23 June 2001

In the name of Allah the most Gracious the most Merciful

Press Release

Commenting on the brothers in Yemen’s decision to withdraw their mediation, which they had launched to end the crisis resulting from the Jordanian authorities’ measure denying Eng. Ibrahim Ghoushe to enter his country and detaining the Qatari plane, a responsible source in the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, stated the following;

First: We, in Hamas, followed up with great appreciation the honorable mediation bid of our brothers in Yemen under the patronage of Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, which they tabled out of their keenness on unity of Arab ranks and to defuse the crisis between Jordan and Qatar and between Jordan and the Hamas Movement. We immediately welcomed the Yemeni mediation and positively responded to it out of our keenness to ensure its success but the Jordanian government’s stubbornness and insistence on its old stand and oppressive conditions that violated the constitution and the interests of both the Nation and the case led to halting the Yemeni mediation compelling the brothers in Yemen to declare its withdrawal.

Second: We affirm, on this occasion, that we in the Hamas Movement had displayed absolute keenness and extreme feeling of responsibility in dealing with the oppressive decision to deport the four brothers from their country Jordan. We gave all the appreciated mediation bids the opportunity to solve the crisis especially the sisterly state of Qatar and the dear Jordanian figures but the Jordanian government closed all doors before those mediations during the past year and seven months of deportation. We had no other alternative but to exercise our legal and constitutional right to return to Jordan. We informed the Jordanian government with our decision through a third party. We also postponed the date of our return more than once at the request of the Jordanian government itself so as to give it more time. We affirmed to that government our readiness to accept the condition of not practicing any political or informational activity in the name of the Movement in Jordan. Yet the Jordanian government remained insisting on its strange, oppressive and stubborn stance that the deported brothers should choose between giving up their Jordanian nationality and accept the two years temporary travel documents if they wished to continue in their role in service of their people and cause and links to the Jihad Movement Hamas or to retain the Jordanian nationality after severing all relations with the Hamas Movement. We categorically rejected that offer because it contravened the Jordanian constitution and because working for the Palestine cause through the Hamas Movement or any other was a duty on all those belonging to our Nation and did not contradict their right in the nationality they carried.

Third: In the light of all this Eng. Ibrahim Ghoushe decided to return to his country Jordan in a calm way so as to facilitate things for the Jordanian government but it regretfully did not absorb that meaning and chose a boisterous security handling of the matter that contradicted the constitution. It furthermore fabricated another unjustified crisis with the sisterly state of Qatar at a time when terrorist Sharon and his herds of settlers were waging a war on our people and at a time when the heroic Qassam Brigades were confronting the criminal Zionist enemy and the Qassam elements were launching martyrdom operations to defend their people and sanctities in addition to avenging for dignity of the Arab and Islamic Nation. The Jordanian government is still insisting on detaining Eng. Ibrahim Ghoushe for the tenth consecutive day in the Amman airport in an inhuman was that does not befit an ordinary citizen let alone a Mujahid like him. That government is also exercising pressures on him to accept its oppressive conditions under threat and by force and insist at the same time to prevent doctors from seeing him or checking his health condition. It further barred his family members and lawyers from calling on him!

Fourth: We salute our brother the Eng. Ibrahim Ghoushe for his steadfastness and patience and for his rejection of all bargaining on his national and religious role in service of the Nation’s central cause and in defense of our Mujahid Palestinian people. We also greet and appreciate our Jordanian people with its various trends, parties, syndicate and national and Islamic figures for siding with our just case. That people expressed solidarity with Eng. Ghoushe and his deported brothers, expressed absolute refusal of the Jordanian government’s step and affirmed backing to the Hamas Movement in its steadfastness and resistance of Zionist occupation. We call on them to express more such dignified stands for the interest of Jordan, the Palestine cause and the Nation in its struggle against the Zionist enemy. We repeat our thanks and appreciation to all Jordanian popular mediations and efforts along with Arab bids that sought to solve the unjustified crisis and end the detention of brother Ibrahim Ghoushe to enable him enter his country.

The Islamic Resistance Movement
Hamas – Palestine
2^nd Rabee Thani 1422H
23^rd June 2001AD