Thank you Bertil for this contribution. As always EJ is, as you say, a man for all times. For those of you who are interested... Shaykh Abdalqadir As-sufi, has written about the suicide bombers of the mid.-east from a Muslim perpective. The essay touches on points similiar to EJ's quote and Bertil's point of view. So I thought it might be of interest to some of you. It can be found at http://www.murabitun.org/mur/article20.html under the title The New Ismailism. I think it is clear from your post, and that of the Shaykh that these bombers will achieve nothing other than giving Islam an extremist face. For that matter it also rhymes with Juenger's dislike of assassination techniques to achieve goals. See pgs. 75-76 of the Details of time. A small sample: "One seldom encounters aged assassins. This also applies to terrorist on the whole: you will find very few who become old, after escaping all the dangers, which inevitably include suicide." All the best, Abdalbarr -----Original Message----- From: juenger-list-admin@juenger.org [mailto:juenger-list-admin@juenger.org]On Behalf Of Bertil Haggman Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 5:44 PM To: juenger-list@juenger.org Subject: [Juenger-list] Ernst Juenger - A Man For All Times When reflection on the willingness of the suicidal bombers to create disaster in the Middle East one can find even the question of fanatic loyalty in Ernst Juengers work: "Das gilt vorzueglich fuer die Bewertung des Lebens selbst. Als im Jahre 1194 der Graf der Champagne auf seiner Reise nach Armenien das Gebiet der Assassinen streifte, begleitet ihn der Grossmeister und fuehrte ihn an seinen Schloessern und Burgen vorbei. Sie kamen zu einer Feste mit ueberaus hohen Tuermen; auf jedem waren zwei weissgekleidete Wachen aufgestellt. Der Grossmeister wollte dem Grafen zeigen, dass die Seinen ihm besser gehorchten als christlichen Fuersten ihre Untertanen; er hob den Arm, und zwei der Waechter stuerzten sich, auf dem Felsgrund zerschmetternd, in die Tiefe hinab. Dann fragte er den Grafen, ob er durch ein zweites Zeichen die gesamte Besatzung der Zinnen in den Tod senden solle. Doch dies Verbat es sich, indem er zugab, dass er bei seinen Dienern auf den gleichen Gehorsam nicht rechen koenne." (p. 437, Der gordische Knoten in Essays I, Betrachtung zur Zeit, Ernst Juenger Werke, Band 5, Erste Gesamt- ausgabe). The Assassins, a fanatic sect based in Persia, spread to Syria, killing prefects, governors, caliphs and even Conrad of Montferrat, the crusader king of Jerusalem. They tried twice to kill Saladain, but failed both times. The Assassins operated in total secrecy and their terrorist fighters were disguised as strangers sometimes Christians. They always used the dagger, never poision or missiles, part because murder was a sacramental act to them. Seen in a historical perspective their struggle was a fruitless attempt by a rather small religious sect to fight the Seljuk Turks. It was not until the Mongol horsemen swept down into Persia and the Middle East the Assassins were eradícated. The similarity to modern suicidal terrorist groups is obvious. Bertil Haggman _______________________________________________ Juenger-list mailing list Juenger-list@juenger.org http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/juenger-list
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