe
— Timothy Furnish, PhD (@Occidentaljihad) February 4, 2015
Here is Tim Furnish’s commentary, from MahdiWatch:
ISIS gruesomely burned alive Jordanian Air Force officer Mu`adh al-Kasabeh not simply to horrify or intimidate, but rather in order to exact retribution for the “Crusaders” and their Coalition allies dropping bombs and launching missiles that consumed Muslims (especially, allegedly, children) in flames. The Islamic doctrine of shifa’ al-sudur (the name of the video, note) was derived from Sura al-Baqarah [II]:179 and its idea of “legal retribution” which is supposed to lead to reconciliation between Muslims once scores have been settled in like fashion—between, presumably, ISIS and the Muslim nations (Jordan, UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Oman) named in the video as helping the “Crusaders.” So, in this mindset, al-Kasabeh had to burn–not simply be decapitated. Lex talionis according to Allah.
ISIS also adduces a saying from the famous Sunni cleric Ibn Taymiyya (d. 1328) that desecrating bodies is allowable if it horrifies (unbelieving) enemies into ceasing their aggression against Muslims—or, in this case, against the Islamic State proper.
So, just as with beheadings and enslavement of “pagan” women, ISIS is acting in a supremely, albeit brutally, atavistic Islamic fashion (not a nihilistic one, as the President keeps saying). Only when we admit that will we (Westerners and Muslims) be on the path to refuting and eradicating ISIS.
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Mark Safranski, my gracious host and the publisher of this blog, refers us to the ICRC:
If Jordan executes all ISIS prisoners for the ghoulish murder of Moath al-Ksasbah, it is a legitimate reprisal https://t.co/ONZtXfaVfH
— mark safranski (@zenpundit) February 3, 2015
Mr Orange suggests there have been previous burnings by ISI, the predecessor to IS / Daesh:
Many don't remember but when #IS was still #ISI they burned men alive. The video was never released but leaked via captured video material.
— Mr. Orange (@Mr0rangetracker) February 3, 2015
It seems to me there’s room for plenty of research as between international lawyers and experts in the history of Islamic exegesis…
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Three tweets regarding the Jordanian response:
Mosques across #Jordan to say a special prayer for Moaz Kasasbeh at noon tomorrow. Church bells will also ring in his honor. #ISIS
— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) February 3, 2015
http://t.co/Xumlhn1Z6l KABUL: (Middle East Press) #Jordan Executes #Sajida al-Rishawi and #Ziad al-Karbouli pic.twitter.com/ABjZXhlZfk
— MEP English (@mepenglish) February 4, 2015
and:
"The only problem we're going to have is running out of fuel and bullets." King Abdullah of #Jordan warns #IS filth: http://t.co/N18ap5uKPm
— Nu'man El-Bakri (@numanelbakri) February 4, 2015
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Common sense: this, from Daveed Gartenstein-Ross:
This year has highlighted the many thorny problems we confront. I wish the public sphere were less incompetent at considering hard questions
— D. Gartenstein-Ross (@DaveedGR) February 3, 2015
and John Horgan:
Think before you tweet images of Jordanian pilot Muaz al-Kassaba being burned alive. Don’t reinforce ISIS’ sadistic theatrics.
— John Horgan (@Drjohnhorgan) February 3, 2015
in light of which, let me add by way of requiescat:
Want to honor #jordanianpilot? Remember him as a pious Muslim coming to worship his Lord. #MuathalKaseasbeh pic.twitter.com/NWbuTPv5XJ
— omid safi (@ostadjaan) February 4, 2015
**
I’ll close as I began, with JM Berger:
The backlash is the point of the video, not an unintended side effect.
— J.M. Berger (@intelwire) February 3, 2015
Let’s not feed the flames.
