World Islamic Front

The World Islamic Front is the organization that issued the World Islamic Front Statement of 23 February 1998, "Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders" [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A4993-2001Sep21&notFound=true "Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders"] , World Islamic Front Statement, "The Washington Post", February 23, 1998.] [ [http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/980223-fatwa.htm English translation] of the fatwa, with comments from the Federation of American Scientists.] [ [http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/mideast/fatw2.htm Original Arabic text] of the fatwa.] , listing the actions of Americans that they claim conflict with "Allah's order", and stating that the Front's "ruling to kill the Americans and their allies—civilians and military—is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it." Terrorism experts consider the "World Islamic Front" synonymous with al-Qaeda.Fact|date=April 2008

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission) uses the text of the 23 February 1998 fatwa as evidence that links Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and al-Qaeda to the September 11, 2001 attacks in Arlington County, Virginia and New York City.

Effects of the World Islamic Front Statement

The 23 February 1998 fatwa is the first known official order of the World Islamic Front. The fatwa calls upon each individual member of the existing Ummah to, "in accordance with the words of Almighty Allah, 'fight the pagans all together as they fight you all together,' and 'fight them until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah.' " The fatwa is widely regarded by terrorism experts as the founding document of the World Islamic Front.

Requirements for advancement

According to the "Tareekh Osama [Osama's History] /54/127-127a," a document found on a computer during a police raid on the Benevolence International Foundation in Sarajevo, the "best brothers" of the front can advance to the inner circle of al Qaeda if they are found worthy in the test camp and meet all of the following requirements:
*An open-ended commitment
*Listens and is obedient
*Good manners
*Referred from a "trusted side"
*Obeys statutes and instructions of al-Qaeda
*Pledges the following:

The pledge of God and his covenant is upon me, to listen and obey the superiors, who are doing this work, in energy, early-rising, difficulty, and easiness, and for his superiority upon us, so that the word of God will be the highest, and His religion victorious.

References

External links

* [http://www.foreignaffairs.org/19981101facomment1428/bernard-lewis/license-to-kill-usama-bin-ladin-s-declaration-of-jihad.html License to Kill: Usama bin Ladin's Declaration of Jihad] , Bernard Lewis, Foreign Affairs