On fire

February 4th, 2015 by Charles Cameron

— 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.

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Posted in Air Force, Charles Cameron, Dr Timothy Furnish, IS, ISIS, Islam, JM Berger, jordan, obit, scriptures, Uncategorized, will mccants | 5 comments

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  1. Traderbarn:

    February 4th, 2015 at 1:20 pm

    wait, reprisals are permitted? That’s what ISIS is claiming…after burning the pilot they dumped rubble on him to mimic the effect of an airstrike. Also, if Jordan is using this clause then wouldn’t they just be able to execute one prisoner?

  2. Charles Cameron:

    February 4th, 2015 at 7:29 pm

    Hi Trader:
    .
    There are two principal sets of “permissions” in play here: one from the Qur’an, the other from international humanitarian law.
    .
    Zaid Benjamin quoted one version of the Qur’anic notion of equivalence above, but there are others, and I noted Qur’an 2.194 specifically:

    For the prohibited month, and so for all things prohibited, there is the law of equality. If then any one transgresses the prohibition against you, transgress ye likewise against him. But fear Allah, and know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves.

    in an old post about the themes of reciprocity and symmetry in retaliation in a speech of UBL’s. the post was titled Close reading, Synoptic- and Sembl-style, for parallels, patterns, and is still one of my all-time favorites.
    .
    Zen linked to the section on Reprisals (Rule 145) in the ICRC’s Study on customary international humanitarian law.
    .
    The first helps explain IS / Daesh thinking, both would have arguable application to the Jordanian response — but as to the details, I must leave them to more knowledgeable others to comment.

  3. mike:

    February 5th, 2015 at 4:26 am

    Kurdish news is reporting that ISIL has executed two Sunni Imams in Mosul for criticizing the burning of the pilot.

    http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/04022015

  4. T:

    February 7th, 2015 at 3:43 pm

    Came across a commentary on Surah Buruj which further elaborates the historical context of verses 85:1-7 in the holy Quran: http://www.al-islam.org/enlightening-commentary-light-holy-quran-vol-19/surah-buruj-chapter-85
    .
    Thought I’d share

  5. Charles Cameron:

    February 7th, 2015 at 5:09 pm

    Thank you. That certainly explains why Will McCants thought it was Christians who were burning in the pit, although it’s a Shia tafsir and it would be also good to know what various Sunni schools thought of thee matter.
    .
    It also illustrates — quite profoundly — how a text in the Qur’an may have meanings that are totally non-obvious when reading the text itself without contextual knowledge.