Do not turn Sinwar into another hero of Islam
Wisdom without courage is the same as bravery without wisdom. I beseech the Jewish and Israeli people to consider this: only one generation of Jews needs to do this, and all future generations will be spared what all past generations have suffered.
Because Yahya Sinwar is the mastermind behind the horrific barbarism of his savages slaughtering, raping and burning their way across southern Israel on 7 October, he is already a hero of the ummah, because the murder of Jews pleases Allah – Sinwar murdered a great many Jews – and the recovery of “Muslim land” is a solemn duty on all Muslims, especially Palestinians. One of Israel’s strategic objectives now has to be to prevent his heroism inspiring the next 1000 years of jihad killers.
If Yahya Sinwar dies during Ramadan, even of purely natural causes, he will be the centre of madrassa teachings, bedtime stories, khutbah narrations, training camp chants, protest slogans and dinner regales for generations of Muslims to come. Pay close attention to how many families name their newborn sons “Muhammad Yahya” after that. Dying in the act of jihad during Ramadan is the greatest honour that Allah can bless a Muslim with, at least in this life.
Whether Sinwar is captured before Ramadan or during, do not kill him. Humiliate him during Ramadan. There will be howls of indignation from the very people who danced in the streets when the Jews were raped, butchered and burnt. Key elements of this humiliation must include: that it be public, including livestreamed; that Sinwar be in his underwear; that he be guarded and handled by armed IDF female soldiers; that there be black dogs present; that Sinwar's mouth be opened, a torch be shone into it and his tongue be depressed; that his beard be epilated; and so forth. Also, random Muslims must be approached on the street, in cafés and outside mosques, especially after Friday prayers, and asked, on camera, whether they have anything to say about Yahya Sinwar. Their reactions must be shown to Sinwar and his reactions to their reactions livestreamed. This is the only way to turn Sinwar from an undying hero of Islam into a historic and cultural liability for Muslims in general and Palestinians in particular. No Muslim would want this for himself.
The strategic aim has to be to turn Yahya Sinwar’s predicament into Israeli and Jewish long-term advantage. Make Yahya Sinwar the lever that finally breaks the chain on the Muslim's humanity. The very memory of Sinwar must overwhelm the Muslim with shame and paralyse him in the face Western civilisation and power in general and Israel in particular. Massacres of Jews must no longer be eagerly anticipated, euphorically cheered and proudly celebrated, as Muslims across the globe have done on 7 October and through the days after, but nervously contemplated. That is the best that can be hoped for while so many Muslims are still proud to be Muslim. But it is this pride in being Muslim that Israel must target, and hasbara will not help.
The more sensitised Muslims will begin to appreciate just how much the civilised world had put up with from them, how many opportunities they were given to civilise themselves, how shocking their responses have been and how condemned they now stand in the eyes of history for all the horrors they have perpetrated on their fellow human beings for as long as Muslims have existed. The Muslim must come to question the point of being Muslim, if all it brings is shame, scorn and the pain of seeing your own children flee from Islam. Any Muslim parent telling their young child that it is Muslim, must feel not pride, but guilt. Any sheikh, any “scholar”, any imam, any mufti, any ayatollah must grapple with uncertainty over how a young person will react to hearing of “the wonders of the true deen.”
This is why it is absolutely crucial to talk about the Simchat Torah massacre all the time. This is why Muslim propagandists such as Mohamed Hijab bark that we should "forget about last week!" This is why Islam's Western useful idiots lap up Hamas's Palestinian "civilian death" figures and regurgitate them without a thought. This why Western diplomats get the obligatory two-second some-people did-something-in-Israel bit out of the way to get back on topic: the "humanitarian crisis" in Gaza, as if Israel caused it and is responsible for alleviating it. How are they not complicit in making Sinwar a hero?
There are many dimension to being “chosen”. Israel, being a civilised country, might be conflicted over taking such measures as suggested above. Jews, as a highly-civilised people, might be repulsed by such urging. Many will say, “That is not who we are.” Such reactions attest to the immense moral fortitude of the Hebrew people. But wisdom without courage is the same as bravery without wisdom. I beseech the Jewish and Israeli people to consider this: only one generation of Jews needs to do this, and all future generations will be spared what all past generations have suffered. Much as you want to tear this monster limb from limb, I ask you to restrain your need for revenge until 1 Shawwal. If Yahya Sinwar is to be killed, then let it be early on the morning of that day, so he misses dying in Ramadan by just a few hours. Let’s see the Muslims celebrate that as they celebrated 7 October.
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Comments:
On 2 March at 21:38, Jalal Tagreeb wrote:
Dear Anjuli,
Thank you for this excellent article. We are full of hope that the IDF will capture Sinwar alive and free all hostages. Sinwar must learn that he is not an exceptional case, and he is not different compared to Saddam or Ghaddafi or other captured Hamas members. He must be prepared for the good public humiliation upon his capture (something that he really deserves in return for his arrogance and insistence on wrong doings).
Kind regards,Jalal.