Holy Month of War

For more than a billion Muslims around the world—including some 8 million in North America—Ramadan is a "month of blessing" marked by prayer, fasting, and charity. This year Ramadan precedes Christmas and Hanukkah. But while in many places these holidays have become widely commercialized, Ramadan retains its focus on self-sacrifice and devotion to Allah (God).

Yeah right. Ramadan is now the month the faithful are called to conduct a Holy War against the West. It was during Ramadan that Muslims triumphed in many battles throughout the history of Jihad for the sake of Allah – among them the battle of Badr in 624, the conquest of Mecca in 630 and of Andalusia in 711, the battle of Al-Zallaqa (in Andalusia) in 1086, the battle of Ein Jalut in 1260, as well as the 1973 War (called The Ramadan War).

Al Qaeda has again called on Muslims to step up attacks against the West during this year's Ramadan...something it has done on a regular basis since we attacked Afghanistan and then Iraq. This year audiotape posted on a Web site today and attributed to the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq called for an escalation of attacks and the kidnapping of foreigners to try to force the release of a high-profile Muslim cleric imprisoned in the United States.

The message refers to Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind Egyptian cleric who was convicted in 1995 of plotting to blow up New York landmarks and is now in a federal medical prison in Springfield, Mo. The tape also encourages the mujahedeen “to capture some of the Roman dogs so as to secure his release from the darkness of his prison.” Usually they prefer to just kill Catholic priests and nuns but it must be OK with Allah the merciful to use them as ransom.

As a special treat, nuclear scientists and explosives experts were invited Thursday to test their experimental weapons on U.S. military bases in Iraq and to join the jihad against the West by the voice, who identified himself as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir — also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri — the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq.


Wow..a special invite from Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq. I've always been curious about how one becomes a Muslim scientist since the Koran is the perfect book and none other are needed. Now the Koran is just fine when it comes to teaching the use of a sword but I found it lacking in physics and other subjects.

The following list comes from Wikepedia. It is a compilation of wars/battles fought during Islam's most holy month:

* 624 - Battle of Badr. On 17 Ramadan, Muhammad led his forces in Arabia to victory over Makkan idolaters. "The great battle of Badr" or "Conquest of Mecca", was the first battle between believers and infidels.
* 627 - The Battle of the Ditch. Muslims trained for this battle during Ramadan, though it occurred in the following month of Shawal.
* 630 - Battle of Tabouk (also called the Battle of Tabuk). The soldiers of Islam, under the leadership of Muhammad, established a training and fighting camp in Tabouk during the month of fasting, and attacked the Byzantine army.
* 653 - Conquest of Rhodes. Muslims plundered the Colossus of Rhodes, melted it and turned it into arms for the soldiers.
* 710 - Muslims led by Tarek bin Ziyad, invaded Spanish southern frontier cities on the Andalusian coast defeating King Roderick. They stayed for eight hundred years, disseminating Islam. From there, Islam spreads out through Europe.
* 1099 - Battle of Ascalon. Took place on 22 Ramadan (August 12), the newfound crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem defeated Fatimid Egypt.
* 1187 - Battle of Hattin. Took place at dawn -- after the Night of Power (Lailat ul-Qadr); a night during the last ten days of Ramadan when tradition says that the angel Gabriel descended and God called Muhammad to be His messenger. (It is sometimes translated as the Night of Destiny.) Sultan Saladin (Salah Al-Din Al-Ayubi) wiped out the Frankish army and went on to reclaim Jerusalem for Islam. The battle took place on July 4.
* 1260 - Battle of Ain Jalut. Qutuz defeated the Mongols in Palestine.
* 1962 to 1970 - Yemeni Civil War. Fighting continued through nine Ramadans.
* 1973 - Ramadan War (Elsewhere known as the Yom Kippur War). Egypt and Syria launched their attack on Israel it was called Operation Badr, and foot soldiers were given religious slogans. The Yom Kippur War is also known as the 6th of October war of 1973 and the 10th of Ramadan War.
* 1975 to 1990 - Lebanon's civil war. Fighting took place over the course of seventeen Ramadans.
* 1981 - Iran rejected Iraqi offers for a Ramadan cease-fire.
* 1982 - Iran launched an attack on Iraq that they explicitly called "Operation Ramadan."
* 1986 - Christian forces called for a Ramadan cease-fire, which lasted two weeks.
* 1987 - Iran again rejected Iraqi offers for a Ramadan cease-fire.
* 1987 to 1993 - The first Palestinian Intifada was waged over six Ramadans.
* 1990s - There were at least 20 examples of Ramadan violence by Muslims during the Algerian civil war.
* 2000 - Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee stated that India would initiate a unilateral cease-fire in observance of the holy month of Ramadan as a step towards peace in Kashmir. Nonetheless, widespread fighting continued between Indian forces and the guerrillas in Jammu-Kashmir.
* 2000 - Al-Qaida operatives tried to bomb a U.S. destroyer, USS The Sullivans, in the harbor at Aden, Yemen. It was the Night of Power. The suicide boat was overloaded with explosives and sank.
* 2000 - Al-Qaida successfully bombs the USS Cole in the same harbor at Aden.
* 2003 - After the 2003 Iraq war, suicide bombers struck at four locations, including the Red Cross headquarters, killing at least 35 people.

I guess all that fasting makes them angry.