The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On April 3, 2024, a group of mujahideen from the Caucasus affiliated with Syrian jihadi group Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), released a nine-and-a-half-minute video in Russian.
The video's title sequence.
The video, which was released on Telegram, features a sermon delivered in Russian by one of the group's preachers. In it, the preacher likens JMA's current armed struggle to the historical Battle of Badr, when the early Muslims, led by the Prophet Mohammed, clashed with the Meccan Quraysh tribe in 624 A.D.
Visually, the video juxtaposes cinematic depictions of early Muslims with images showing JMA fighters conducting military training. The contrasting scenes serve to support the preacher's primary contention that there are parallels between the historical Islamic epic and today's jihad waged by JMA.
The preacher argues that a review of the Battle of Badr yields several relevant insights for the mujahideen. Firstly, he notes the bravery of the Prophet's companions and their readiness to follow him into battle, despite facing a superior enemy fighting force; so too, he says, should JMA fighters bravely wage jihad.
Secondly, the preacher contends that the Battle of Badr took place in order to "reveal the truth" – what he sees as an unfolding of Allah's divine will. "How could the lies disappear, my brothers? Well, via our swords," he says, linking the Battle of Badr's holy impetus with a rationale for the group's current jihad.
The victory of the early Muslims at the battle also underscores that all battles are in Allah's hands, he notes. Therefore, fighters should be resolute in the face of hardships just as the Prophet's companions were. Indeed, he proclaims that today's JMA fighters "carry the banner of the Prophet."
In conclusion, the preacher laments that the Muslim ummah today has left his group's fighters "without support," just as it has done to "the brothers in Gaza." However, despite the lack of support, he affirms that the mujahideen will ultimately emerge victorious, spreading Islam and shari'a across the world.
The JMA preacher delivers a sermon to fighters sitting around a campfire.
The video features JMA training footage.
The video features cinematic depictions of historical Islamic battles.
The full text of this post is available to subscribers.
Please login or register to request subscription information from MEMRI
