From Bin Laden's new videotape: "There are two solutions to stopping it (the war). One is from our side, and it is to escalate the fighting and killing against you. This is our duty, and our brothers are carrying it out. The second solution is from your side. I invite you to embrace Islam." [Editor: "Badge Man" is an experienced federal law enforcement official whom I know personally. Specializing in counter-terrorism and radical Islam, he writes here anonymously because of the sensitivity of his current job assignment. Now his analysis.]
Bin Laden is accurately citing Islamic law. Per the Sharia, it is the duty of a Muslim to kill non-believers in this situation. Additionally, per Islamic doctrine, the non-believers must be given the opportunity to convert to Islam before they are killed, hence he invites Americans to "embrace Islam" or die.
You may recall last fall when President Ahmadinejad asked President Bush and the American people to embrace Islam. The press ignored it and the US government laughed. This is no laughing matter. In Islam, this is the equivalent of a declaration of war. Once again, not knowing the doctrine may bring great harm to us.
Those who believe Bin Laden is dead should consider the following: When Bin Laden is killed, it will be announced worldwide because ISLAMIC DOCTRINE states a Martyr must be declared. This is why the suicide bombers and others write letters and make videos - it IS THEIR DOCTRINE if they want to be a true Martyr.
As a Muslim, when you die the two angels who have been on your right and left shoulders your entire life count up all the good and bad in your life. If the good outweighs the bad, you go to heaven. If not, you go to hell. And you go to heaven or hell on the day of judgement - not now. Muslims clean dead bodies in preparation for burial so they will be clean when/if they come to heaven. Martyrs are buried as they died, bloody and mangled etc. This is so Allah can see they died in the Jihad. Martyrs go straight to heaven - martyrdom is the only way to guarantee entry into heaven.
If any of this is foreign or hard to believe, I again reiterate - if you are in a position of leadership and do not know/understand the doctrine, you have a responsibility to do so. I strongly encourage you to make time to read Islamic doctrinal writings written by Muslims for Muslims.
Please go online now, purchase "Reliance of the Traveler." Then, read it and study it. Life will make a lot more sense if you do.
Their doctrine says it, they repeat it from every possible platform, they believe it, and they are acting on it to kill us on the battle fields, and on our streets. Maybe a little study time isn't so inconvenient when put in that perspective.