Periodical Review: Jihadist Fatwas - January-February 2013

This review reports the main fatwas [religious-legal rulings] issued in response to readers’ questions by Minbar Al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, the Web site of Salafist ideologue Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi. In January and February 2013, Sheikh Shanqiti ruled as follows:

• Once the Muslims in Libya have established an Islamic state, they must prepare for war. Sheikh Shanqiti suggested that a large number of armed men seize power and key positions, and impose Islamic law [shari’a].
• The new Egyptian constitution is heretical and antithetical to shari’a and Islam; anyone who signs it is an infidel. So, too, is any ruler who makes or passes legislation that contravenes shari’a.
• Muslims in North Africa should give jihad in Mali priority over jihad in Syria, because of their geographic proximity to it.
• It is permissible and justifiable to kill Algerian diplomats.
• It is permissible to hack into, or hire the services of hackers to hack into, American Web sites, for the purpose of stealing money.