The website of the Islamic Jihad organization, paltoday.ps, reported that several "mothers of martyrs," who were referred to as "Khansawat of Palestine,"[1] had visited fighters of the organization's military wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, on the occasion of 'Eid Al-Fitr. The mothers wore Al-Quds Brigades headbands, and some even carried rifles to show "their complete support for the option of jihad and resistance, and their willingness to sacrifice more martyrs, as well as their own lives, for Allah."
The website reports that the "mujahida mother" of Ibrahim Al-Dahdouh, who is also the mother of the "martyrs" Khaled, Ayman, and Muhammad, addressed the fighters and asked them not to forget the legacy of "the martyr Abu Walid Al-Dahdouh,"[2] who said: "We will not haggle [over Palestine] even if they bash our heads in with rocks. I order you, the heroes of the [Al-Quds] Brigades, to complete [the journey on] this extremely difficult path, along which we must sacrifice many martyrs."
Umm Ibrahim added: "We came here to hand out sweets and holiday cakes to the hero fighters on the front lines, to bless them, and to strengthen their resolve, so they may continue on the path of the mighty martyrs. We must show steadfastness. This is our fate on Palestinian soil... If I avoid sacrificing my sons as martyrs for Allah, and other [mothers] do the same, how will Palestine be liberated, and how will its majesty, glory, and Arabness be restored?"
At the end of the visit, the mothers of the martyrs and the mujahideen prayed together that Allah would "ensure the success of the mujahideen"; "make their blows hurt the enemy"; "consider their fighting on the front lines as [part] of their good deeds, and as a thorn in the throat of the criminal Zionists"; "liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque and all of Palestine, unlock the chains of the prisoners, heal the sick, and cause the oppressed throughout the earth to succeed."[3]
[1] Al-Khansa bint 'Amr was a female poet in the pre-Islamic era who converted to Islam during the time of the Prophet Muhammad. She is considered the "mother of martyrs" because, when her four children died in the Battle of Al-Qadisiyyah in 637 CE, she did not mourn, but rather thanked Allah for honoring her with their deaths.
[2] Referring to Khaled Al-Dahdouh, an Islamic Jihad official who was killed in 2006.
[3] Paltoday.ps, August 20, 2012.
