The Gulf Crisis and New World Order — Page 176
Tenth Friday Sennon Jan 25, 1991 definition does not apply in the present situation. Such a definition is against logic because whichever of the two fighting parties believe ils struggle based on truth, it will consider its war as Jihad. Idolaters fight other idolaters. Followers of one religion fight the followers of another religion. Nations fight other nations, blacks fight whites. All kinds of wars are being fought, have been fought and will continue to be fought in the world. Whenever, two parties are fighting, it is obvious that if one party is not fully right, it will at least be partly right. It is not possible save perhaps, very rarely, that both parties are equally right or equally wrong. Generally, one party is oppressed and the other is the oppressor; the war of every oppressed people cannot be called Jihad. Only the war of an oppressed group which is bei ng prevented from declari ng its faith in God or which is fighti ng against religious persecution on itself can be called Jihad. The Holy Quran says: ,· ,. . . �. . . . . . ,,. . . -to di! �J 1. ,)>4] -:J \ )i 1 "They have committed no wrong except that they say: Allah is our Lord" (Al-haj 41) If a war has been imposed on the Muslims only for declaring their faith in God, if it was the enemy that initiated the war, not the Muslims. If the Muslims have committed no wrong except that they declare God as their Lord and deny any associate with God. If the Muslims fight to defend their FAITH, in such circumstances, such a war is called Jihad. Jihad is not a war based on truth perse, but is the name of a war based on truth, in the sense that I have explained. This situation does not apply to the war of Iraq with other nations. Kuwait had upset Iraq for some reason. As a result, Iraq was displeased. Iraq believed that this tiny country was once part of Iraq but the British carved Kuwait out of Iraq and created a separate state. Iraq believed Kuwait is a part of its territory. To Iraq, Kuwait was just a puny country. After all, Iraq bad fought for 8 long years with Iran and at one stage was poised to overpower this huge Muslim country. The Iraqi anny bad penetrated deep into Iranian territory. Later the Iraqis were pushed back. The see-saw in the battle fortunes went on during the war. Compared to Iran, Kuwait was of no consequence. Iraq may have thought that it could occupy the tiny country of Kuwait in no time and that is why it seized it. Whatever the 176