UK Islamist: No such thing as 'civilians'

Hani Al-Sibai, who runs the Al-Maqreze Center for Historical Studies, has declared on Al-Jazeera that Muslims should make no distinction between Western civilians and combatants:

Host: "The question, in short, is whether the religious scholars... Sir, the religious law assembly in Mecca at the end of last month issued a fatwa forbidding the killing of civilians. Should we follow it or Osama bin Laden?" Al-Siba'i: "These assemblies resemble the assemblies of the Church. These assemblies forbid young people from going to Iraq to fight the Jihad. These assemblies... The Higher Religious Authority [in Saudi Arabia] are the ones who allowed the presence of Crusader forces in the Land of the Two Holy Places (Saudi Arabia). These assemblies..." Host: "Mr. Hani, make no mistake. The same assembly ruled that Jihad in Iraq is allowed against soldiers. Even Sheik Osama [sic.] Al-Makdisi, Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi's mentor... Okay. Abu Hani, okay... He asked Al-Zarqawi not to kill civilians and to attack only the Americans... I mean, only soldiers..." Al-Siba'i: "The term 'civilians' does not exist in Islamic religious law. Dr. Karmi is sitting here, and I am sitting here, and I'm familiar with religious law. There is no such term as 'civilians' in the modern Western sense. People are either of Dar Al-Harb or not.

Islamic tradition divides the world into three categories: Dar al-Islam ("House of Islam"), meaning an Islamic theocracy, Dar al-Harb ("House of War"), meaning an area not ruled by Muslims and Islamic law, and Dar al-Sulh "House of Treaty"), meaning an area not under Muslim rule, but in a treaty with Islamic-ruled areas. It's interesting to note that Al-Sibai ignores Dar al-Sulh, eliminating the possibility of peace between the Islamic world and the west. You either live in an Islamic theocracy, or you live in a House of War until Muslims can win that war and turn it into a House of Islam. To hell with that. [Hat-tip: Little Green Footballs]