Tradecraft. Persona. Deception. Disinformation. Cover: Western operational terms
and techniques. But, Islamic terrorists have their own terms: taqiyya (pronounced
tark-e-ya) : precautionary dissimulation or deception and keeping one’s convictions
secret and a synonymous term, kitman: mental reservation and dissimulation or
concealment of malevolent intentions…

Taqiyya and kitman or ‘holy hypocrisy’ has been diffused throughout Arabic culture
for over fourteen hundred years since it was developed by Shiites as a means of
defence and concealment of beliefs against Sunni unbelievers. As the Prophet said:
‘he who keeps secrets shall soon attain his objectives.’

The skilful use of taqiyya and kitman was often a matter of life and death against
enemies; it is also a matter of life and death to many contemporary Islamic terrorists.
As so often in the history of Islam, a theological doctrine became operational.

During the Spanish inquisition, Sunni Moriscos attended mass and returned home
to wash their hands of the ‘holy water’. In operational terms, taqiyya and kitman
allowed the ‘mujahadeen ’ to assume whatever identity was necessary to fulfill
their mission; they had doctrinal and theological and later jurisprudential
sanction to pretend to be Jews or Christians to gain access to Christian and
Jewish targets: ‘the mujahadeen can take the shape of the enemy’.

Taqiyya is common to both Shiite and Sunni Muslim discourse and has
significant implications for understanding Islamic fundamentalism and
terrorist operations. The theory and practice of counter terrorism would
be counter productive, indeed pointless, and even harmful, without reference
to taqiyya and kitman and the crucial role of deception ranging from Islamic
jurisprudence to Al Qaeda training manuals, which carry detailed instructions
on the use of deception by terrorists in Western target countries.

According to Christian ethics lying is a sin; In Islamic jurisprudence and theology,
the use of taqiyya against the unbelievers is regarded as a virtue and a religious duty.

“Verily the most honourable of you in the sight of God is he among you who
exercises Taqiyya most ; verily, God is knowing, aware!” 49:13

Like many Islamic concepts taqiyya and kitman were formed within the context
of the Arab-Islamic matrix of tribalism, expansionary warfare and conflict. Taqiyya
has been used by Muslims since the 7th century to confuse and split ‘the enemy’.
A favored tactic was ‘deceptive triangulation’; to persuade the enemy that jihad
was not aimed at them but at another enemy. Another tactic was to deny that
there was jihad at all. The fate for such faulty assessments by the target was death.

Sheik Taj el-Din al Hilaly, the controversial Grand Mufti of Australia, is enjoying
lunch with his trusted assistant Keysar Trad. The journalist writing of the meeting
with the Sheik noted:-

Several times, when direct responses to questions about passages in the Koran
begged a simple yes or no, both men preferred to avoid the issues by talking about
the difficulties of translating passages from Arabic to English.’

Referring to the Sheikhs blithe dismissal of his virulent anti-Semitic remarks in 1998,
the journalist reflected:-

‘I can only muse at the facility of my guest, who has also praised suicide bombers in
more recent times, to dismiss his notorious and abominable remarks with such ease
and without actual apology. It seems clear that he is considering the way his remarks
will be construed by the Sunday Telegraph’s huge and influential audience when they
are translated into Arabic for Muslims to debate. He’s walking a tightrope.’

The skilled journalist should not be puzzled as the Sheik’s target audiences were
Australians and not Arab readers. Taqiyya, or dissimulation, is a key feature in Islamic
public discourse and confuses Western audiences. It is meant to, according to the
Koran:-

‘Let not the believers take for friends or helpers unbelievers rather than believers;
if any do that; they shall have no relation left with Allah except by way of precaution.
That ye may guard yourselves’. 3:28

Al Taqiyya is with tongue only; not the heart. A believer can make any statement
as long as the ‘heart is comfortable’. The 9/11 terrorists lived and visited in the
United States for two years before the 9/11 attacks. How did they acculturate?
By the use of taqiyya. Meaning: I hate you but I smile at you-in public.

Taqiyya and ‘Outwitting’ in contemporary political discourse and debates.

Outwitting:-
Islamic spokesmen commonly use taqiyya as a form of ‘outwitting’. The matter
under discussion is not to be debated or discussed; rather the opponent is to
‘outwitted’ through taqiyya, by diversion of the subject and obfuscation aided
at times with a mystical reference to God or Allah.

The claim that difficulties in translating from Arabic to English make communication
with non-Arab speakers difficult or impossible, is another form of outwitting.
The tactical use of a translator offers considerable advantage.

Role playing as victim:-
Claiming to be ‘the victim’ of religious discrimination and intolerance during
debate or discussion is another form of distraction and ‘outwitting’.

Manipulating ambiguity:
Sheik Hilaly of Sydney, Australia is on public record as (a) ’condemning’ the
9/11 attacks in ambiguous terms and (b) praising suicide and martyr operations
However, Islamic spokesmen will rarely condemn a specific act of terrorism and
direct questions will be skillfully evaded.

Diversion:
For example, questions relating to the 9/11 terrorists attacks will be diverted
by a causally irrelevant counter reference to the plight of the Palestinians, the
nefarious role of Israel and US foreign policy and support for Israel as ‘causes’
of terrorism.

Anti-Semitism, a core belief of Islamic fundamentalism is also skillfully diverted
by misleading and exaggerated historical references to the alleged status enjoyed
by Jews and non-believers under Islamic rule, thereby deflecting critical examination
of the virulent contemporary Islamic anti-Semitism.

Demanding ’evidence’:
Islamic spokesmen practice a form of taqiyya defined in psychology as
‘cognitive denial’ by repetitive and extreme requests for ‘evidence’ and ‘proof’
of alleged terrorist acts, which they know cannot be disclosed.

Tactical denial:
Rather than admitting that a proposition concerning a state of affairs can be
partly true, an Islamic spokesman will deny a claim or proposition in absolute terms.
For example, “It is impossible to be a Muslim and a terrorist’ , which is false and
‘Islam forbids suicide’, which is true, but irrelevant as suicide or martyrdom attacks
are not forbidden in the Koran.

Exploiting cognitive dissonance:
Islamic spokesman tend to be baffle television interviewers and puzzle viewers as
they resort to double talk ‘clichés and platitudes’ concerning Islam. A state of
cognitive dissonance-holding two contradictory beliefs and attempting to resolve
them- is induced in viewers as they attempt to process the claim that Islam is a
peaceful religion with the dissonant facts of Islamic terrorist acts and operations.

The Islamic ’defence’ script:
Islamic spokesmen repeat the same predictable platitudes concerning Islam in
London as do Islamic spokesmen in Seattle and often appear to follow a prepared
script from “Islam is tolerant and peace loving’ to the claim by Islamic spokeswomen
invariably claiming that wearing the veil offers them more freedom
(women in Muslim countries are therefore ‘freer’ than women in western countries),
thereby precluding further examination into the real status of women under Islamic rule.

Islamic platitudes are also echoed uncritically by Western politicians, for example
”A small group of fundamentalists have hijacked a great religion’. The timely, skilful,
misleading and diversionary theme of the ‘hijacking’ of Islam was introduced into
public, political and media discourse by an Islamic ‘spokesmen’ in the United States
shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The “Islam has been hijacked’ diversionary theme is now a conventional media and
political reference deflecting attention from empirical and historical examination of
the doctrinal, political and religious continuity of Islamic terrorism. A related theme
that a small minority of Muslims are engaged in terrorism is utterly irrelevant as Islamic
terrorism is always perpetrated by ‘small minorities’ or more accurately’ small groups’.

Taqiyya as impressions and perceptions management

The tactical use of children: Australia television viewers noted that interviews with
terrorist suspects raided by security authorities invariably featured veiled women
holding small children or a baby as they protested their husband’s innocence and
attested to his innate goodness. Trembling fingers pointed to ‘damage’ to the family
residence. In some interviews the suspect / father holds the child, whilst denying
involvement or knowledge of terrorism in any sense of the word: an example of
taqiyya in the age of impressions and perception management.

Taqiyya and the Deceptive use of Jihad:
The contemporary political meaning of jihad is clear: it is Jihad of the sword.
Egyptian-based Islamic fundamentalists, from whom Bin Laden recruited his key
operatives, believe jihad is the fourth pillar of Islam and is a binding belief and
integral to the faith. Claiming that Jihad is a subjective and psychological state of
personal struggle is taqiyya. In contemporary terms, Jihad means – holy war –
against unbelievers and it in this context that Al Qaeda training manuals refer to
Jihad as ‘Holy War’.

The study of taqiyya and kitman is crucial to an understanding of Islamic
fundamentalism and terrorism ranging from the issuing of false terrorist threats,
operational and strategic disinformation issued by Al Qaeda in the form of ‘intelligence
chatter’ to the use of taqiyya and kitman by terrorists during interrogation and the
use of systematically misleading expressions concerning Islam and terrorism by
Muslim ‘spokesmen’.

1. Muhammad advocates lying: “Muhammad bin Maslama got up saying,
“O Allah’s Apostle! Would you like that I kill him [Ka'b bin Al-Ashraf]?”
The Prophet said, “Yes,” Muhammad bin Maslama said, “Then allow me to say
a (false) thing (i.e. to deceive Kab). “The Prophet said, “You may say it,”
(Hadith Vol. 5, Book 59, #369).

Looks like another one you will have to edit out. In the interest of keeping people stupid.

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Israel would never break a ceasefire it brokered !

(like last time)

Im sure the Palestinians must have fired tons of ordnance and caused all this

(it worked last time)

Obviously whatever the Palestinians did to cause this Israel cannot be forgiven for accidentally killing another 1,200 Palestinian civilians. UN Schools ought to use a lot more GPS transmitters this time and paint the roof a bright blue. I can only imagine its hard for Israeli pilots too see them through the smoke from other bombing. The UN school teachers could be teaching the kids the wrong thing – like the truth – and its fair that they are dealt with by Israel.

When Israel breaks the next ceasefire, that the news should say it didn't, as they are supposed to, I hope Israel will use proportionate force – as it has said numerous times that it did – so we ought to believe them and stop doubting them.

Some of the pictures of Melted Palestinian children should not be allowed on the Television or online – as its not nice to see, especially during a recession. Picture of Israeli precision bombing is much less distressing. Israel takes great care to not harm civilians. Some have lost their lives, but this is justified since Israel is only receiving 3billion dollars in direct military aid.