I'm afraid there is a lot of misinformation out there about the Islamic faith. It is actually a very peaceful religion with a strict moral code. Even if this jihad thing is really true you can be sure such belief would be considered "extreme".
This has little to do with Islam itself, it has to do with an organization of fundamental extremists self-serving and violent interpretation of it. Sadly, that violent interpretation has been gaining ground in the Muslim world for decades. It's still seems to be a minority but a significant and growing minority.
Are you basing this all on OBL's various interviews?
Alot of it, yes. Bin Laden is not shy about his beliefs or intentions. Before 9/11, he gladly spoke with numerous journalists from various new agencies around the world, including ABC News here in the states, on many occasions. Some interviews were written, others full blown video interviews that lasted over an hour. His beliefs seem only to be a secret to those who seek to blame his crimes on someone else, something even he has no desire to do. He is proud of what he is and what he's done. Do you know or even understand that? He thinks he's a hero for what he's done. He believes that he has a special place in seventh heaven waiting for him as a result of the attacks that he's planned and funded against the west. This is not, I repeat, not a secret.
I'm really wondering how much of it is even true. How do we know what OBL is really saying?
How about because he wants us to know? He wants us to know what he thinks, what he wants, and wants to intimidate us into meeting his demands of suffer the consequences? The man openly declared war on us twice in the '90's. We didn't take him as seriously as we should have but he did it. He even called a press conference to announce it and explain why.
People still say "wipe off the map" when Ahmajenad never even uttered those exacts word.
You're right, he never uttered those exact words. But that's just the semantics of language translation, a translation released by the Iranian government itself. The correct translation of his comment is:
"The Imam said that this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the pages of time."
And the phrase "wiped off the map" was said by him in a speech he gave discussing the issue:
"Our dear Imam (referring to Ayatollah Khomeini) said that the occupying regime must be wiped off the map and this was a very wise statement. We cannot compromise over the issue of Palestine. Is it possible to create a new front in the heart of an old front. This would be a defeat and whoever accepts the legitimacy of this regime has in fact, signed the defeat of the Islamic world. Our dear Imam targeted the heart of the world oppressor in his struggle, meaning the occupying regime. I have no doubt that the new wave that has started in Palestine, and we witness it in the Islamic world too, will eliminate this disgraceful stain from the Islamic world.
There is really no room for doubt as to where Ahmadinejad or Bin Laden stand in their beliefs. That's the bottom line.
