Latest news with #InternationalUnionofMuslimScholars
Saba Yemen
4 days ago
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Muslim Scholars Union calls for designating Friday as day of support for Al-Aqsa Mosque
Occupied Quds - Saba: The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) called on Thursday for tomorrow's Friday to be a day of solidarity with Al-Aqsa Mosque and outrage over the genocide in the Gaza Strip. In a statement, the union said, 'In light of its religious and moral responsibility, the IUMS urges the scholars, preachers, imams, and religious leaders of the Muslim Ummah to make this Friday—3 Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH, corresponding to May 30, 2025—a day of support for Al-Aqsa and condemnation of the occupation's crimes in Gaza.' The union renewed its call for a "broad Islamic mobilization" to express absolute rejection of the aggression and affirm the Ummah's support for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people. It demanded that Friday sermons be dedicated to condemning the Israeli enemy's aggression against Al-Aqsa Mosque and its atrocities in Gaza, while praising any stance calling for an end to the war and the genocide. Additionally, the IUMS called for organizing peaceful, civilized demonstrations in major cities and capitals, as well as in front of embassies and international missions, to amplify the Ummah's voice and pressure for an end to the aggression and the lifting of the siege, according to the Palestinian Ma'an News Agency. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Memri
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Memri
UAE Political Analyst: The Qatar-Supported International Union Of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) Should Be Designated A Terrorist Organization – Are The U.S. And Europe Waiting For More Terrorist Attacks Like 9/11?
In response to the Qatar-backed International Union of Muslim Scholars' (IUMS) [1] publication of a fatwa (Islamic religious ruling) calling for waging jihad against Israel, UAE political analyst Salem Al-Ketbi wrote, in an article titled "The International Union of Muslim Scholars: A Platform for Terrorism Disguised as Religion," that the IUMS should be designated a terrorist organization and that decisive steps should be taken against it to protect global security and stability. According to Ketbi, the IUMS explicitly incites terror attacks, calls for financially supporting terrorist organizations, and casts the West as an infidel enemy. Thus, he says, it is a direct security threat to regional and international stability and to the national security of Western countries. Asserting that the IUMS exploits religion and its status as a religious platform to legitimize violence and terrorism, he asked whether the U.S. and Europe would take immediate action against it and similar organizations – before there were more attacks like 9/11 because of the IUMS's inciting and extremist discourse. Salem Al-Ketbi (Source: , October 12, 2023) The following are translated excerpts from Ketbi's article: "Are the U.S. and Europe waiting for new terrorist attacks like the events of September 11 to take decisive steps against the organizations that clearly call for violence and terrorism under the auspices of religion? What obliges me to ask this question is the recent statement from the Committee for Ijtihad and Fatwa at the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) [2] and the ruling issued by the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) – posted... on its official website ( and reposted and confirmed by IUMS chairman Ali Al-Qaradaghi on his personal X account. [It] is a clear example of an incitement discourse calling for violence and terrorism, under religious names, with the aim of recruiting Muslims from all over the world, including those who live in Western countries, to join operations of violence and terrorism. "This statement is part of a long history of similar calls issued by the IUMS, an organization which was founded in 2004 by [Sheikh] Yousuf Al-Qaradawi, the prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood movement. Despite attempts by the IUMS to present itself as a 'moderate and central' institution, its discourse and its activities reveal its true face as a global and religious arm of terrorist organizations, and specifically of the Muslim Brotherhood organization. "Many experts believe that the IUMS represents a dangerous platform that takes the guise of religion to issue calls of incitement to violence and to terrorism. The most recent statement released by the IUMS ijtihad, the council for religious rulings, includes explicit calls for waging armed jihad. This is a dangerous thing that is reiterated by the IUMS and constitutes a direct call to perpetrate operations of murder and terrorism. "Moreover, the statement calls for monetary jihad, in order to support what it refers to as 'the resistance.' This is in fact a clear call to financially support terrorist organizations in all countries of the world. These kinds of calls constitute a great danger, for they are likely to lead to the financing of terrorist operations in the guise of charitable activities. The IUMS also urges military intervention and the establishment of military alliances based on religious foundations, which will strengthen the idea of religious conflict and fuel the disputes across the globe. These calls are a threat to regional and international stability and thwart the efforts toward peace in which [efforts] have been invested for decades. Even worse, the IUMS urges the Muslim communities in the West to exert pressure on their governments, which generally leads to – as events have proven in the past – the radicalization of some members of these communities and the perpetration of terrorist operations. "These repeated calls for jihad and violence issued by the IUMS make it necessary for it to be designated a terrorist organization, and for decisive steps to be taken against it to protect global security and stability. "Without a doubt, the calls by the IUMS constitute a serious security threat, on several levels. On the level of the individual, they are likely to spur extremists to carry out individual attacks, known as the 'lone wolf' phenomenon. It is difficult for the security apparatuses to anticipate these types of attacks [and to prevent them]... and Europe and the U.S. have already experienced several [such] operations carried out by people influenced by a similar religious extremist discourse... "The IUMS call regarding 'the obligation of monetary jihad' also undoubtedly constitutes an additional threat, for it is likely to lead to fundraising that will be used to support terrorist operations. The danger here lies in the difficulty to follow the small financial transactions from supporters [of terrorist organizations], especially when this is done in the guise of charitable activities and one can use unofficial financial networks and charitable funds as a disguise for funding armed organizations. "The danger of the calls by the IUMS is not limited only to direct security threats – it has serious implications for societies in the West. The discourse of unity strengthens the perception of 'us against them' and presents the West as an infidel enemy. This is despite the fact that many [Muslim] extremists have emigrated to the West and to the U.S. to live, and enjoy the social assistance and the freedom of religion [there] and [also] establish organizations to exert political pressure on the countries that host them. The terrorist incidents in the West and in the U.S. prove this. "In light of the preceding, it has become clear that there are weighty reasons to designate the IUMS a terrorist organization. The organization explicitly calls for armed jihad, in a manner which contradicts the laws pertaining to fighting terrorism in most of the countries of the world. It also exploits [its] religious platform to justify violence and to grant it legitimacy. "Therefore, it is clear as day that the UIMS is a direct threat to the national security of Western countries, because it incites the Muslims who live in them and threatens the stability of Western societies by sowing the seeds of terrorism and extremism. "Thus, are the U.S. and Europe waiting for new terrorist attacks, such as the events of September 11, before taking decisive steps against these organizations? Or will they act now to deal with this threat before it is too late? The answer to this question will determine the future of peace and security in the coming years." [3] [1] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 11903, Fatwa By International Union Of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), Based In And Funded By Qatar, Declares 'Armed Jihad' Against Israel Obligatory For All Muslims, Calls To Urgently Form 'Islamic Military Alliance' Against Israel, March 31, 2025. In response to the fatwa, on April 7, 2025, Dar Al-Ifta, Egypt's official fatwa-issuing body, published a statement harshly attacking the IUMS fatwa and declaring that it contradicts shari'a law. See MEMRI Special Dispatch No.11918, Egypt's Official Fatwa-Issuing Body In Attack On Calls For Jihad Against Israel By Qatar-Affiliated International Union Of Muslim Scholars (IUMS): These Calls Are Irresponsible And A Violation Of Shari'a Law, April 9, 2025. It is notable that the IUMS is an arm of the Qatari regime that disseminates anti-Western extremist Islamic terrorist ideology, and is based in and funded by Qatar. The IUMS routinely disseminates extremist ideology and a discourse of hatred, incitement to jihad and terrorism and antisemitism, in a manner which corresponds to Qatar's decades-long support for various terrorist organizations across the world. The IUMS was founded in 2004 by Egyptian-born sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradawi, an important Muslim Brotherhood ideologue known for his extremist pro-jihad and terrorism positions, and even in support of suicide attacks, as well as for his extremist positions regarding the West and the aspiration that Islam will control Europe. As a result of these positions, Al-Qaradawi became a controversial figure in the Islamic world and appears on designated terrorist lists in several Arab countries, and is banned from entering a number of Western countries. Those who have followed in his footsteps in the IUMS, such as Ahmad Al-Raissouni who was the group's chairman until 2022, and Ali Al-Qaradaghi who has been chairman since 2024, have held similar positions in favor of jihad and terrorism. [2] The word ijtihad means a religious ruling made by an expert in Islamic religious law based on the sources of this law in cases where the ruling regarding an issue is unclear. [3] April 8, 2025.
Memri
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Egypt's Official Fatwa-Issuing Body In Attack On Calls For Jihad Against Israel By Qatar-Affiliated International Union Of Muslim Scholars (IUMS): These Calls Are Irresponsible And A Violation Of Shari'a Law
On March 31, 2025, the Qatar-based and funded International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) – an arm of the Qatari regime that disseminates anti-West extremist Islamic terrorist ideology – issued a fatwa (religious ruling) calling on all Muslims and all Islamic countries to wage jihad against Israel, and presenting this as an duty incumbent on every Muslim. [1] In response to the fatwa, on April 7, 2025, Dar Al-Ifta, Egypt's official fatwa-issuing body, published a statement harshly attacking the IUMS fatwa and declaring that it contradicts shari'a law. No element or organization, it said in the statement, is entitled to issue religious rulings on a sensitive matter such as jihad in a manner contradicting Islamic shari'a law and endangering the stability of the Muslim countries and societies. It added that it is only the ruler and the country that may make decisions about war – not any entity or association lacking legitimate authority, and went on to assert: "A call to wage jihad, without taking into account the capabilities of the ummah [Islamic nation] and its existing political, military, and economic situation, is an irresponsible call, which contradicts the principles of shari'a." Dar Al-Ifta further stressed in the statement that Islamic shari'a law warns against hasty decisions that do not take the public interest into consideration and are likely to increase the damage that will be done to the Muslim ummah (nation) and to society. It also said: "Whoever calls for waging jihad must, first and foremost, stand himself at the head of the ranks, just as the Prophet Muhammad led the battles." It is notable that several days before the Dar Al-Ifta issued this statement, the Egyptian Salafi sheikh Yasser Borhamy spoke out against the IUMS fatwa. His move was viewed as corresponding to the position of the Egyptian regime. [2] It may be that the tension between the IUMS and Dar Al-Ifta – religious institutions representing Qatar and Egypt respectively – reflects the tensions between the two countries, which have increased following the current "Qatargate" scandal in Israel and the allegations that Qatar had paid advisers to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to provide negative messages about Egypt to journalists, which would also lessen the latter's role as an honest broker between Israel and Hamas. These tensions were apparent in criticism of Qatar by Egyptian politicians and journalists, and accusations that it was scheming against Egypt. [3] Emblem of the Egyptian Dar Al-Ifta (Source: The following is a translation of Dar Al-Ifta's statement in response to the IUMS fatwa calling for jihad against Israel: "In the name of Allah the Compassionate and the Merciful "The Egyptian Dar Al-Ifta studied the calls published recently announcing that it is the duty of every Muslim to wage armed jihad against the Israeli occupation, and demanded of the Islamic countries that they intervene militarily immediately to impose a counter siege [on Israel]. "In the framework of our shari'a responsibility and based on the rules of Muslim jurisprudence and the foundations of the Islamic shari'a, Dar Al-Ifta declares the following: "1. Jihad is an explicit shari'a concept that has clear and specific conditions, foundations, and goals from a standpoint of religious law. [No] particular element or organization has the right to initiate a religious ruling regarding such delicate and sensitive issues, in a manner which contradicts the rules of shari'a and its noble intentions or in a way which endangers the security of the societies and the stability of the Islamic countries. "2. The Egyptian Dar Al-Ifta asserts that support of the Palestinian people and its legitimate rights is a shari'a, humanitarian, and moral obligation, but on the condition that the support will be in the framework of the interests of the Palestinian people and not in service of certain agendas or escapades whose consequences have not been taken into account and which will bring upon the Palestinians themselves more destruction, displacement, and disasters. "3. One of the most prominent rules of the Islamic shari'a is that the declaration of jihad and the decision to wage war and fight are made only under a flag, and in our times, this is implemented [only] by a legitimate country and the political leadership, and not by means of statements that are issued by entities or associations which lack any legitimate authority and that do not represent the Muslims in theory or in practice. All incitement [urging] individuals to take action that opposes their countries and to come out against decisions made by the ruler are deemed a call to chaos, to unrest, and to degeneracy on earth, and this is forbidden by Allah and the Prophet [Muhammad]. "4. A call to wage jihad, without taking into consideration the capabilities of the ummah and its current political, military, and economic situation, is an irresponsible call which contradicts the principles of shari'a which instruct us to take measures and to take the outcomes into account. The Islamic shari'a encourages us to evaluate the benefits and damage, and warns against hasty decisions that don't consider the public interest and are even likely to multiply the damage that will be caused to the ummah and to society. "5. One of the laws of Islam is that whoever calls for jihad must, first and foremost, stand himself at the head of the ranks, just as the Prophet Muhammad led the battles, [4] instead of sparking feelings and arousing emotions and leaving it to others to deal with the consequences. "6. It would be wise and correspond to the aims of shari'a, if the efforts of the Islamic ummah were directed to serious work to stop the escalation and prevent the uprooting [of the Palestinians], rather than to ill-considered escapades that will deepen the crisis and worsen the tragedy of the Palestinians. "Based on the above, the Egyptian Dar Al-Ifta stresses the necessity to gird oneself with knowledge of religious law, with wisdom and with insight and not to be influenced by grandiose slogans bereft of all logic or connection to reality..." [5] [1] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 11903, Fatwa By International Union Of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), Based In And Funded By Qatar, Declares 'Armed Jihad' Against Israel Obligatory For All Muslims, Calls To Urgently Form 'Islamic Military Alliance' Against Israel, March 31, 2025. The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) routinely disseminates extremist ideology and a discourse of hatred, incitement to jihad and terrorism and antisemitism, in a manner which corresponds to Qatar's support, for decades, of various terrorist organizations across the world. The IUMS was founded in 2004 by Egyptian-born sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradawi, an important Muslim Brotherhood (MB) ideologue known for his extremist positions in favor of jihad and terrorism and even in support of suicide attacks, as well as for his extremist positions regarding the West and the aspiration that Islam will control Europe. As a result of these positions, Al-Qaradawi became a controversial figure in the Islamic world and appears on designated terrorist lists in several Arab countries while he is forbidden to enter a number of Western countries. Those who have followed in his footsteps in the IUMS, such as Ahmad Al-Raissouni who was the group's chairman until 2022, and Ali Al-Qaradaghi who has been chairman since 2024, have held similar positions in favor of jihad and terrorism. [2] April 5, 2024; April 6, 2025; and Al-Arab (London), April 6, 2025. [4] The Arabic term ghazwa is used to refer to raids and battles led by the Prophet Muhammad in the early days of Islam. [5] April 7, 2025.
Saba Yemen
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Muslim Scholars: Military intervention by peoples, gov'ts to support Gaza individual obligation
Istanbul - Saba: The International Union of Muslim Scholars said that confronting the ongoing Israeli aggression against the people of Gaza with weapons and military equipment is a duty for every able Muslim in the Islamic world. The Union affirmed, in a fatwa issued today, Friday, according to the Palestinian Information Center, that it is an individual obligation (fard ayn) for Muslims, both people and governments, to intervene militarily in Gaza to repel the aggression against its people and provide the resistance with military equipment, military expertise, and intelligence information. The fatwa stated that the individual obligation to fight the Israeli occupation is first imposed on the people of Palestine, then on neighboring countries (Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon), and then on all Arab and Islamic countries. The fatwa emphasized that immediate military, economic, and political action is an unavoidable duty for Islamic governments today, after the martyrdom of more than 50,000 people in Gaza, to halt this genocide and comprehensive destruction, in accordance with their mandate. It added that it is forbidden to supply the criminal Israeli enemy, regardless of the type of supply, whether by selling it weapons, facilitating their transport through ports or international waterways such as the Suez Canal, Bab al-Mandeb, and the Strait of Hormuz, or by any land, sea, or air means. The fatwa emphasized the necessity of imposing an air, land, and sea blockade on the occupier in support of the people of Gaza, who are being mercilessly and collectively exterminated before the eyes and ears of the world. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Memri
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Memri
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
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: 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] March 22, 2025. [2] March 22, 2025. [4] Al-Sharq (Qatar), March 20, 2025. [5] Al-Sharq (Qatar), August 11, 2024.
