Prof. Nizar Riyan of the Hamas Political Leadership: Our Martyrs Are in Heaven, Their Dead Are in Hell

The following are excerpts from an interview with Professor Nizar Riyan of the Hamas political leadership in Gaza:

Prof. Riyan: Sharon has a philosophy. I've read it in some of his biographies. He says: "I want to kill." Begin, who was Sharon's great mentor, said: "I kill, therefore I am." He said this in his book The Revolt. This is their philosophy. They see themselves as existing via killings and so they kill. As for killing the resistance, I promise to any Muslim who is listening that the resistance will never be killed. A home from which a mujahid was martyred– all his brothers will set out [on Jihad]. By Allah, the fathers of the fighters, I swear… The fathers of the mujahideen, who passed the age of 55, are begging us to give them guns so they can fight with us. The resistance is gaining strength and the number of mujahideenis growing. The killing of martyrs doesn't hurt us: "They cannot hurt you beyond slight injury." Our martyrs are in heaven, and this is our solace. On the other hand, their dead are in hell, as our Prophet said in the battle of Uhud.