With Modi (moderate), Mani (mainstream), and Radi (radical)
Modi:
I see the American newspapers are writing about us moderates again. They wonder why we can’t do something about Radi.
Mani:
I noticed that. But they only talk about you and Radi, they seem to ignore me. I guess they don’t know I exist.
Radi:
Yeah, can you believe it? They can’t tell the difference between you two guys anyway; they just know they don’t like me. And those Americans think you can do something about me. I dare you to try.
Modi:
Radi, they don’t like the way you interpret our Sacred Book and the law. They think it’s the interpretation that causes the fighting between us and them. Why do they always get things backwards?
Mani:
I agree with that. If Allah says kill the infidels wherever you find them, doesn’t that mean the same thing to the three of us?
Radi:
You bet! I keep my blade sharp for those infidels, whoever they are. But Modi, you even have some Christian friends! That is against our laws! Do not take Christians and Jews for friends!
Modi:
Well, Radi, a Jew is an infidel, I know. Have you ever met one or even seen one?
Mani:
What does that have to do with anything? Allah did not like them, He said so; so neither do we.
Radi:
Yeah. That goes for me too. I would kill them all. Bring ‘em on.
Modi:
Does that go for Christians, too? More people you have never met—oh, wait! Didn’t some Christian soldiers find your grandmother in that house that was blown up by a martyr, and then rush her to the hospital to save her life?
Mani:
Yeah; I am still angry about that. If they had let her alone, she would have died a martyr and gone directly to Paradise. Now she is worried sick because she does not know if she is one of the ones Allah has chosen.
Radi:
Yeah, Modi. You know that everything is preordained. Everything is already mapped out and you don’t know which way you are going when you die; no matter how good you have been or what good works you have done, your path is already chosen. The only way you can change it is by martyrdom. If you are chosen for the path to the fire, you may do something sometime, even at the last minute and burn in hell forever. It is not up to you.
Modi:
So you are telling me that to you, just staying alive is taking a terrible chance with fate.
Mani:
Yes indeed! That other grandmother had the right idea; she lived a full life and then became a martyr—just in case.
Radi:
But we can’t always be that lucky. We might get really angry about something and do something wrong, then get hit by a truck and burn in hell forever because someone made us angry.
Modi:Oh, my! So the only guarantee you have is martyrdom. But have you really looked at the Sacred Law about that? Martyrdom is not a guarantee by any means. People have been doing it because they want to get that guarantee to Paradise, others because they want those virgins, still others—the young people—because they see no decent future for themselves and martyrdom celebrates them as heroes while they are still alive and provides a great reward to their families.
Mani:
So, what’s wrong with that?
Modi:
True martyrdom requires that you do it only for the love of Allah and for no other reason. It is a matter of intent. I for one am not going to bet all eternity on what my true intentions are at any time.
Radi:
But if you have no intention of being a martyr and an American bomb falls on you, it is said you are a martyr even if you did not know you were in a target area. What about that?
Modi:
I will let the imams fight about that one. I’d just as soon be out of town.
Mani:
Well, Radi, I guess that leaves martyrdom up to us.
Radi:
What do you mean us?
HJS
Modi:
I see the American newspapers are writing about us moderates again. They wonder why we can’t do something about Radi.
Mani:
I noticed that. But they only talk about you and Radi, they seem to ignore me. I guess they don’t know I exist.
Radi:
Yeah, can you believe it? They can’t tell the difference between you two guys anyway; they just know they don’t like me. And those Americans think you can do something about me. I dare you to try.
Modi:
Radi, they don’t like the way you interpret our Sacred Book and the law. They think it’s the interpretation that causes the fighting between us and them. Why do they always get things backwards?
Mani:
I agree with that. If Allah says kill the infidels wherever you find them, doesn’t that mean the same thing to the three of us?
Radi:
You bet! I keep my blade sharp for those infidels, whoever they are. But Modi, you even have some Christian friends! That is against our laws! Do not take Christians and Jews for friends!
Modi:
Well, Radi, a Jew is an infidel, I know. Have you ever met one or even seen one?
Mani:
What does that have to do with anything? Allah did not like them, He said so; so neither do we.
Radi:
Yeah. That goes for me too. I would kill them all. Bring ‘em on.
Modi:
Does that go for Christians, too? More people you have never met—oh, wait! Didn’t some Christian soldiers find your grandmother in that house that was blown up by a martyr, and then rush her to the hospital to save her life?
Mani:
Yeah; I am still angry about that. If they had let her alone, she would have died a martyr and gone directly to Paradise. Now she is worried sick because she does not know if she is one of the ones Allah has chosen.
Radi:
Yeah, Modi. You know that everything is preordained. Everything is already mapped out and you don’t know which way you are going when you die; no matter how good you have been or what good works you have done, your path is already chosen. The only way you can change it is by martyrdom. If you are chosen for the path to the fire, you may do something sometime, even at the last minute and burn in hell forever. It is not up to you.
Modi:
So you are telling me that to you, just staying alive is taking a terrible chance with fate.
Mani:
Yes indeed! That other grandmother had the right idea; she lived a full life and then became a martyr—just in case.
Radi:
But we can’t always be that lucky. We might get really angry about something and do something wrong, then get hit by a truck and burn in hell forever because someone made us angry.
Modi:Oh, my! So the only guarantee you have is martyrdom. But have you really looked at the Sacred Law about that? Martyrdom is not a guarantee by any means. People have been doing it because they want to get that guarantee to Paradise, others because they want those virgins, still others—the young people—because they see no decent future for themselves and martyrdom celebrates them as heroes while they are still alive and provides a great reward to their families.
Mani:
So, what’s wrong with that?
Modi:
True martyrdom requires that you do it only for the love of Allah and for no other reason. It is a matter of intent. I for one am not going to bet all eternity on what my true intentions are at any time.
Radi:
But if you have no intention of being a martyr and an American bomb falls on you, it is said you are a martyr even if you did not know you were in a target area. What about that?
Modi:
I will let the imams fight about that one. I’d just as soon be out of town.
Mani:
Well, Radi, I guess that leaves martyrdom up to us.
Radi:
What do you mean us?
HJS
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