From: Michael M. Butler (butler@comp-lib.org)
Date: Sun Apr 07 2002 - 10:31:50 MDT
Culled from various Arabic presses.
Posted: Friday, April 05, 2002
Leading Egyptian Government Cleric Calls For: "Martyrdom Attacks that Strike
Horror into the Hearts of the Enemies of Allah"
http://memri.org/news.html#1018042383
Within the past year, Sheikh Muhammad Sayyed Tantawi, the top Egyptian cleric
of Al-Azhar University, has shifted his position regarding the targeting of
civilians in suicide bombings. While he previously stated that Palestinians
should refrain from targeting civilians,(1) he recently declared that martdyom
(suicide) operations and the killing of civilians are permitted acts and that
more such attacks should be carried out. Tantawi's positions were posted on
www.lailatalqadr.com, a website associated with Al-Azhar. The following are
excerpts from the report:
"The great Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Muhammad Sayyed Tantawi, demanded that the
Palestinian people, of all factions, intensify the martyrdom operations [i.e.
suicide attacks] against the Zionist enemy, and described the martyrdom
operations as the highest form of Jihad operations. He says that the young
people executing them have sold Allah the most precious thing of all."
"[Sheikh Tantawi] emphasized that every martyrdom operation against any
Israeli, including children, women, and teenagers, is a legitimate act
according to [Islamic] religious law, and an Islamic commandment, until the
people of Palestine regain their land and cause the cruel Israeli aggression
to retreat…"
These words were spoken at a reception held by Sheikh Tantawi for Israeli Arab
Democratic Party leader Abd Al-Wahhab Al-Darawsheh and the delegation that
accompanied him. During the meeting, Al-Darawsheh stressed the depth of
relations between the Palestinian and Egyptian peoples, and stated that the
Palestinian people was steadfast, would not abandon its land and would
continue in its path until it achieved one of two good things: victory or
martyrdom.(2)
Egypt’s new mufti, Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, also expressed his support for
suicide attacks. Sheikh Al-Tayyeb took office when the term of his
predecessor, Sheikh Nasr Farid Wasil, was not renewed due to his opposition to
Sheikh Tantawi’s previous religious rulings against suicide attacks.
Until now, in all of his interviews with the Egyptian press since becoming
mufti, Sheikh Al-Tayyeb has avoided discussing suicide bombings. But since
Sheikh Tantawi's call for suicide attacks, Sheikh Al-Tayyeb has declared that
"the solution to the Israeli terror lies in a proliferation of Fidai
[martyrdom] attacks that strike horror into the hearts of the enemies of
Allah. The Islamic countries, peoples and rulers alike, must support these
martyrdom attacks."(3)
It should be noted that a March 18, 2002 demonstration at Al-Azhar University
featured eight students who had been trained to carry out suicide attacks
against Israelis.(4) Volunteering for suicide bombings against Israelis has
become a popular expression in Egypt – so much so that Mahmoud Al-Zahhar, a
Hamas leader in Gaza, told the Israeli Arab weekly Kul Al-Arab, "Two days ago,
in Alexandria, enrolment began for volunteers for martyrdom [operations]. Two
thousand students from the University of Alexandria signed up to die a
martyr’s death. This is the real Egyptian people."(5)
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