18 September 2001

In the name of Allah the most Gracious the most Merciful

Statement on the American and international moves after the New York and Washington explosions and the Zionist blatant incitement

The Zionist enemy was not content with escalation of its aggression and terrorism against the Palestinian people including storming, besieging and starving cities and refugee camps in addition to murder, demolition and destruction, exploiting the world’s preoccupation with the explosions in New York and Washington. It even started provoking America and the West against Arabs and Muslims in addition to Palestinian resistance forces. The Zionist entity intentionally and cheaply mixed up the cards in the region and allied with America and the West in fighting the so-called Islamic terrorism at a time when Palestinian blood is being shed daily and profusely as a result of the escalation of Zionist terrorism in Palestine.

Amidst such an atmosphere American diplomacy stepped up efforts to establish the so-called “international alliance against terrorism”. It tried to involve the biggest possible number of Arab and Islamic countries to serve as an international cover for a large-scale war that the USA was preparing against Afghanistan and maybe other countries despite the fact that investigations have not yet pinpointed the party responsible for those explosions.

The American administration resorted to paving the way for its coming strikes through its media and statements of its leaders. American president Bush even described that war as a crusade! It is strange to witness a state of fear and panic in the Arab and Islamic region that made a number of those governments, despite their remoteness from what happened, to bow to American dictates and pressures even at the expense of Arab and Islamic interests.

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) followed up the US-led diplomatic, security and military activities and the accompanying blatant Zionist incitement and the possible repercussions on the conflict with the Zionist entity and would like to assert the following:

1- In the light of the recent spate of explosions in America, the Hamas Movement would like to affirm that it is against violence being committed against innocent civilians anywhere in the world especially that the Palestinian people can understand the suffering more than many nations as victims of constant Zionist terrorism.

2- We urge all countries to direct their potentials and efforts towards fighting the most dangerous terrorism in the world and the most organized and threatening to global peace and security namely Zionist terrorism (state terrorism). Such terrorism is represented in occupying Palestinian lands and practicing the most brutal forms of repression, humiliation and terrorism against the Palestinian people making use of American weapons and political cover.

3- We would like to stress that the Palestinian people’s resistance of Zionist occupation is a legitimate one that could never be associated with terrorism. We would also like to warn here of the Zionist enemy’s attempt to mix up the cards and rally international backing to strikes against the Palestinian, Arab and Islamic peoples at the pretext of fighting terrorism and to distract the attention away from the Palestinian people’s demands for freedom, liberation and independence.

4- The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, asks the free world countries, especially the Arab and Islamic countries, to be ware of the so-called international alliance to fight terrorism along with its consequent measures and dictates. We believe that such an alliance targets labeling Islam, Arabs and Muslims as terrorists in addition to providing legitimacy and an Arab and Islamic cover for an expected American aggression that would realize economic and strategic goals for the USA along its plan of boosting its hegemony on the world. It would also provide Washington with a golden opportunity to get even with a number of countries, forces and groups in the region. Furthermore, it would serve Zionist goals of persecuting Palestinian resistance forces and making use of the emergency situation to liquidate the Palestine cause according to Zionist schemes.

5- The Hamas Movement also asks the Arab and Islamic countries not to extend support or cover to this declared war against Afghanistan or any Arab or Islamic country. This war is not in the interest of our Nation but rather against it. Furthermore, this war will not serve as the solution to the phenomenon of hostility and violence against American interests but would rather boost such a trend and would increase the affected nations and peoples’ hatred of American foreign policies.

The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, while engaged in its conflict against the Zionist enemy in the occupied territories, would like to affirm, in such difficult circumstances and in the light of attempts by many parties to win favour with aggressive forces, that the Palestinian people would go ahead in their efforts to liberate their lands and holy places and to win freedom and that they would persist in the intifada and resistance against the terrorist Zionist enemy until ejection of occupation.

 “O ye who believe! If ye obey the Unbelievers, they will drive you back on your heels, and ye will turn back (from Faith) to your own loss. Nay, Allah is your protector, and He is the best of helpers.”

The Islamic Resistance Movement
Hamas – Palestine
Tuesday 1^st Rajab 1422H
18^th September 2001AD