Qatari Journalists And Figures Close To Qatar Lionize Hamas Founder Sheikh Ahmad Yassin: He Blazed The Path Of Jihad; The Processions Of Martyrs Will Not Stop Until Palestine Is Liberated

Memri

01-04-2025

Ahead of the 21st anniversary of the death of Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, who was eliminated by Israel on March 22, 2004, Qatari journalists and figures close to Qatar published articles and social media posts that glorified Yassin and the legacy of jihad he bequeathed to the following generations. Jaber Al-Harmi, for example, editor of the Qatari daily Al-Sharq , shared a recording of Yassin speaking in praise of jihad and resistance, and commented: "Rest and be pleased, [Sheikh Yassin, for] what you planted has borne fruit, and your children and grandchildren are continuing on [your] path." [1]
Jaber Al-Harmi's tweet
Dr. Muhammad Al-Saghir, a member of the Qatar-backed International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), wrote on X: "Twenty-one years have passed since the death of the sheikh of the martyrs, Ahmad Yassin, the ambitious man who revived the nation's spirit of jihad and motivated the [Hamas] resistance movement from his wheelchair until he was granted martyrdom while on his way to worship [Allah at the mosque]…" [2]
A recent article in the Qatari daily Al-Sharq declared that Yassin's memory lives on among the Palestinian people, that the path of jihad, which he blazed and embarked upon, is still alive in Gaza, and that "the procession of the martyrs will not stop until Palestine and Jerusalem are liberated." The article also presented well-known statements by Yassin expressing hatred for the Jews and praise of jihad and martyrdom for the sake of liberating all of Palestine from the river to the sea. Another article in Al-Sharq, published several months ago, lauded Yassin for inculcating the culture of jihad among the Palestinians, as well as the concept of martyrdom, on which this culture is based.
Ahmad Yassin (Image: Aljazeera.net)
Below are excerpts from these two articles in the Qatari daily Al-Sharq:
Qatari Journalist: Yassin Continues To Inspire Jihad In Palestine And "Will Remain A Star In The Firmament Of Our Jihad"
Al-Sharq columnist Ibrahim Abd Al-Razzaq Aal Ibrahim, known for supporting jihad against Israel and Jews, [3] wrote that Yassin "will remain a star in the firmament of our jihad," and that he lives on among the Palestinian people, whose "processions of martyrs" will continue until Palestine and Jerusalem are liberated. The columnist also presented well-known statements made by Yassin about Hamas, about jihad for the sake of Palestine, and about the Jews.
He wrote: "On Monday, March 22, 2004, [Ahmad Yassin] kept a cherished appointment, namely his martyrdom for the sake of Allah, which he always hoped Allah would grant him. On that unforgettable day, the istishhad [martyrdom for the sake of Islam] of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, the sheikh of the jihad fighters, was a great boon [from Allah], for he was on his way back after holding the dawn prayer in a mosque in glorious Gaza. The anniversary of his istishhad comes while Ahmad Yassin, the sheikh of the jihad fighters, the crippled sheikh, is still present [in spirit] in every arena of Palestine, of the Islamic nation, and of mankind…
"Yes, this martyr roused [an entire] nation from his wheelchair and managed the strongest jihad movement in modern history, and he continues to breathe life into the Palestinian jihad movement on its land. The anniversary of the death of Yassin, founder of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas, is actually the anniversary of the death of every martyr who died on Palestinian soil. The processions of martyrs on Palestinian soil continue forward without interruption, with acts of bravery and sacrifice generation after generation. [This will continue] until Palestine and Jerusalem are liberated from the perverted and usurping Zionists, [which will happen] soon, with Allah's help. The following are statements made by the sheikh of the jihad fighters, Ahmad Yassin…:
"'The Palestinian people is strong in will and in faith; it will not surrender and will not wave [a white flag]'; 'The nation can bend, but not for long'; 'Hamas is a fait accompli. It exists, and concealing or ignoring [this] will neither manage to divert it from its course or blacken its image'; 'There is a difference between those who act for the sake of money and those who act for the sake of principles and faith'; 'Islam preaches love for all mankind, but what causes me to hate the Jews is that they robbed us of our rights and I hate anyone who robs me of my rights'; 'Faith in Allah and in the message of Islam means that once must aspire to shahada [like istishhad, shahada also means martyrdom for the sake of Islam] and not fear death'; 'We aspire to martyrdom. We are not afraid [to lose] the life of this world for it is worthless and cheap. We aspire to eternal life'; 'I devoted my life to action, not to writing. So when I learned a verse or a hadith, I taught it to the people'; 'Hamas is expanding every day and believes that its future is one of power and victory, Allah willing…'
'Hamas is an Islamic jihad-waging movement whose objective is the liberation of Palestine – all of Palestine, from the river to the sea. Its method is jihad and istishhad'; 'Every man dies, and he must die in dignity, as a proud leader, not with his head handing in humiliation, lest history curse him'…
"Oh martyred sheikh, Allah have mercy upon you. A nation that has the likes of this martyred crippled sheikh, Ahmad Yassin, is worthy of honor and power, Allah willing. The fruits you planted still live on the blessed Palestinian soil of the beloved Gaza, and its sons lean on your memory and your jihad… Oh crippled [sheikh] who turned the enemies into cowards. You will remain a star in the firmament of our jihad." [4]
Article In Qatari Daily: Sheikh Yassin Developed The Culture Of Resistance And Martyrdom
A similar article was published in Al-Sharq by another of the daily's columnists, Suleiman Saleh, on August 11, 2024. Suleiman, a former Egyptian MP on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood, praised Yassin for inculcating the culture of resistance among the Palestinians, as well as the value of martyrdom, on which this culture is based. Yassin, he said, raised a new generation to challenge the culture of passivity and submission to reality, and developed the Palestinian resistance.
He wrote: "Ideological and cultural assets are among the most important sources of power for nations. It is they that encourage people to act, to seek economic resources and to utilize them in achieving development and progress. Culture also encourages people to invent and produce new ideas, and enhances the leadership's ability to establish a new vision and to plan for the future. However, for the past 200 years imperialism has worked to spread a culture of fear of change and submission to reality, and a sense of helplessness and passivity, thus destroying the capabilities of the [Islamic] nation.
"The culture of submission to reality – one of the most important foundations of cultural imperialism – was a major factor in spreading feelings of passivity, fearfulness and apprehension of expressing new ideas. This is why many [Muslim] countries lag behind. They never managed to utilize their human resources effectively because fear paralyzed their people's ability to think and express themselves.
"Therefore, the most significant achievement of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was raising a new generation that resisted the culture of feebleness, fear and submission to reality. He gave free reign to his political, social, literary and scientific imagination and engendered new ideas that the enemy could not anticipate.
"Sheikh [Yassin] set an example and was a role model for a generation of freedom fighters, and proved to them that, no matter what the circumstances, one can resist, challenge reality, change it and create a new vision. He also [demonstrated] that a connection to Islam in terms of faith, Sharia, culture, and education is the most important source of strength for the individual and the nation.
"This idea took root in the minds and hearts of a new generation of young people and captivated the hearts of many who dreamt of freedom, return and the liberation of Jerusalem and Palestine. This generation studied its reality and [then] challenged it... The leaders whom Sheikh Ahmed Yassin raised were well aware of the enemy's power, having suffered greatly from [the enemy's] tyranny and cruelty while they were in prison. These leaders aspired to cultivate sharp minds that would think and plan, so as to build the future, realize energies and [nurture] young people who would generate ideas and act to realize them. Whenever a leader was martyred, a new leader emerged, carrying in his heart the dream of liberation and of generating new ideas for realizing [this dream].
"Sheikh Ahmed Yassin – an emblem and a master for this generation, who shaped the dream and the vision and raised the generation that might realize it – died as a martyr, but the resistance continued and the new leaders remained faithful to this vision and dream. They planted it in the hearts of many young people and allowed their imaginations to generate new ideas to suit [new] developments.
"This vision became the foundation of leadership among the [Palestinian] people, who dreamt of liberating their land, and one of the most significant outcomes of this vision was that tens of thousands of young people rose up and did everything in their power to change their reality. They built weapons in their tunnels from the remains of the bombs that the enemy fired at them to destroy them. The culture of resistance – which had evolved since Sheikh Ahmed Yassin began his journey in the mosques – became the most important source of strength for the Palestinian people, and that is why the Israeli occupation army, with all its tyrannical power, could not break the will of this people...
"The freedom fighters emerge from the ruins of the houses destroyed by the occupation, charging towards the Israeli occupation army and fighting the war of knights who believe they will ultimately triumph, no matter how long it takes or how many victims [are lost]. The believing knight charges the occupation army hoping to become a shahid [martyr for the sake of Islam]; here we see the concept of shahada [martyrdom for the sake of Islam], which is one of the most important concepts on which the culture of resistance is based. It is this concept that enabled the Palestinian people to overcome feebleness, fear and weakness.
"As for victory, all Muslim fighters believe that it is solely in the hands of Allah and that it will inevitably arrive when Allah wills it – for this is Allah's promise to the believers, and Allah does not fail in His promise [Quran 30:6]. This is why Muslims fight to worship Allah, to wage jihad for His sake and to please Him.
"This culture cannot be defeated, and the occupation army is helpless to confront it with its tyrannical power because the ideas spread and the believers carry them in their hearts. [These ideas] enhance determination and enable the cultivation of new leaders. Thus, whenever one leader is martyred, a new leader emerges who champions the vision, gives expression to the dream, makes plans and develops the activity [of resistance]. The culture of resistance has thus become the most important source of strength, a source that is self-renewing and inexhaustible, with many new ideas added daily and new leaders emerging who champion this culture. Can this culture perhaps become a source of power for the Islamic nation as a whole, and a means to change its reality and build its future?!" [5] Top of Form
[1] X.com/jaberalharmi, March 22, 2025.
[2] X.com/drassagheer, March 22, 2025.
[4] Al-Sharq (Qatar), March 20, 2025.
[5] Al-Sharq (Qatar), August 11, 2024.