Tunisian Salafi Leader Houssam Al-'Ayari Endorses Martyrdom Operations in Israel, Vows to Oppose Communist Leader by Non-Democratic Means

Following are excerpts from an interview with Tunisian Salafi activist Sheik Houssam Al-'Ayari, which aired on Al-Mayadeen TV on February 20, 2013.

Interviewer: If a Communist candidate wins the elections and comes to power – will you oppose this?

Sheik Houssam Al-'Ayari: Of course I will. I will oppose it even before the elections.

Interviewer: You will reject this?

Sheik Houssam Al-'Ayari: Of course I will.

Interviewer: But through democratic means?

Sheik Houssam Al-'Ayari: No, we don't believe in democracy. What is democracy? What has it contributed to this world?

[…]

We do not oppose martyrdom operations in Israel. On the contrary, we encourage them. If only I could be the first to carry one out.

Interviewer: What stops you?

Sheik Houssam Al-'Ayari: A lot of things.

Interviewer: Give me an example.

Sheik Houssam Al-'Ayari: The [Arab] rulers. They are implementing Western systems in the Arab countries.

Interviewer: Did you try but were stopped?

Sheik Houssam Al-'Ayari: How could I possibly have tried?

Interviewer: Did you try to go and carry out a martyrdom operation?

Sheik Houssam Al-'Ayari: Ask the people of Egypt and Jordan, and they will tell you that their governments have filled up the prisons with young men who merely contemplated going to Israel to carry out a justified martyrdom operation.

Interviewer: But Egypt has changed, and it is headed by an Islamist of the Muslim Brotherhood. Is it easier now to carry out attacks in Israel?

Sheik Houssam Al-'Ayari: No, it is more difficult.

[…]