The following text has been reproduced from Brother Tariq – The Doublespeak of Tariq Ramadan, Caroline Fourest, New York, Encounter Books, 2008, pp. 222-224 Google Books
Chapter 6 – Not a Clash but a Confrontation between Civilizations
Section – Solidarity with Algerians … but Islamist Algerians
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(EXCERPT) (Tariq) Ramadan speaks of these murders, in particular the murder of the monks, as being “a dishonor for the GIA,” but he adds that the assassinations only go to prove “the inability of the Algerian government to ensure internal security.” But insure internal security against whom?
If he really disapproved of the GIA, Ramadan would not be a friend of the only man to have dared declare in writing that the Tibéhirine massacre was justified in terms of the Koran: Yahya Michot. In 1997, this Belgian convert to Islam came to prominence for having dug out a fatwa of Ibn Taymiyya, dating from 1417 (sic – PdeB), that proved the murder was justified on religious grounds.
His booklet—Le statut des moines [Rules Pertaining to Monks]—was published under the name of Nasreddin Lebatelier, but Michot finally admitted to being the author. It is said there that, in cases of conflict, the killing of monks is permitted if they are in contact with other men (for they could keep
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Muslims from pursuing their goals).
On the other hand, it is illicit if the monks are within walls. The GIA assassins thus acted in perfect conformity with Ibn Taymiyya, since they murdered all the monks, except for one who had taken refuge in his cell. This led Michot to conclude that the monks should have heeded the order to leave the country issued by the GIA in 1993: “The drama could, no doubt, have been avoided with a bit of common sense, if the monks had agreed to ‘take a bit of a vacation in France.’ (82) In brief, the man is far from respectable.
82 Ibn Taymiyya, Le statut des moines, French translation (referring to the Tibéhirine affair) by Nasreddin Lebatelier [Yahya Michot], Beirut, El-Safina, 1997 [1417]
Few non-jihadist reformers have agreed to be seen with him since. Tariq Ramadan, however, is still one of his friends. In March 2002, the preacher even wrote a preface to his latest book, a book published by Jeunesse sans Frontières, the Islamist association of Montpellier for which Tariq Ramadan is an esteemed figure. Admittedly, the book does not deal with Tibéhirine. It is entitled Musulman en Europe [Muslim in Europe], but Ramadan’s moral support was an eloquent message for all the young Muslims who followed this affair. All the more so, in that Michot indicated in his bibliography that he had translated Ibn Taymiyya’s fatwa.
One might have expected that Ramadan would express some reservations over the positions taken by the author. Not at all. Ramadan recommended Yahya Michot “as a brother and a friend.” He had nothing but praise for him, presenting him as “one of the few Muslim thinkers who know how appealing a generous sense of humor can be.” Er . . . But Ramadan does take care to leave himself a way out by adding the following sentence, meaningless in itself: “Many a time we were in disagreement, often we were at odds.” But over what? The youngsters will never know. And as a result, they adopt as a model this “brother” recommended by Ramadan—this brother so humorous and so apropos. In the book, Michot describes Ibn Taymiyyah as “our principal guide” and “one of the great Muslim scholars.” (83)
83 Yahya Michot, Musulman en Europe [Muslim in Europe], preface by Tariq Ramadan, Paris, Jeunesse sans Frontières, 2002, p. 2
He frequently cites Khomeini, refers to the modern jahiliyya [the pre-Islamic decadence], goes back over the Crusades once again to exonerate the Muslims of any guilt for the crimes committed in the name of Islam: “I would say straight out, even if it may appear shocking, that we Muslims can afford to kill a lot, to liquidate and massacre a lot, before reaching the degree of inhumanity that was the standard in the past for the
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ancestors of those who today accuse Islam of being a religion of violence.” (84) What a splendid model for European Muslim youth! And what a calling card for someone who claims to be an uncompromising agent of peace.
84 Ibid., p.107. In his defense, Michot argues that he is drawing a sort of absurd line of thought, for, of course, a Muslim cannot kill because the Koran forbids it.
