On January 31, 2021 the independent Mauritanian news agency Al-Akhbar published a fatwa (religious ruling) banning normalization with Israel. The fatwa is signed by over 200 Mauritanian clerics, headed by Sheikh Mohamad Hasan Al-Dido, who is a member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS).
The fatwa states that normalization with Israel is strictly forbidden because it means recognizing the Jews' claim to Palestine; legitimizing their ongoing occupation of this land and the destruction and massacres they perpetrate there, and abandoning the Palestinian Muslims to their fate. The fatwa calls to wage jihad (holy war) in order to expel the Zionists from the occupied Muslim land, stressing that this is a duty incumbent upon every Muslim man and woman. It also urges the Muslims not to open their countries to the Jews by normalizing relations with them, because they are corruptors, plotters and murderers and are "the Muslims' greatest haters."
Sheikh Mohamad Hasan Al-Dido (Source: Bessayir.com)
The following are translated excerpts from the fatwa:[1]
"...Relations with the entity that is usurping and occupying the land of Palestine, [including] Jerusalem and all parts of this land, is strictly forbidden, for the following reasons:
"1. Such normalization constitutes full support for all the deeds of the dastardly Zionists - the siege, murder and destruction they perpetrate - and has nothing to do with peace, which is the cessation of warfare to protect the Muslims' interests, [and is allowed] as long as the enemy behaves honestly and does not violate [the state of peace] with aggression and treachery. Allah said: 'If the enemy is inclined towards peace, make peace with them' [Qur'an 8:61]. But this normalization actually [involves] supporting, befriending and striking an alliance with the enemy, and cooperating [with them] in many domains against Islam and the Muslims.
"2. [Normalization constitutes] recognition of the enemy's [claim] to the soil of Palestine and of their ancient rights in Jerusalem, which grants a seal of approval to their takeover of Jerusalem and to the claim that the Palestinians - and all other Muslims - have no right to this land. This is considered to be one of the factors that greatly contribute to cementing the Zionist presence [in Palestine] and empowering it economically, militarily and politically...
"When a Muslim country is occupied by the enemy, jihad to expel this occupier becomes a personal duty [of every Muslim, and therefore] getting ready and preparing forces for jihad [also] become a [personal] duty. The date on which the Zionists occupied Palestine is known: [it happened] on November 2, 1917, when Balfour promised to turn Palestine into a national homeland for the Jews. The British kept this promise and helped the Jews take over Palestine by force and expel its [Muslim] residents from their homes. Therefore, it is a religious duty to wage jihad to expel them from the land they have occupied, rather than normalize relations with them.
"3. Normalizing [relations] with the occupying enemy means legitimizing the act of usurpation, recognizing their right to keep what they have taken, and enabling the attacker to continue attacking. It is strictly forbidden to recognize the right of the occupying Jews to even an inch of Palestine, for such recognition is a great betrayal of Allah, His Messenger and the Muslims. Allah said [in Qur'an 8:27]: 'O believers! Do not betray Allah and the Messenger, nor betray your trusts knowingly.'
"4. This enemy... has expelled Muslims from their homes, dispersed them and perpetrated some 100 massacres against them. Therefore, normalization [means] supporting [this enemy] and is explicitly forbidden by the Qur'an, for Allah said: 'Allah does not forbid you from dealing kindly and fairly with those who have neither fought nor driven you out of your homes. Surely Allah loves those who are fair. Allah only forbids you from befriending those who have fought you for your faith, driven you out of your homes, or supported others in doing so. And whoever takes them as friends, then it is they who are the true wrongdoers [Qur'an 60:8-9].'
"5. This occupying enemy persists in aggression, usurpation of land and expansion of the occupied territory. This is a cancer that is steadily spreading throughout the Muslim land, and normalization with it means abetting the crime and the aggression and supporting [the enemy] instead of the Muslims. But Allah said [in Qur'an 3:28]: 'Believers should not take disbelievers as guardians instead of the believers—and whoever does so will have nothing to hope for from Allah...'
"Normalization with this enemy means abandoning our fellow Muslims, upon whom the enemy is inflicting many troubles and imposing a siege. The best example of this is Gaza, which the enemy has besieged and is denying it food and medicines. According to a hadith narrated by Muslim [ibn Al-Hajjaj], the Prophet [Muhammad] said: 'A Muslim is the brother of every [other] Muslim. He does not treat [his brother] unjustly, abandon him or humiliate him'...
"6. This normalization being promoted [today] means welcoming the occupier who has expelled us from our homes... welcoming its military delegations, honoring them and relying on them. Allah said: 'And do not be inclined to the wrongdoers or you will be touched by the Fire. For then you would have no protectors other than Allah, nor would you be helped [Quran 11:113].'
"7. Normalization means opening the Muslims' countries to the Jews, about whom Allah said: 'They strive to spread corruption in the land. And Allah does not like corruptors [Qur'an 5:64].' They spread corruption and fight Islam wherever they are, weaving conspiracies and plotting murder. They are the Muslims' greatest haters, as Allah said [in Qur'an 5:82]: 'You will surely find the most bitter towards the believers to be the Jews...' Today Allah has shown us that the Jews' enmity [towards the Muslims] corresponds to what is stated in the Qur'an...
"8. Normalization, which is being promoted by some, means permitting these occupying usurpers to defile the Al-Aqsa mosque - the Muslims' first direction of prayer - and sully the blessed land, the land of the Prophets... the theater of jihad and of preparing for jihad against their heresy, their wantonness, their crimes and their corruption...
"In sum, normalization with these occupying Zionists means permitting them to keep occupying Muslim land; neglecting the duty of jihad; collaborating with those who fight us and have expelled us from our homes or helped to expel us; abandoning our fellow Muslims in Palestine; joining the ranks of the enemy fighters; favoring the villains, and encouraging the Jews to [continue] their acts of destruction, of defiling Al-Aqsa and of sullying the blessed land. This normalization is strictly forbidden. Allah said [in Qur'an 5:51]: 'O believers! Take neither Jews nor Christians as guardians—they are guardians of each other. Whoever does so will be counted as one of them...'"
[1] Alakhbar.info, January 31, 2021.
