Page 33 - The Winter of Islam and the Spring to Come

to model himself on Stalin and was a great fan of Stalin. He had
Marxist-Leninist views. He expressed his admiration for Stalin many
times. And his practices were those of Stalinism. Mass slaughter, killing
vast numbers of people, is one of Stalin's methods. Because of his admira-
tion for him, he did the same things. Baathist troops, some Baathist people,
were dispersed among the public. They are still carrying out these attacks.
Saying that they will go to Paradise is a superficial addition. Nobody who
fears Allah and believes in Paradise and Hell can kill young children and the
like. He cannot kill innocent people. There is a law regarding war in Islam.
And this is set out in the Qur'an. It is enshrined in the Sunnah of our Prophet
(saas). Wars are defensive and women and children are not to be touched.
Never... War to a country has to be declared. War has to be legal, a struggle in
a legal framework. Peace agreements with a country one has signed peace
treaties with are inviolable; it is unacceptable for three or four people to an-
nounce that they have declared war. And attacks on children and the like are
particularly unacceptable. Islam can be spread through people's minds with
culture, knowledge, love, affection and art. Not through outrages. Not
through bloodshed. Our Prophet (saas) would go to the market of 'Ukaz, and
people would insult that lovely, radiant individual. They would throw
thorns in his path. They threw camel entrails at him. But he still preached the
word. He described Islam and the Qur'an. He did it with love, tirelessly and
for years. Eventually, as you know, he was unable to withstand the pres-
sure and went on the Hegira. He continued to preach in
the places he visited on the Hegira. All the
Prophet's (saas) wars were defensive wars.
Wars of self-defense. He never went any-
where and took control of it by force of
arms. He always fought defensive
wars.