On June 23, 2004, Saudi Crown Prince Abd Allah ibn Abd Al-'Aziz declared, on behalf of Saudi King Fahd ibn Abd Al-'Aziz, a month-long period of clemency during which Al-Qa'ida members could surrender (see MEMRI TV Project's "Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah bin Abd Al-'Aziz Gives Saudi Terrorists One Last Chance", Clip No. 121, www.memritv.org).
In response, Sawt Al-Jihad, an online magazine identified with Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula, published an article by Sheikh Ubay Abd Al-Rahman Al-Athari bin Bajad Al-'Utaybi, titled "Oh Demonic Rulers, There Will Be No Surrender!," rejecting the Saudi offer. The following is the translation of his article: [1]
"Jihad is a Principle of Faith That Flows in Our Blood and Gushes From Our Hearts"
"Praise be to Allah, and prayer and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and companions. Now to the matter:
"We have heard the speech of the Traitor of the Two Holy Places, which was written by one of his black servants and read by the stupid one, his crown prince [Abdallah ibn Abd Al-'Aziz], which states that the Mujahideen must turn themselves in within one month from the date of the speech. [2]
"We want to tell these demonic rulers [Tawaghit [3] ]and their rabble hangers-on, their black servants, their army, and their rabbis, monks, and agents: We did not take this path [of Jihad] because someone misled us or for the sake of some person. Rather, we read in the Book of Allah [i.e., the Koran] 'Oh you who believe, what is it with you, that when you are asked to go forth to fight for the sake of Allah you cling heavily to the ground? Are you more satisfied with this world than with the Hereafter? But little is the comfort of this life as compared with the Hereafter [Koran 9:38].'
"We went forth to fight for the sake of Allah, and we saw the lands of the Muslims conquered and their holy places defiled by Jews, Christians, Shiites, and polytheists, and especially the land of the two holy places [i.e. the Arabian Peninsula], and so we undertook Jihad in it.
"Oh demonic rulers! Jihad for the sake of Allah is one of the religious obligations of Islam, which has been practiced by the heroes of the Islamic nation, as a way of removing injustice to them, slaughtering their enemies, and aspiring towards rightly guided caliphate. Jihad is a principle of faith that flows in our blood and gushes from our hearts.
"Oh demonic rulers! Jihad, which Allah, the Powerful and Sublime, mentioned in many verses of His Book – you will never be able to eradicate from our hearts, Allah willing."
"This Path We Have Taken is a Religion, and We Owe it to Allah to Cling to it"
"Oh demonic rulers! Allah said, 'Wavering between this and that, with neither these nor those, he whom Allah leads astray – you will never find the right path for him [Koran 4:143].' And you indeed are wavering. Some of you say there should be no dialogue with the terrorists – the Mujahideen – and state: 'there should be only rifle and sword [between us and the terrorists].' Some others of you say: Turn yourselves in and use your brain. The latest manifestation of your fumbling is that proposal of a one-month opportunity to repent proposed by your stupid great leader – which means forgiveness for whoever turns himself in. Allah be thanked and praised, this [offer which is made to us] despite our meager means is nothing but your defeat and fumbling.
"This Jihad has revealed to us hypocrites, agents, and those who tremble with fear and weaklings [in our own ranks]. We ask Allah for forgiveness and strength in this world and in the Hereafter.
"Oh demonic rulers! This path we have taken is a religion, and we owe it to Allah to cling to it. We shall never abandon it, nor be negligent of it, and we ask Allah to make us steadfast in it.
"Oh demonic rulers! We are engaged in worship: If we are killed, we are martyrs asking Allah to receive us. And if we remain alive, we are happy, and Allah is to be praised and thanked.
"Oh demonic rulers! The blood of the best of us who were killed – Nasir Al-Rashid and Rakan Al-Sikhan, and Abd Al-'Aziz Al-Muqrin, and Faysal Al-Dakhil, and their brethren – on the soil of the land of the two holy places shall never be lost.
"Oh demonic rulers! We did not join this path in ignorance of it. Nay, we know its hardships and its danger, and we ask Allah for the reward for it, and for provisions for it. The great companion of the Prophet, As'ad ibn Zurara, when the Ansar [i.e., the Medinian supporters of Muhammad] came to swear allegiance to Allah's Messenger on the day of the Aqaba oath, said to them: 'Not so hastily, oh people of Yathrib [i.e., Medina]. [4] We did not spur our horses on the way to him [Muhammad] except for knowing that he is Allah's Messenger, and that taking him out today [with us to Medina] signifies a split from all the Arabs, and the killing of your best, and being bitten by swords.'
"And we tell the demonic rulers and their black slaves and rabble hangers-on that we did not go down this path except for knowing that the day will come when many will fight us. And indeed, oh demonic rulers, the rabbis and monks of your putrid government and your mercenary army all hastened to join you in your war against us for the sake of America.
"Oh demonic rulers! There is no oath of allegiance between you and us, and we owe you neither hearing nor obeying. There is nothing between us but fighting for the sake of Allah. Allah is our Protector, while you have no protector.
"Oh demonic rulers! We denounce you as infidels, and there is hostility and hatred between us forever until you believe in Allah alone.
"Oh demonic rulers! There is no surrender, rather fighting; there is no humiliation, rather death; no defeat, rather Jihad for the sake of Allah.
"Oh demonic rulers! According to what law do you want to bring us to justice? The law – regulations of the commercial courts – of the Chamber of Commerce, or the law which permits and protects usury, or the law which makes the land of the two holy places permissible to the harlots of Byzantium and the bisexual Jews and Christians? What law? The law that gives the imams of unbelief and error power over the monotheistic Mujahideen in the prisons of Al-Hayir and Al-Ruyis and 'Aleisha? According to what law do you establish a fraternal alliance between Jews and Christians and us?
"The law of Islam brought by Muhammad is unbelief in anything that is worshipped other than Allah, and relinquishing and showing hostility to unbelief and unbelievers, and empowering the law of Allah in all matters of life so that there should be no discord and so that all religion should be Allah's alone."
"Allah Promises Us Either Victory or Martyrdom"; "The Matter Between You and Us is One of Unbelief Versus Belief, Polytheism Versus Islam"
"Oh demonic rulers! Allah promises us either victory or martyrdom. And you promise us forgiveness and then imprisonment. We shall never relinquish the promise of Allah in exchange for your promise. For Allah speaks more truly, and the promise of Allah is better and finer in meaning.
"Oh demonic rulers! The matter between you and us is one of unbelief versus belief, polytheism versus Islam. It is a matter of principle of belief.
"Oh people! The crimes of Ibn Sa'ud and his army, the most recent of which are the destruction of Mosque of the Ascetic Sheikh Abd Al-Karim Al-Hamid in Burayda and the hunting down of the Mujahideen and the allocation of millions to whoever bri
ngs information of a Mujahid so that he can be handed over to America – all these prove the error and depravity of these people [i.e., the Saudis] and of their war against Islam, and that they are our enemies.
"Oh, you with zealousness and belief in your hearts! How can you be content with these as rulers over you, and as custodians of your affairs. 'Therefore, flee unto Allah. I am the bringer of clear warning from Him to you. [Koran 51:50].' And He said, 'Incline not unto those who do wrong, or the fires of Hell will touch you. You have no protector save Allah, and you will not be helped [Koran 11:113].
"Oh demonic rulers! The believer will not be bitten twice from the same snake-pit, as Allah's Messenger said. [5] Your father, the slave of the English, betrayed our ancestors the Al-Ikhwan in a place called Al-Sabala. This treachery shall not be repeated with us, Allah willing." [6]
[1] The article appeared in Issue No. 20 of Sawt Al-Jihad, June-July 2004.
[2] The term "Traitor [kh'in] to the Two Holy Places" is a pun on the Saudi king's title "Servant [khadim]of the Two Holy Places," that is, Mecca and Medina.
[3] Tawaghit, translated here as "demonic rulers,"is the plural of Taghut, a Koranic term that signifies idolatry and devil worship, and is used by modern Islamists to denote oppressive Muslim rulers who have betrayed the true Islam. In this instance the speaker is referring to the House of Sa'ud.
[4] As'ad ibn Zurara was one of the first Medinians to embrace Islam. He led a group of Medinians who me Muhammad at Aqaba on his journey from his native Mecca with the aim of accompanying him to Medina. http://history.al-islam.com/Names.asp?year=1.
[5] This is a well-known Hadith, which means that a Muslim does not fall into the same trap twice. Muslim, Salih, 5317. See http://hadith.al-islam.com/Display/Display.asp?Doc=1&Rec=6838
[6] On March 29, 1929, Saudi King Abd Al-'Aziz defeated and destroyed the Al-Ikhwan at Al-Sabala. The Al-Ikhwan were Wahhabi tribal Bedouin forces which had helped him expand his rule in the Arabian Peninsula, and then rebelled against him when he showed a willingness to compromise religious principle for reasons of political expedience.
