Sunday, October 02, 2005

Al-Qa`idah: Islam scholar Rudwan As-Sayyid (who also was speech writer for Rafiq Hariri) is correct when he makes a distinction in the rhetoric and propaganda of Al-Qa`idah in recent years. There is a clear distinction between Bin Laden's justifications and rationalizations of Al-Qa`idah's deeds and violence, and those of Ayman Adh-Dhawihiri's. Bin Laden always offers his rationalizations and justifications in archaic religio-theological fashion, while Al-Dhawhiri offers more political arguments to appeal to a broader audience. This could either be due to marginalization of Bin Laden, or to confusing division of labor or due to a desperate attempt to win supporters in the region.