Saudi businessman and columnist Hussein Shobokshi offers up some interesting commentary on how militant groups have tried—and succeeded in many ways—to seize the religious high ground by adopting the name of God. By declaring themselves active agents of God on earth, the groups stop a large amount of potential criticism dead, before it can even start to gain a voice. Who, after all, is going to argue with God?

Writing in Asharq Alawsat, Shobokshi argues that this is mere exploitation that damages all Muslims. It is, but it’s a tried-and-true practice. The Iraqi flag, for instance, did not bear the words ‘Allahu Akbar’ in 1989… only after the invasion of Iraq and the pending Gulf War did those words appear.

While Samuel Johnson is credited with the saying ‘Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel’, we can thank Shobokshi for noting that it’s been trumped: ‘Religiosity is the last refuge of a scoundrel’.

Seditions and Names
Hussein Shobokshi

William Shakespeare once wrote “What’s in a name?” In reality, there are myriad meanings within a name and no where is this more evident than within the field of political Islam in the Arab world.

Parties and movements that are affiliated to this type of trend take on catchy names and pledge to achieve great deal. The most famous movement, or the most controversial group, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), chose a conspicuous name as it ‘confined’ Muslim brothers solely to it but not necessarily to other parties thus opening the door to other potential names, such as “Muslim Neighbours” or “Muslim Friends” etc.

Of course there is another name that stands out: Hezbollah [Party of God]. This party didn’t choose a less promising name for itself such as the “Party of God’s Servants” or the “Party of Those Loved by God”, no; this party chose to bear God’s name directly – and who can oppose God’s Party?
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