Dar al-Islam

A dichotomy adhered to by followers of the conservative tradition of Islam. It follows that the world is divided into two components: dar al-Islam- the house of God, and dar al-Harb- the house of War; the home of the infidels or unbelievers. The goal of the Islamists is to expand the borders of dar al-Islam at the expense of dar al-Harb, and to create a universal Islamic community. The Saudi Wahhabists and their philosophy are a prime example of this doctrine. Bin Laden's rhetoric is also reflective of this dichotomy, most likely emanating from his readings of Sayyed Qutb...

The roots of Al Qaeda are not in poverty or in anti-Americanism but in Sayyid Qutb's ideas about how Christianity went wrong and how martyrdom could change the world.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/23/magazine/23GURU?ex=1049433898&ei=1&en=ca11532e8dadff06

Submitted by: Sardar Mikeshbhai Patel