Friday Sermon on Palestinian Authority Television

The Palestinian Authority TV broadcast last Friday the sermon delivered by Sheikh Muhammad Abu Al-Hunud in the Khalil Al-Wazir Mosque in Gaza. Following are excerpts: 'Some of the Muslim Leaders Forgot Allah'

"… It looks like some of the Muslim leaders forgot Allah… The power of the infidels does not stem from their weapons and equipment; their power stems from our obedience to them, from the obedience of a number of Muslim and Arab leaders to them, [from the compliance with] their threats, demands, and aggression…"

"Civil wars and calamities afflict the nation in order to distinguish the faithful, the steadfast and the truthful from the liars, and the hypocrites who sold themselves in slave markets, sold themselves to the devil and supported the aggression of Allah's enemies…"

"The sons of Iraq are slaughtered, Iraq is bombarded; the sons of Iraq are murdered. [Iraq] is an Arab Muslim country, the cradle of civilization since the dawn of history, the capital of the land of Muslim caliphates. The Iraqi people are crying for help… Where are you, Oh Arabs? Where are you, nation of Islam?... Be free, or die honorably. The sons of the Arab and Muslim nation are murdered, its sons are slaughtered, its homes demolished and the Arabs are standing and watching."

"One of the Arab leaders claims that he opposes the attack on Iraq while he finances the airplanes of the invading enemy. Another condemns the attack on Iraq while the attackers use bases on his own soil to attack Iraq. A third Arab sister [country] openly declares its enmity towards America, but behind closed doors holds meetings and strikes deals [with the Americans]. A fourth opens its ports and airports to enemy ships and airplanes. Is this Islam? Is this the religion?!"

'The Aggression Against Iraq is an Assault on Islam'

"The aggression against Iraq is an assault on international laws and on religious edicts. The aggression against Iraq is an aggression against humanity, against values and principles. The aggression against Iraq is an assault on Islam, the Koran and the message of Muhammad… If, God forbid, something happens to Iraq, the aggression and the Crusade will turn tomorrow against the Koran. Prior to the attack on Iraq, Allah's enemy and the enemy of His Prophet… called to change the religious education systems in the Arab and Islamic countries. Today, God forbid, his second assault is on the Koran, [he wants] to change verses and to mess with Allah's book, to Americanize the region, Americanize the religion, Americanize the Koran, Americanize Muhammad's message."

"What are you going to do, oh millions of Arabs, oh Arab leaders? What are you going to do in light of this tyranny and this aggression? These bullets that are being fired today on the Muslim people of Iraq will be fired tomorrow on your chests and the chests of your peoples."

'To the Iraqi People: Strike With It The Enemies of Humanity, And Let Them Realize That Iraq's Soil is A Fire Land… And That They Will Drown In Its Waters'

"To my brothers in Iraq, to the President of Iraq, to the Iraqi leadership, to the Iraqi people, the Iraqi clans, the glorious women of Iraq, we say: 'Strike, my brother; may your right arm, oh proud Iraq, be strong. If your arm gets weary, [lift it] and strike Allah's enemies with it. Strike with it the enemies of humanity, and let them realize that Iraq's soil is a fire land [for them], and that they will drown in its waters. The Iraqi soil repels this aggressor, the Iraqi soil curses him when he steps on it, and the Iraqi people spit in his face…'"

"Trustworthy [Islamic] clerics, from East and West… came up with proofs from the Koran and the Sunna, and announced them from the pulpits of Al-Azhar and other mosques around the world, that any Muslim who does not stand by Iraq and support it against the American-British-Crusaders cruel attack is a traitor to his religion, traitor to his nation, traitor to his motherland, and traitor to his Arabism. Aren't you listening? Did you plug your ears and blinded your eyes? What happened to you? What is the meaning of this shame?!!"

'Allah, make [American and British] children orphans and their women widows'

"My brothers in Islam, my brothers in Arabism, the Prophet said: 'Behold the Arabs from an approaching evil.' This is the approaching evil. If the Arabs do not wake up and do not return to Allah – [and] those among our leaders who sold themselves, and I am not saying all of them – [should know] that what is happening in Iraq is not far from them. Jobs do not last forever, seats do not last forever, death will be their lot…"

"Allah, grant victory to the Iraqi army…"

"Allah, defeat America and its allies…"

"Allah, purify the Islamic soil from the American and British treason and defilement…""Allah, make their possessions a booty for the Muslims, Allah, annihilate them and their weapons, Allah, make their children orphans and their women widows…"[1]