Here's an excerpt from an Al Qaeda application form, a declassified document among the thousands the U.S. military and related organizations have acquired while in Afghanistan (reprinted in a variety of places, e.g., the appendix of
The Bin Laden I Know by Peter Bergen):
Objectives of Al Qaeda-Support God's religion, establishment of Islamic rule and restoration of the Islamic caliphate.
Requirements for joining Al Qaeda-Abiding by Al Qaeda's rules, its beliefs and objectives.
-Obeying the leader in charge as much as possible, without disobeying Islamic rules.
-No connection between Al Qaeda membership and any other Islamic group.
-Maintain secrecy in work-related issues.
-Physically healthy (except in administrative work).
-The candidate should not be in question when it comes to religious integrity or his morality.
-Reciting the pledge of Al Qaeda.
VacationsThe married have a vacation by rotation for a week every three weeks, and in certain cases Al Qaeda may deny this vacation for four months. A bachelor can have a vacation by rotation for five days every month. Al Qaeda may deny his request for vacation in certain cases.
Requests for vacation travel should be submitted two and a half months before the travel date. The request would only be considered if it had been submitted in a timely manner as indicated, except in special cases.
Salaries and Tickets-The salary of a married holy warrior is 6,500 Pakistani rupees and 500 rupees for every newborn.
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Salary of the bachelor holy warrior is 1,000 rupee (20 dollars a month)
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The bachelor holy warrior qualifies for a round trip ticket to his country one year after joining the organization. He can take a one month vacation.
-The married holy warrior and his family qualify for round trip tickets to their country of origin after two years, and one month vacation. Tickets cannot be reimbursed if unused.
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One of the bachelors prepares for his $20 vacation to Karachi after a day's hard work: