"Muslim Emirate": Al-Qaeda Branch in Gaza

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Palestinians Must say "No"

By Khalid Amayreh

Journalist — Occupied Palestine

Abdel-Latif Moussa was the leader of the Al-Qaeda-like group, (Reuters photo)

I honestly believe that Hamas has done the right thing by clamping down on the Al-Qaeda cell in Gaza.

True, the bloodshed is lamentable and heartrending; and each and every Palestinian is deeply saddened by the spilling of Palestinian blood by Palestinian hands.

However, it is imperative to realize that preventing the Gaza Strip from morphing into another Iraq, another Swat, or even another S'ada (Yemen) is a paramount task.

Al-Qaeda organization in Gaza, as elsewhere, not only adopts a nihilistic ideology that allows the killing of innocent people in order to achieve dubious political goals, but also seeks to put its plans into effect by way of spreading blind, internecine violence, and bloodshed everywhere.

According to reliable sources, the fanatics of Al-Qaeda in Gaza are widely believed to have been responsible for carrying out murderous attacks on coffee shops, internet cafés, and some other cultural centers, as well as some Christian targets in Gaza, resulting in the death of a number of innocent people.

That was a brazen violation of Islamic teachings which prohibit harming innocent people.

Islam values the sanctity of human life and prohibits aggression. God tells us [On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person —unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land— it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.](Al-Ma’idah [5:32])

More to the point, the Prophet Muhammed (Peace be upon him) said that "the demolition of the the Ka`bah, stone by stone, would be a lesser sin in the sight of Allah than shedding the blood of an innocent human being."

Authorities in Gaza had tolerated the non-belligerent presence of Al Qaeda for too long, hoping that these people would be moderate.

Hamas' Choice

This is not the way of Islam which teaches us that the greatest possible sin after idolatry (associating other gods with Allah) is killing an innocent person.

However, on August 14, 2009, Al-Qaeda went too far by declaring the establishment of a "Muslim Emirate" in the Gaza Strip.

The declaration amounted to a direct challenge to the elected rulers, as well as a declaration of war on the entire people of Gaza who did not embrace Al-Qaeda's strange philosophy.

Qaeda, as we all know, views everyone and anyone not subscribing to its ideology as Kafir (nonbeliever) or murtad (apostate), which means that they may be killed. The nihilistic group would not mind to kill or cause the death of innocent people in order to get a specific person killed.

This is not the way of Islam which teaches us that the greatest possible sin after idolatry (associating other gods with Allah) is killing an innocent person.

Hence, Hamas had two choices; either to allow this small group of ignorant fanatics to spread bloodshed and sow schism, division, and tumultuous chaos, or take a decisive but unpopular action against the fanatics, irrespective of ramifications and repercussions.

Al-Qaeda wanted to transform the thoroughly-starved, harshly–savaged, and completely-blockaded Gaza into a base at Osama bin Laden's beck and call.

Gaza is surviving, thanks to the miracle of 1.5 million human beings insisting on living in the face of ubiquitous death.

Gaza has barely emerged alive from the recent Nazi-like Israeli blitzkrieg that murdered, incinerated, and maimed thousands of innocent people whose only "crime" was their audacity to elect Hamas and shun the notoriously corrupt Palestinian Authority.

Indeed, Gaza and its long-suffering people are neither willing nor ready to serve as a global foothold to affect the whimsical plans of Al-Qaeda.

Besides, even if the circumstances were conducive to establishing an Al-Qaeda foothold in Palestine, the Palestinian people, including the bulk of the masses, would probably be the last people on earth to serve as incubators for the nihilistic goals of Al-Qaeda "gurus", who conspicuously lack the most elementary qualifications for Muslim leadership.

Saving the Palestinian Cause from Al-Qaeda

It is no secret that Israel would be the main beneficiary from the strengthening of Al-Qaeda in Occupied Israel.

Hamas is not ignorant of Islam. In fact, one does not exaggerate by saying that the movement represents the true, authentic, and moderate spirit of Islam that was preached by the Prophet, not the pseudo, violent, and pugnacious Al-Qaeda version of Islam that views the entire world as an enemy, and sees bloodshed as a worthy goal itself.

Violence, especially the mad one, which is the "trademark" of Al-Qaeda, is never ever a true trait of Islam. In fact, Islam encourages Muslims to forgive and be patient, even when attacked and aggressed upon. God tells us [And if ye do catch them out, catch them out no worse than they catch you out: But if ye show patience, that is indeed the best (course) for those who are patient.](An-Nahl 16:126)

Furthermore, God says [God forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for God loveth those who are just.]( Al-Mumtahanah 60:8)

The enduring scandal of the Israeli occupation of Palestine cries out to the seventh heaven, and certainly generates a lot of bitterness and indignation among Muslims.

However, Muslims must not react by getting their own societies imploded from within. Unfortunately, Al-Qaeda is yet to understand this dimension, thinking that being carried away by mindless zealotry would help our causes and remedy our grievances.

It is no secret that Israel would be the main beneficiary from the strengthening of Al-Qaeda in Occupied Israel.

Israel views Al-Qaeda as the ultimate "red herring", since this would enable the Jewish state to tell the world, especially the West, that the Palestinian cause has little or nothing to do with a genuine struggle for freedom and justice, and that priority should be given to the "war on terror", rather than ending the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, East Al-Quds, and Gaza Strip.

In fact, Israel, ever since 9/11, has been making strenuous, even rabid efforts, to conflate Hamas with Al-Qaeda as indistinguishable political groups. These efforts actually yielded significant successes in North America and Europe where governments branded Hamas as a terrorist group.

This is why Hamas and other Palestinian factions must do all they can to prevent the just and legitimate Palestinian cause from being taken over by the forces of nihilism and fanaticism, even in the name of Islam.

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Khalid Amayreh is a journalist living in Palestine. He obtained his MA in journalism from the University of Southern Illinois in 1983. Since the 1990s, Mr. Amayreh has been working and writing for several news outlets among which is Aljazeera.net, Al-Ahram Weekly, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), and Middle East International. He can be reached through politics.indepth@iolteam.com.