A fundamental mistake
- From:The Daily Telegraph
- November 18, 2013
IT'S probably just an occupational hazard for those in the head-chopping caper. When you're out there every day busily carving away at infidels and other betrayers of the faith, all heads must eventually look the same. So it's no surprise when the occasional routine slaughter goes awry.
Last week Islamist rebels in Syria asked for "understanding and forgiveness" after cutting off the wrong man's head. The victim, Mohammad Fares Marroush, had earlier ended up in an Aleppo hospital after being injured in battle. Loaded with painkillers, the delirious man apparently said one or two things that convinced local head removalists he was a follower of Islam's Shia branch instead of being one of their anti-government allies.
That's a big mistake when you're in Sunni territory. During the night, as he slept in hospital, Mr Marroush reportedly became detached from his head - which went on to star in the latest death-to-the-unbelievers online tape, held aloft by his killers.
Say what you will about the failings of the NSW health system, but you can generally make it through the evening without a significant portion of you appearing on Syria's Decapitatiest Home Videos.
Last week also brought news that an Australian had joined the Syrian population explosion. The man, believed to be from Brisbane and lately going by the name Abu Asma al-Australi, turned up on YouTube swearing a few Koranic oaths before riding a bomb-loaded truck towards a Syrian army base.
The detonation killed dozens of Muslim soldiers and converted the former Brisbane resident into, depending on your view of these things, either a revered martyr for Mohammed or a pointless red mist with eyeballs.
Then again, this could be yet another of those crazy Syrian identity mix-ups. The Brisbane man's brother claims that he's still alive, and offered this gentle opinion on Aussies who join their Islamist mates in combat overseas: "Just because our religious outlook is a bit more fundamental doesn't mean we're extremist."
Well, that's a relief. It would be terrible if anyone got the impression there was anything extreme going on. Meanwhile, the bit-more-fundamentalists in Gaza are in conflict again with their Fatah co-religionists. Israeli newspaper Haaretz recently reported: "For the past few weeks, the security apparatus in the Strip has been arresting Fatah supporters, including adolescents, raiding homes and warning people not to demonstrate. There are reports of torture."
As in Syria, the Hamas-Fatah feud exists between Muslims. The Islamic world is rife with bloody disputes, which are far deadlier than any disagreements with Israel or the US.
We have our own version of intra-Islamic fighting. The Muslim-dominated Brothers 4 Life crime gang previously fought with other western Sydney outfits but has recently taken to shooting and killing fellow members.
"It's difficult to classify it as one type of conflict," NSW Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas said earlier this month. He went on to wonder if the attacks were "a power struggle or people simply being offended about something that's been said, and acting in a quite irrational way by shooting someone instead of arguing".
Indeed. Let's not lose our heads over minor points of difference - or, in the case of the unfortunate Mohammad Fares Marroush, over points of complete similarity.
In the wake of all this Muslim against Muslim mayhem, Hizb ut-Tahrir spokesman Uthman Badar last week claimed that the government was deliberately trying to antagonise Muslims into reacting violently.
"The government should be warned," the Hizbie honcho said.
Here's a better idea, Uthman. Warn your fellow Muslims instead. They're the ones getting killed.
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