Mother of Palestinian “Martyr”: All Palestinian Mothers Should Urge Their Children to Wage Jihad; Death Is Inevitable, So Why Not Die as Martyrs?

Umm Iyad Al-Ashqar, the mother and aunt of two Palestinian "martyrs," said in an October 28, 2019 interview on Al-Quds Al-Youm (Palestine – Islamic Jihad) that if every Palestinian mother was selfish with regard to sacrificing her children for the sake of Jihad and Allah, then there would be nobody to fulfill the duty of defending Jerusalem. She said that all Palestinian mothers should urge their sons to wage Jihad and added: "Death is inevitable, so why not die as martyrs? I salute every mother of a martyr who urged her children to wage Jihad [and] bade her son farewell with ululations."

Following are excerpts:

Interviewer: Umm Iyad, what is your message to every Palestinian mother – every mother of a martyr – whose heart has been scorched by the flames of loss? Even if many years have passed since their sons were martyred, they cannot possibly be forgotten.

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Umm Iyad Al-Ashqar: If every Palestinian mother was selfish when it came to defending Jerusalem, who would defend it? Defending Jerusalem is our duty. My message to every Palestinian mother is that she should urge her sons to wage Jihad. Jihad for the sake of Allah is our most lofty desire... Is this not Jihad? Is this not martyrdom? Death is inevitable, so why not die as martyrs? I salute every mother of a martyr who urged her children to wage Jihad. I salute every mother of a martyr who bade her son farewell with ululations.