PRONOUNCEMENTS BY MOSLEM RELIGIOUS LEADERS DEFENDING SUICIDE ATTACKS

(Compiled by the Israel Foreign Ministry - September 1997)

1. A trend of growing extremism has been observed in remarks by Moslem religious leaders regarding Israel and Judaism in recent months - specifically, in remarks justifying suicide attacks.

2. These pronouncements express attitudes current in rather wide sectors of the Arab public and threaten to become a sweeping phenomenon - attacks will be called for not just out of political need, but will receive religious support and legitimization.

3. Because suicide is prohibited in Islam as it is in Judaism, religious leaders do not use the term "suicide," but "martyrdom" ("shahid"). Sheikh Al Azhar - Muhammad Sa'ad Tantawi (one of the leading religious authorities in the Moslem world) makes this distinction clearly: "One who blows himself up among enemies, in order to defend his land, is considered a martyr." (Egyptian newspaper "Alwafd" 27/4/96). In "Al Aharam" (9/4/96) Tantawi differentiates between acts of self-sacrifice, as when someone blows himself up in a crowd of people, which is permitted as long as it is directed against enemies who have adopted a terrorist and inhumane regime, and between the prohibited act, i.e. when it is directed against civilians, children, or innocent, unarmed people, who did not lift a weapon or behave with violence or terrorism.

4. In a meeting with students at the University of Alexandria (3/8/97), Tantawi explained that given the oppression which the Palestinians suffer, he has no alternative "but to tell our Palestinian brothers: 'Defend yourselves, your rights, your land and your dignity. Defend these by the means that Islam and the teachings of morality approve, without weapons or aggression.'" He stressed that the monotheistic religions do not permit the murder of children, old people or the helpless. In his opinion those who carry out suicide attacks are in a "situation of self-defense against their attacker and therefore do not regard him as an old person, child or woman." In response to a question about the verdict of the Sharia (the Moslem law code) on someone who blows himself up, he said: "To those who say that this is prohibited ("haram"), you must first ask what motivated the act, and why the youth are compelled to sacrifice themselves. What can we expect from the Palestinians when the Prime Minister repeats, every morning and evening, that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Israel, when this statement contradicts logic, religion and the law? Oppression gives birth to the attack (literally "explosion") and a person on whom the oppression weighs is liable to sacrifice himself: for those with dignity prefer death to a life of submission."

5. From here Tantawi derives his final ruling: "Since the Jews cause us evil, we must fight them courageously. If I die in defense of my religion, my land and my property, I am a Shahid." (Tantawi, "Al Hayat" 6/11/96)

6. Therefore, "the youth of the Islamic resistance who blow themselves up in order to cause casualties, are considered the greatest of those who die, because they die as martyrs." (Tantawi in the Egyptian "Al Sha'ab" 30/4/96)

7. To the request of Israeli rabbis that the Sheikh Al Azhar approach Moslem religious leaders asking them to intervene to stop the attacks in Israel's city centers; and to the accusations of Israelis that Moslem religious figures in Egypt encourage Palestinians in the use of inflammatory slogans and incite to violence which could escalate into a religious war, he said: "When the land is taken by force and oppression prevails, anger spreads and attacks occur in self-defense. When Jewish religious figures incite to oppression - should I stand silent?" ("Al Hayat" 4/8/97)

8. According to the members of the "Islamic Action Front" in the Jordanian parliament as well as several Islamic religious scholars, "the Jews occupying today the entire land of Palestine are infidels, enemies, fighters and thieves who robbed the entire land of Palestine, including Jerusalem, and built on it their predatory entity." (Radio Al-Quds 26/3/96) "Therefore it makes no difference whether they are soldiers, civilians, men or women, or to which party they belong. The Jews are a foreign implant in Palestine who arrived there on the basis of the 'Promised Land' ideology and they have no alternative but to destroy the Al-Aqsa mosque and build the temple in its place, and to conquer the land of the Moslems from the Nile to the Euphrates. According to religious law, it is our duty to kill these Jews, to rout them from Palestine and to imprison their supporters. Islam rules that one must fight the attacking invader, even unto his death, whether he is a soldier or a civilian... 'Estishad' (suicide attack) is in accordance with Moslem law, and jihad qualifies him for the reward of jihad warriors.

   According to the Moslem teachers, when a person carries out a heroic act of 'estishad', he is welcomed by God, according to religious law. A jihad warrior who wishes to die as a martyr to Allah presents himself as a 'shahid' and thus merits the status of 'shahid'. These people never despair of Allah's mercy and are not afraid of death. They face all vicissitudes filled with faith and the belief in Allah. Islamic law encourages such acts of 'estishad'." (Radio Al-Quds, 26/3/96).

9. An essay by Fahad Rimawi, editor of the Jordanian opposition weekly, "Almajd" 4/8/97, following the attack in Mahane Yehuda: "We praise and glorify the double heroic act which two Palestinian 'mujahadins' performed in the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem. These two holy martyrs illuminated the night in Jerusalem, protested the pain of the building in Jabul Abu Ghneim (Har Homa) and gave meaning to Arab heroism. We do not hide our happiness upon this act, and our happiness at the misfortune of Netanyahu, who did not succeed in providing the security he promised his people. We do not hide our desire to present this act as a gift to Madeleine Albright, who allowed the Likud government to force all its conditions on the Arabs and Palestinians. Hamas are the only ones able to say 'no' in the age of 'yes,' and to wave their sword before the Likud and before the Labor Party. Hamas has the ability to stop the peace process or to let it progress, to kill hundreds of Jews or to let them continue to live. Hamas is the only one that holds in its hand the option of struggle or freedom of movement. Who among us, Arabs and Moslems, did not long for an act like the heroic act that was committed in the Mahane Yehuda market? Who among us did not want to watch the spilling of foul Jewish blood, when they saw how soldiers kill the children of Hebron and how the Prophet is depicted as a pig? We welcome the Mahane Yehuda operation as well as the jihad and 'estishad' (suicide bombings) that will follow it, nor will we apologize for the spilled Zionist blood nor condemn the heroic deeds of the 'mujahadin', which represent the spirit of the people."

10. The Syrian Mufti Kaftaro (in an interview to "A-rai Ala'am" 31/7/97): "The Palestinians, in their war against the Israeli enemy, practice various methods such as guerilla warfare and direct confrontation including 'feda'ai' (terrorist operations) and acts of sacrifice. There is a question whether Islam permits suicide acts when the Moslem blows himself up in the midst of his enemies and whether there have been such events in Islamic history. The prophet Mohammed ruled that death in battle is not suicide and the friends of Mohammed would pray a prayer of self-sacrifice before embarking on jihad in order to prepare themselves to fall in battle. The 'feda'ai' acts are considered acts of falling in battle, which are legitimate in Islam because they are carried out in the name of Allah and in order to drive the heavy oppression from our land. Several religious authorities have discussed this matter and have reached the conclusion that this is a legitimate act in Islam."

11. The general secretary of the Hizbullah, Hasan Nassrallah, in a speech to the "Assembly for Protecting the Sanctity of Islam" in Beirut: "If the Palestinian people wants to remind the world of its plight, it should change just one thing: the bodies of Israeli men and women should again be torn apart and scattered in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The way to restore Palestine to the memory of the nations and states is to return to the option of jihad and suicide for Allah's sake: 'Estishad', as warriors of Islam and the Palestinians have done in years past."

    In an interview on "Almanar" television (29/8), Nassrallah stated on the same topic: "We retain the option of suicide acts. These must occur when we have a goal that cannot be achieved except by this method."

    Nassrallah, following the attack on the pedestrian mall in Jerusalem, said on 4.9.97 (Nur Radio, 5/9): "Blessings to the martyrs who performed their suicide act yesterday in the heart of occupied Jerusalem, which shook the enemy, aroused the concern of the satans in the world and once again proved that our nation possesses life, determination and will, which give us the ability to continue and cause our enemy repeated defeats."

12. Iran: the senior Ayatollah, Ayatollah Uzmaa Fadi Lankrani said: "The aggression of the oppressive Zionists, especially in light of their recent activities in southern Lebanon, exposes their vision of spreading Zionism over Moslem lands from the Nile to the Euphrates. It is the duty of Moslems in occupied Palestine and Lebanon, and all Moslems, to carry out jihad actions in every possible way. There should be no barriers to their activity." ("Jumhuryal Islam" 20/4/96).

13. The senior ayatollah Yusuf Sani'i (a member of the "Council of Experts", as well as the council for determining the interests of the regime, and the head of the fund who offered a reward for killing Salman Rushdie):

    "There is no doubt that such activities are considered 'just' or 'good', and not burdensome or hateful. It is the duty of all Moslems to perform jihad, and to persevere in the struggle in any way possible. All religious persons and Islamic leaders must encourage and teach the value of the deed of suicide. We ask God to illuminate all Moslems and to seat all the fallen in the first row, particularly the most courageous martyrs who were killed in suicide actions." ("Jumhuryal Islam" 20/4/96).