Salafi-Jihadists to Jordanian Authorities: We Have Masses of People Willing to Martyr Themselves in Jordan

Last week, senior leaders of the Salafi-jihadist movement in Jordan threatened to hold a sit-down demonstration today, April 11, in Gamal 'Abd Al-Nasser Square (also called Al-Dakhiliyya Square) in central Amman, and to intensify their protest in other ways, unless the authorities released four activists from the movement who were recently arrested. The four are 'Abd Al-Nasser Khamaysa, Mustafa 'Abd Al-Latif, Muhammad Abu 'Omar, and Furas Al-Na'lawi. The movement's spokesmen even explicitly warned that the "storm of jihad" would reach Jordan.[1]

Yesterday it was reported that the Jordanian government had released the four activists, in return for the cancellation of the demonstration.[2] At a press conference yesterday – the first to be held by the Salafi-jihadists in Jordan – the movement leaders explained that, in negotiating for the detainees' release, they had told the authorities that the movement's activists were willing to "martyr themselves" in the capital.[3] Some in the Salafi camp regarded the detainees' release as a capitulation by the Jordanian authorities to the threats of the movement leaders.[4]

It should be noted that though the movement leaders announced yesterday that the demonstration was canceled, the authorities deployed massive security forces throughout the capital today, and especially in the area of Al-Nasser Square, out of fear that the protest would take place anyway.[5]

At the press conference, held last night in the home of one of the released detainees in Zarqa, the movement leaders attacked the Jordanian regime, accusing it of collaborating with the U.S. and Israel. They called to implement the shari'a and to release other Islamist prisoners, and pledged to continue their protest activities.

The following are details about the press conference and excerpts from statements made in it, as published by the website of the Jordanian daily Al-Sabil:[6]

Jarrah Al-Rahahla: "I Told [the Jordanian Officials] that We Had an Enormous Number of Brothers Willing to Martyr Themselves Tomorrow"

Jarrah Al-Rahahla, one of the movement leaders and prominent ideologues, revealed that the General Intelligence Department had offered to arrange for him a meeting with Prime Minister Ma'rouf Al-Bakhit, providing that the movement stopped holding demonstrations to demand the release of Islamist prisoners. He said he had rejected the offer, because "it was supposed to be a secret meeting to present [our] demands, and nothing more."

According to Al-Rahahla, he received phone calls from several officials – including the governor of Al-Salt province and the head of the Preventive Security Department – and later met with some of these officials to negotiate with them. Describing the meeting, he said: "I told them that we had an enormous number of brothers who were willing to martyr themselves for the sake of Allah tomorrow. [These brothers] do not want to seek martyrdom in Kabul or Baghdad, but to martyr themselves in Greater Syria [which includes Jordan] and in Amman... I said [to the officials]: 'Isn't there a single reasonable man among you?' After the meeting they called me and said to me: 'Come pick up your four detained brothers.' They urged me to come get them as soon as possible. I sent two people, and they got [the detainees]... [So] our patience and perseverance were not without results."

Al-Rahahla expressed his opinion that "the trials carried out by the National Security [Court] are destroying the country," and that "recruiting young men for jihad in Iraq is not a crime, [for] this is jihad that Allah the Almighty commanded us [to wage]."[7]

Abu Muhammad Al-Tahawi: The State Knows that When the Salafi-Jihadis Say Something, They Mean It

Another of the movement's leaders, Abu Muhammad Al-Tahawi, clarified that the demonstration was meant to be held only if the activists were not released. He said: "Since they were released, we decided to cancel the sit-down demonstration, for Muslims are men of their word, and we stand by what we said." He added that the Jordanian people were suffering both from the "greater oppression," namely the regime's failure to impose shari'a law, and from the "lesser oppression," manifest in arrests, abductions, and midnight raids by the security apparatuses on the homes of activists. As an example, he mentioned the arrest of Sheikh Muhammad Al-Khatib, the imam of the Khalil Al-Rahman mosque in Irbid, who was "abducted [by the security apparatuses] in a Chicago gang-style abduction and beaten severely, so that the signs of torture are still visible on his body." Al-Tahawi said further, "The Jordanian people suffering severe oppression at the hands of the security apparatuses, and we want this oppression lifted from the people... The state knows who the Salafi-jihadis are. When they say [something], they mean it." He promised that his movement would continue its activity, and announced a rally to be held this Friday in Zarqa, following the prayers at the mosques.

Sa'd Al-Hunaiti: "Those Who Freed These Detainees Can Also Free the Other Prisoners Who Were Arrested in the Service of the U.S. and Israel"

Another leader, Sa'd Al-Hunaiti, clarified that the Salafi-jihadists were against negotiating with the security apparatuses, saying: "To date, we have not received any invitation to hold a dialogue with the administration... We believe that implementing the shari'a will ensure the wellbeing of all the people, and end the oppression, corruption and [Jordan's] collaboration with the Americans and Zionsits..." Demanding to free the other Islamist prisoners, he said: "Those who freed these four detainees can free the other detainees. The regime knows [that these detainees] have been treated unjustly and have been wrongly accused in order to serve the Americans and Jews."

The press conference participants. On the bottom row from left to right:

Sa'd Al-Hunaiti, Abu Muhammad Al-Tahawi, Jarrah Al- Rahahla