Preach peace when weak, wage war when strong
Has there ever been a time when one group of people openly exposes its animosity for another group of people鈥攅ven as this second group not only ignores the animosity, but speaks well, enables, and legitimizes the first group?
Welcome to the 21st century, where Western politicians empower those Muslims who are otherwise constantly and openly denouncing all non-Muslims as enemies to be fought and subjugated.
Consider this video of Sheikh Yassir al-Burhami, a top-ranked figure in Egypt鈥檚 Salafi movement which won some 25% of the votes in recent elections. He makes clear a point that, in a different era, would be thoroughly eye-opening鈥攖hat all notions of peace with non-Muslims are based on circumstance: when Muslims are weak, they should be peaceful; when strong, they should go on the offensive.
Discussing 鈥渢he analogy between Egypt鈥檚 Christians and the Jews of Medina,鈥 Burhami pointed out that Muslims may make temporary peace with infidels, when circumstance calls for it:
The Jews of Medina represent a paradigm鈥攍aid by the prophet [Muhammad]鈥攖hat shows how Muslims should deal with infidels. The prophet鈥檚 methods of dealing with infidels are available for Muslims to replicate depending on their situation and their capabilities. The Prophet in Mecca dealt with the infidels in a certain way, so whenever Muslims are vulnerable they should deal with the infidels in this same manner.
Burhami is referring to the famous Mecca/Medina division: when Muhammad was weak and outnumbered in his early Mecca period, he preached peace and made pacts with infidels; when he became strong in the Medina period, he preached war and went on the offensive. This dichotomy鈥攑reach peace when weak, wage war when strong鈥攈as been instructive to Muslim leaders for ages.
After quoting Koran 4:77, 鈥淩efrain from action, uphold prayers, and pay your zakat,鈥 Burhami continues:
In many infidel countries, such as occupied Palestine, we instruct Muslims to do just that [follow Koran 4:77]. Today in Gaza, we do not tell Muslims to launch rockets everyday and so destroy the country, but we tell them 鈥淩efrain from action and respect the truce.鈥 When the Prophet first arrived in Medina, he made conciliation with the Jews, conciliation without jizya [i.e., equal-term conciliation without forcing Jews to pay tribute and live as second-class dhimmis]鈥this is a pattern that can be followed whenever circumstances dictate. However, when they breached the covenant he fought them and ultimately imposed jizya on the People of the Book [Jews and Christians]. Nor is this Sura [Koran 9:29] abrogated; it is acknowledged and agreed upon.
Burhami exposes much here, beginning with the Koran verse he quotes: when weak, Muslims are to 鈥渞efrain from action鈥濃攂ut 鈥減ay your zakat,鈥 which, among other things, funds the jihad. Also, as Muhammad made peace with the Jews of Medina, without making them submit to jizya (tribute to be paid 鈥渨hile utterly subdued鈥), so too are Palestinians allowed to make temporary peace with Israel. In both cases, circumstance鈥攏amely, Muslim weakness鈥攋ustify it. But, when capability allows, Koran 9:29鈥攚hich calls for jizya and subjugation, and which Burhami quotes as having abrogated the other peaceful verses鈥攖akes over.
Burhami鈥檚 conclusion:
Yes we can deal with those Christians [Egypt鈥檚 Copts] as the Jews were dealt with in Medina; it is an option. The Prophet made the Hudaybiya Reconciliation with the infidels and held a truce for ten years, that is also an option鈥. So, it is legitimate to choose from examples set by the Prophet, depending on what suits the situation of Muslims now.
In short, Muslims may be tolerant of Egypt鈥檚 Copts now, and not collect jizya and place them in dhimmitude, until they are more capable鈥攋ust like Palestinians may make peace with Israel now, till they are more capable of waging an offensive. Indeed, Dr. Mohamed Saad Katatni鈥攖he secretary general of the Muslim Brotherhood鈥檚 Freedom and Justice Party, which won 40% of the votes鈥攔eportedly said that Copts would not pay jizya now, implying that the idea of collecting tribute from subdued 鈥渄himmi鈥 Copts is very much alive among the Brotherhood, only dormant till a more opportune moment.
One may argue that Sheikh Yassir al-Burhami鈥斺渙ne man,鈥 a 鈥渞adical鈥濃攊s not representative of 鈥渢rue Islam.鈥 The problem, however, is that all his arguments have been made countless times by countless Muslims, including the most authoritative, throughout the ages. For instance, the late Yasser Arafat evoked Hudaybiya as representative of 鈥減eace鈥 with Israel.
And yet, despite all this鈥攄espite the fact that this video is a drop in the bucket of evidence鈥攈ere is the West, making the way clear for people like Burhami to power in the name of 鈥渄emocracy,鈥 regardless that pacts, smiles, and handshakes over cups of coffee exist solely when circumstance, in this case, Muslim weakness, dictates.
Raymond Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.