Published by MEMRI, the Middle East Media Research Institute,
an independent, non-profit organization that translates and
analyzes the media of the Middle East.
June 8, 2001
Every Friday, the PA television broadcasts a live sermon
from one of the Gaza mosques. On June 8, 2001, a week after
the Tel-Aviv suicide bombing and a few days following
Arafat’s declaration regarding the cease-fire, a sermon by
Sheik Ibrahim Madhi was broadcast from the Sheik ‘Ijlin
Mosque.
In his sermon, Sheik Madhi preached for ‘martyrdom operations’
and for the destruction of Israel, the United States, and Britain.
Following are excerpts from the sermon:
“…I tell you, Oh beloved, that ever since Kamal Ataturk
[founder of modern Turkey], this Jew who disguised himself
as a Muslim – and there may still be in the Arab nation
Jews who disguise themselves as Muslims… ever since he
announced the end of the Islamic Caliphate in Istanbul – as
some contemporary religious sages assert – the era
preceding the end [of days] has began – the era of the
military rule, the era of revolutionary rule.
Allah willing, we are at the end of this era and Allah willing,
the Caliphate will return, in accordance with the prophecy,
and I pray that we will be among its soldiers…”
“Allah is almighty. Had He wanted – He would have beaten
them. But He tests you in suffering. We must prepare the
ground for the army of Allah that is coming according to
the [divine] predetermination. We must prepare a foothold
for them.
Allah willing, this unjust state will be erased –
Israel will be erased; this unjust state, the United
States, will be erased; this unjust state, Britain, will be
erased – they who caused this people’s Nakbah [the 1948
‘catastrophe’]…”
“Oh beloved, we must be certain that victory will come.
Shame and remorse on whoever refrained from raids [against
the enemy] or refrained from preaching to himself [to
raid]; shame and remorse on whoever refrained from raising
his children on Jihad; shame and remorse on whoever hated
his Muslim brother while loving one of the infidels; shame
and remorse on whoever hid behind excuses that have no
basis with Allah…”
“Blessings to whoever waged Jihad for the sake of Allah;
blessings to whoever raided for the sake of Allah;
blessings to whoever put a belt of explosives on his body
or on his sons’ and plunged into the midst of the Jews,
crying “Allahu Akbar, praise to Allah, There is no God but
Allah and Muhammad is His messenger.”‘
“Just as the building collapsed over the Jews in their
sinful dancing floor [referring to the collapse of a
wedding hall in Jerusalem] – I pray to Allah that this
oppressive Knesset will collapse over the heads of the Jews.”
“Allah, forgive us our sins,
Allah, show us a black day for the Jews, like the day of
‘Aad and Thamud (1)
Allah, turn them into pillage for us
Allah, we strive for martyrdom for your sake…
Allah, we strive for your mercy and your paradise…”(2)
Endnotes:
(1) Two pre-Islamic Arab tribes that refused to convert
to Islam, and were punished by annihilation.
PA Mufti in Praise of Martydom
May 25, 2001
On May 25, 2001, one week before the bombing of the
discotheque in Tel-Aviv, the PA Mufti of Jerusalem and
Palestine (appointed by Arafat), Sheikh ‘Ikrimeh Sabri, the
highest-ranking cleric in the PA, delivered the Friday
Sermon in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Sheik Sabri spoke in praise of martyrdom [‘suicide’] operations,
citing early Islamic history. He also criticized the Mufti of
Saudi Arabia who declared such operations as religiously illegitimate,
and demanded the release from American jails the four Arabs
convicted in the World Trade Center bombing in New York.
Following are excerpts from the sermon:
“Oh Muslims, let me begin my sermon with a quote from the
words of the Prophet’s companion Abdullah Ibn Rawwaha in a
speech he delivered to his army on the eve of the Battle of Mu’tah.”
He said: “Oh People, I swear by Allah, that the
thing you hate [meaning death] is what you are going out to
seek today: The Shahada [Marytrdom].”
“We are not fighting with a large army, nor with force. We
are fighting only with this religion [Islam] with which we
have been blessed by Allah. So attack and you will gain
one of two blessings: either victory or martyrdom.
In the eighth-century, the Muslim army consisted of only 3,000
soldiers, while the large Roman army exceeded 100,000. The
commanders of the Muslim armies discussed [the plans for]
the battle and decided to go into battle and clash with the
masses of Roman soldiers despite the fact that they [the
Muslims] had a small number of people and a small amount of weapons.”
“Oh Muslims, ‘the first commander of the Muslim army
sacrificed his life in the Battle of Mu’tah. It was the
Prophet’s companion, Zayd Ibn Al-Haritha. So the command
was taken over by the next commander, the companion Ja’far
Ibn Abu Taleb who came down off his horse and launched an
attack into multitudes of Romans until his right hand palm
was cut off. He passed the banner to his left hand but
that one too was severed. He still continued to hold the
banner of the flag between the two stumps where his hands
had been, until he was struck by a Roman soldier.”
“It was a hard hit that cut his body in two. In his body
there were 50 stabbings, none of which entered in his back
because he did not retreat. He faced the enemy and was
amongst them. That is the nature of believers who do not
retreat at the time of the assault. And I ask : Is
Ja’far’s breaking into the ranks of the enemy regarded as
suicide? No, God forbid. No! It is martyrdom for the sake
of Allah. The Prophet named him Ja’far, the Flyer, because
Allah granted him two wings when he reached paradise, in
place of his two hands cut off in the battle. He persisted
in the battle and in attacking the enemies ranks until he
died as a martyr.”
“We tell this to those who think it is an act of suicide
[referring to the Mufti of Saudi Arabia] : “Be careful
with your religious rulings.”
“Oh Muslims. Oh believers, the Prophet’s companion,
Abdullah Ibn Rawwaha, was the army’s third commander. He
took the flag and fought until he was martyred. The Muslim
soldiers were perplexed because they had no commanders
left, since the three commanders who were appointed by the
Prophet, were already martyred. The soldiers were about to
retreat, but then, the Prophet’s companion, ‘Uqbah Ibn Abi
‘Aamer, said to them: “Oh people, a man is better off
being killed with his face to the front than while
withdrawing’.
Yes, Oh Muslims. The soldiers realized
their situation and agreed on appointing as Emir, the noble
and heroic, Khaled Ibn Al-Walid, who managed, by his
wisdom, his ability, and military skills, to save the army
from total destruction. This was the first battle that was
commanded by Khaled Ibn Al-Walid since he embraced Islam.
When he took the flag that day, he fought fiercely. On the
second day, he devised a brilliant plan for withdrawal,
sustaining only minimal casualties.”
“Oh Muslims, when the Prophet sent the army to Mu’tah, he
gave them the following instruction: ‘conquer in the name
of Allah, fight the enemies of Allah and your enemies in
Al-Sham [Syria]. You will find innocent people there. Do
not harm them. Do not kill a woman. Do not kill a child.
Do not uproot a tree, and do not destroy a house.’ This is
our great Islamic religion. It encourages good ethics and
high morale in days of peace, as well as in days of war.”
“On the other hand, our enemies destroy houses, kill
children, destroy wells, disconnect water, and uproot
trees. They prevent pregnant women from reaching hospitals
and they are forced to give birth by the side of the road.
They use warplanes against defenseless citizens. Yes, they
are occupiers and not owners of any sovereignty…”
“They think that they scare our people. We tell them: in
as much as you love life – the Muslim loves death and
martyrdom. There is a great difference between he who
loves the hereafter and he who loves this world. The
Muslim loves death and [strives for] martyrdom. He does
not fear the oppression of the arrogant or the weapons of
the blood-letters. The blessed and sacred soil of
Palestine has vomited all the invaders and all the
colonialists throughout history and it will soon vomit,
with Allah’s help, the [present] occupiers.”
“Oh those who pray, you have brothers wrongly and
aggressively jailed in America. They have been forgotten.
They were charged with false claims about the bombing of
the World Trade [Center] in New York. We, from the Al-Aqsa
Mosque and on your behalf, demand the release of these
prisoners, who are monotheistic Muslims.”
