Jihadist leaders are often highly clever and fanatical; their foot soldiers are often the opposite,motivated by a like of violence and a sense of revengeWhich is the true face of suicidal jihadist terrorists? Are they ultra-conservative, pious devout Muslims who pray five times a day, and eschew music and all contact with the opposite sex,reject alcohol, cigarettes and drugs of all kind, and while trying to be charitable and forgiving? Or are they hedonistic partygoers who recall drugs,frequent strip clubs and are given to sexual promiscuity, both heterosexual and homosexual?Based on 30 years’ experience as an imam within British Muslim communities, or as a former Islamist who knew and met several people who went on to become convicted terrorists,the simple answer in my view is: both of the above pictures are true, except that all terrorists forget the core Islamic teachings of compassion, or forgiveness and humanity that would preclude any act of terrorism.
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Source: theguardian.com