--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Al Qaeda's leaders seek to reverse what…" description: "\"Al Qaeda's leaders seek to reverse what they claim are corrupt Islamic practices bookended by the Mongol invasions in 1256 and Ataturk's ending the cal..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/868/malcolm-nance-13693_clock_al-qaeda-s-leaders-seek-to-reverse-what_2604506.jpg" --- # Al Qaeda's leaders seek to reverse what they claim are… ![“Al Qaeda's leaders seek to reverse what they claim are corrupt Islamic practices bookended by the Mongol invasions in 1256 and Ataturk's ending the caliphate in 1924. Theirs is a fight to turn Islam's clock back to the time of Prophet Muhammad's original followers.” quote by Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/868/malcolm-nance-13693_clock_al-qaeda-s-leaders-seek-to-reverse-what_2604506.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/868/malcolm-nance-13693_clock_al-qaeda-s-leaders-seek-to-reverse-what_2604506.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/868/malcolm-nance-13693_clock_al-qaeda-s-leaders-seek-to-reverse-what_2604506.jpg) > “Al Qaeda's leaders seek to reverse what they claim are corrupt Islamic practices bookended by the Mongol invasions in 1256 and Ataturk's ending the caliphate in 1924. Theirs is a fight to turn Islam's clock back to the time of Prophet Muhammad's original followers.” [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Extremist groups aim to revert Islam to its early form, rejecting later historical changes. **In simple terms:** They want to restore early Islam, rejecting later reforms. Key Takeaway Understand historical context of religious movements. Themes religion history politics revisionism Mood critical concerned Type analytical informative When to use this quote - policy debates - educational curricula - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts ideology historical narrative Questions to Reflect On - How does history influence modern belief? - What risks arise from selective memory? A Different Perspective Simplifying complex history can fuel extremism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caliphate 1924](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caliphate-1924-1974435/) [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Corrupt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corrupt/) [Corrupt Islamic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corrupt-islamic-1974438/) [Ending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ending/) [Ending Caliphate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ending-caliphate-1974436/) [Fight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fight/) [Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Qaeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/qaeda/) [Qaeda Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/qaeda-leaders-1974437/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [True enough, Osama bin Laden is dead and other al-Qaeda leaders have joined him. But, the assassination of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beauprez/true-enough-osama-bin-laden-is-dead-and-other-al-qaeda-leaders-have/) [Bob Beauprez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-beauprez/) > [Al Qaeda has dominated the battlefield of the soul among the disaffected, disenfranchised, and dissatisfied. It promises action instead of discussion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/al-qaeda-has-dominated-the-battlefield-of-the-soul-among-the/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [The attacks of September 11 were made possible, in part, by the fact that U.S. law enforcement had a bias that 'rich Saudis are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/the-attacks-of-september-11-were-made-possible-in-part-by-the-fact/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [A militant's profile lies not in his age, race, culture, or education; anyone can join or be adopted by the al Qaeda network, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/a-militant-s-profile-lies-not-in-his-age-race-culture-or-education/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [Al Qaeda is a racially diverse organization that is well aware of its dependence on a labor pool dominated by Arab Muslim men. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/al-qaeda-is-a-racially-diverse-organization-that-is-well-aware-of-its/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [Iraq, for the first time, gives al Qaeda and its allies contiguous safe-haven territory to train and launch attacks into the Levant. First into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/iraq-for-the-first-time-gives-al-qaeda-and-its-allies-contiguous-safe/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [And beyond that, the next issue is how do we guarantee one of these weapons, not necessarily this missile, but nuclear weapons ends up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-eagleburger/and-beyond-that-the-next-issue-is-how-do-we-guarantee-one-of-these/) [Lawrence Eagleburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-eagleburger/) > [If you don't understand what al Qaeda was trying to do on 9/11, if you don't have a sense of who Osama bin Laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/if-you-don-t-understand-what-al-qaeda-was-trying-to-do-on-9-11-if-you/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [I was on the front lines in the Cold War, and I was on the front lines in the fight against Al Qaeda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-haspel/i-was-on-the-front-lines-in-the-cold-war-and-i-was-on-the-front-lines/) [Gina Haspel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-haspel/) > [The people who illegally cross into the country are from countries that have very close ties to al Qaeda, whether it's Yemen or Afghanistan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/the-people-who-illegally-cross-into-the-country-are-from-countries/) [Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/) > [ This war \[in Syria\] is going to support Al-Qaeda and the same people that killed Americans in the 11th of September. The second thing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/this-war-in-syria-is-going-to-support-al-qaeda-and-the-same-people/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [There are many causes of violent deaths in America - murders and traffic accidents - that we do not approach with the same 'no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-c-blair/there-are-many-causes-of-violent-deaths-in-america-murders-and/) [Dennis C. Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-c-blair/) > [Searches of al Qaeda sites in Afghanistan, undertaken since American-backed forces took control there, are not known to have turned up a significant cache…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/searches-of-al-qaeda-sites-in-afghanistan-undertaken-since-american/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [If the practice is torture for the al Qaeda operative who masterminded the killing of three thousand Americans, why weren't there court-martials in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-a-rodriguez-jr/if-the-practice-is-torture-for-the-al-qaeda-operative-who/) [Jose A. Rodriguez, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-a-rodriguez-jr/) > [There's overwhelming evidence... circumstantial and otherwise, to suggest a connection between Iraq and al Qaeda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/there-s-overwhelming-evidence-circumstantial-and-otherwise-to-suggest/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) ## More by Malcolm Nance > [Russia's a small country. It's really poor. It has nothing other than oil and weapons sales.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/russia-s-a-small-country-it-s-really-poor-it-has-nothing-other-than/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [The Republicans want an autocracy where the rights of minorities and others are not protected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/the-republicans-want-an-autocracy-where-the-rights-of-minorities-and/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [I started my career in Naval Intelligence when I entered as a Russian language interpreter sent to DLI, the Defense Language Institute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/i-started-my-career-in-naval-intelligence-when-i-entered-as-a-russian/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [I have personally led, witnessed, and supervised waterboarding of hundreds of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/i-have-personally-led-witnessed-and-supervised-waterboarding-of/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [“However, despite the enormous digital territory and huge number of Internet users, only a few users of what is called the “Surface Web” are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/however-despite-the-enormous-digital-territory-and-huge-number-of/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [Working in the Middle East, daily I face the questions, disbelief, and accusations about how Americans could violate the human rights which they once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/working-in-the-middle-east-daily-i-face-the-questions-disbelief-and/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [Vladimir Putin is creating an axis of authoritarian regimes that he will lead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/vladimir-putin-is-creating-an-axis-of-authoritarian-regimes-that-he/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [The 2003 war in Iraq may be considered the greatest error in American policy since the Civil War. Its ramifications are earth-shattering and will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/the-2003-war-in-iraq-may-be-considered-the-greatest-error-in-american/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [Hamas and Hezbollah operate within geopolitical norms. They can be negotiated and reasoned with. ISIL is a different animal altogether - a religious cult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/hamas-and-hezbollah-operate-within-geopolitical-norms-they-can-be/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [To help students steel themselves for captivity, SERE used a variety of 'stress and duress' techniques. The military's encyclopedic knowledge of these techniques was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/to-help-students-steel-themselves-for-captivity-sere-used-a-variety/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [Yes, ISIL is a terror-based insurgent army that seeks to establish a Caliphate, but the group's actual end goal is far from political: ISIL…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/yes-isil-is-a-terror-based-insurgent-army-that-seeks-to-establish-a/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [For an old spy and codebreaker like myself, nothing in the world happens by coincidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/for-an-old-spy-and-codebreaker-like-myself-nothing-in-the-world/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [Al Qaeda is a racially diverse organization that is well aware of its dependence on a labor pool dominated by Arab Muslim men. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/al-qaeda-is-a-racially-diverse-organization-that-is-well-aware-of-its/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [Vladimir Putin understood, from the Communist era when he was a KGB officer, that the Russian propaganda system of targeting Western media - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/vladimir-putin-understood-from-the-communist-era-when-he-was-a-kgb/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) > [For years before my Navy enlistment, I had studied the Soviet Union and the KGB's history of political intrigue in preparation for a career…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/for-years-before-my-navy-enlistment-i-had-studied-the-soviet-union/) [Malcolm Nance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) [Explore all 49 Malcolm Nance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/) ## More Clock quotes > [Even Einstein had to rely for his time on his clock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/even-einstein-had-to-rely-for-his-time-on-his-clock/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) > [“Time was never neutral and often felt dangerous. We either think we have all the time in the world or time moves too fast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-reay/time-was-never-neutral-and-often-felt-dangerous-we-either-think-we/) [Katherine Reay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-reay/) > [Before a clock was in the tower, Or e'er a watch was worn; I knew of night the passing hour, And prophesied the morn;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-a-clock-was-in-the-tower-or-e-er-a-watch-was-worn-i-knew-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A clock struck out the hour of twelve, and the bird in the hedgerow was still singing as we marched out to the roadway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macgill/a-clock-struck-out-the-hour-of-twelve-and-the-bird-in-the-hedgerow/) [Patrick MacGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macgill/) > [“Time is, to put it in its most impressive and some might say poncy-sounding form, my domain. I can see things that once happened,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-rayner/time-is-to-put-it-in-its-most-impressive-and-some-might-say-poncy/) [Jacqueline Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-rayner/) > [Time travel offends our sense of cause and effect - but maybe the universe doesn't insist on cause and effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-m-lerner/time-travel-offends-our-sense-of-cause-and-effect-but-maybe-the/) [Edward M. Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-m-lerner/) > [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [Time.The greatest creator, and the worst destroyer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levi-keely/time-the-greatest-creator-and-the-worst-destroyer/) [Levi Keely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/levi-keely/) > [Steven Spielberg seems to have wanted to be a director from 13. He put his dog in a certain position and made him eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/steven-spielberg-seems-to-have-wanted-to-be-a-director-from-13-he-put/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [No life goes past so swiftly as an eventless one, no clock spins like a clock whose days are all alike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/no-life-goes-past-so-swiftly-as-an-eventless-one-no-clock-spins-like/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Those who stop marketing to save money are like those who stop a clock to save time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/those-who-stop-marketing-to-save-money-are-like-those-who-stop-a/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [Time is the nervous system of narration, whether factual or fictive. If it gets confused some of the minutiae of human nature are certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenway-wescott/time-is-the-nervous-system-of-narration-whether-factual-or-fictive-if/) [Glenway Wescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenway-wescott/) > [I don't know if it's just me or everyone, but the whole vibe with skiing is not so much thriving on competition against others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/picabo-street/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-just-me-or-everyone-but-the-whole-vibe-with/) [Picabo Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/picabo-street/) > [Time goes on, even when yer not looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/time-goes-on-even-when-yer-not-looking/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [CLOCK, n. A machine of great moral value to man, allaying his concern for the future by reminding him what a lot of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/clock-n-a-machine-of-great-moral-value-to-man-allaying-his-concern/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) [Browse all 2,738 Clock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Al Qaeda's leaders seek to reverse what they claim are corrupt Islamic practices bookended by the Mongol invasions in 1256 and Ataturk's ending the caliphate in 1924. Theirs is a fight to turn Islam's clock back to the time of Prophet Muhammad's original followers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Malcolm Nance" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/al-qaeda-s-leaders-seek-to-reverse-what-they-claim-are-corrupt/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Clock" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/al-qaeda-s-leaders-seek-to-reverse-what-they-claim-are-corrupt/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/868/malcolm-nance-13693_clock_al-qaeda-s-leaders-seek-to-reverse-what_2604506.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/868/malcolm-nance-13693_clock_al-qaeda-s-leaders-seek-to-reverse-what_2604506.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/868/malcolm-nance-13693_clock_al-qaeda-s-leaders-seek-to-reverse-what_2604506.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Al Qaeda's leaders seek to reverse what they claim are corrupt Islamic practices bookended by the Mongol…” — Malcolm Nance", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Malcolm Nance", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-nance/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Al Qaeda's leaders seek to reverse...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/al-qaeda-s-leaders-seek-to-reverse-what-they-claim-are-corrupt/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-nance/al-qaeda-s-leaders-seek-to-reverse-what-they-claim-are-corrupt/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```