Abbas’ advisor: “We’ll rejoice in our state established on all of our land…” “rejoice when the blood of the Martyrs… bears fruit… Your blood was not spilled in vain;” says there’s “no disagreement” between Hamas and Fatah
YouTube channel of the office of the Supreme Shari’ah Judge, excerpt of sermon by Supreme Shari’ah Judge, Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs, and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Justice Mahmoud Al-Habbash at the mosque in the PA headquarters in Ramallah for Eid Al-Fitr - a Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan; in audience: PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, and Fatah Central Committee member Abbas Zaki
Supreme Shari’ah Judge, Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs, and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Justice Mahmoud Al-Habbash: “'So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers' [Quran, Sura 3:139, Sahih International translation]. How sweet victory is when the weak vanquish the strong. How sweet victory is when the weak are victorious - or those considered weak - over the strong, those considered strong… Today – the verse speaks to us and says to us: Rejoice! Allah's promise to you is being fulfilled, Allah willing: 'Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them… and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security…' [Quran, Sura 24:55, Sahih International translation]. Look at the verse and reality and see, by Allah, the embodiment of this verse in our lives every day: We the oppressed are the victors. We the weak are the superior ones, as we are the ones who believe in Allah and in our right, and who are adhering to our land and to our holy sites. Two days ago [June 13, 2018], less than two days ago, [there was] a victory for those the world thought weak, an oppressed people, a weak people – and a victory, notice, a victory without weapons and without blood (possibly refers to the UN vote condemning Israel’s defensive response to violent riots on the Gaza-Israel border –Ed.), meaning we do not intend and do not want the bloodshed of anyone in order to be victorious. We want to prevent our bloodshed and that of others. And therefore blessed Allah supported us. The world… found itself in a contradiction between a strong state, which some think holds the keys to Heaven and earth and controls everything, God forbid – and a weak, poor, and besieged people – but one that adheres to the right; the right protects it, and those who adhere to justice get justice, even if after time. And this is not an easy thing, brothers. And today we must rejoice over some of our achievements. For years we have been accumulating achievement after achievement, small victory after small victory, in expectation of the great victory, and the great victory is coming, by the power of Allah… We will continue to act and achieve achievement after achievement, and will accumulate achievements one after the other, until we reach the great achievement and the great joy, as we today rejoice with great joy… as we rejoice on this Eid Al-Fitr (i.e., Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan) – we will rejoice in the future, I swear to Allah, aside from whom there is no God, and who is omnipotent – by Allah, O Palestinian people, you will rejoice with the greatest joy, by the power of Allah, Master of the Universe. We will rejoice in Jerusalem, in our Al-Aqsa Mosque that is liberated, Allah willing; we will rejoice in our state that will be established on all of our land; we will rejoice in the return of the refugees to their homes; we will rejoice when the blood of the Martyrs (Shahids) we remember today bears fruit - and we will say to them: Your blood was not spilled in vain. We will rejoice in the suffering of the prisoners, in the result of the suffering of the prisoners, who suffered so we would rejoice. These are the great ones, to whom we send blessings today; they are worthy of blessings for their manliness, for their stability, for their victory, them and their people, over the jailor…
Today – this is a call – once again, a second time, third time, and a thousand times – a sincere call to close this dark page of [Hamas-Fatah] rift and the despicable coup (refers to the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip; see note below –Ed.), which is not appropriate for us or for our religion. The call is made and the hand extended – let us reach an agreement, just an agreement: We worship Allah and are acting for the liberation of Palestine and its return. What do we disagree about? What is your disagreement with us? About what do you disagree with us? What the PLO has said from 1965 and until the 1990s, and what it says today – they will discover this in another 20 years. Therefore, we have no disagreement and are not divided. And even if we assume we are in disagreement – am I in disagreement about Palestine and about Jerusalem? The time has come for the damager to repent his damage and the sinner to regret his sin, and for unity to return to this people."
2007 Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip - Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah won the 2005 Palestinian Authority Presidential election. However, Hamas won the 2006 parliamentary elections in both the Gaza Strip and West Bank, with a majority of 74 out of 132 seats, to Fatah’s 45 seats. Fatah’s rule of the PA Presidency and Hamas’ rule of the PA government led to friction and eventually armed conflict between Hamas and Fatah. Hamas defeated Fatah militarily in the Gaza Strip in 2007, and since then Hamas rules in Gaza while the PA continues to rule the West Bank under Fatah.
Supreme Shari’ah Judge, Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs, and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Justice Mahmoud Al-Habbash: “'So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers' [Quran, Sura 3:139, Sahih International translation]. How sweet victory is when the weak vanquish the strong. How sweet victory is when the weak are victorious - or those considered weak - over the strong, those considered strong… Today – the verse speaks to us and says to us: Rejoice! Allah's promise to you is being fulfilled, Allah willing: 'Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them… and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security…' [Quran, Sura 24:55, Sahih International translation]. Look at the verse and reality and see, by Allah, the embodiment of this verse in our lives every day: We the oppressed are the victors. We the weak are the superior ones, as we are the ones who believe in Allah and in our right, and who are adhering to our land and to our holy sites. Two days ago [June 13, 2018], less than two days ago, [there was] a victory for those the world thought weak, an oppressed people, a weak people – and a victory, notice, a victory without weapons and without blood (possibly refers to the UN vote condemning Israel’s defensive response to violent riots on the Gaza-Israel border –Ed.), meaning we do not intend and do not want the bloodshed of anyone in order to be victorious. We want to prevent our bloodshed and that of others. And therefore blessed Allah supported us. The world… found itself in a contradiction between a strong state, which some think holds the keys to Heaven and earth and controls everything, God forbid – and a weak, poor, and besieged people – but one that adheres to the right; the right protects it, and those who adhere to justice get justice, even if after time. And this is not an easy thing, brothers. And today we must rejoice over some of our achievements. For years we have been accumulating achievement after achievement, small victory after small victory, in expectation of the great victory, and the great victory is coming, by the power of Allah… We will continue to act and achieve achievement after achievement, and will accumulate achievements one after the other, until we reach the great achievement and the great joy, as we today rejoice with great joy… as we rejoice on this Eid Al-Fitr (i.e., Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan) – we will rejoice in the future, I swear to Allah, aside from whom there is no God, and who is omnipotent – by Allah, O Palestinian people, you will rejoice with the greatest joy, by the power of Allah, Master of the Universe. We will rejoice in Jerusalem, in our Al-Aqsa Mosque that is liberated, Allah willing; we will rejoice in our state that will be established on all of our land; we will rejoice in the return of the refugees to their homes; we will rejoice when the blood of the Martyrs (Shahids) we remember today bears fruit - and we will say to them: Your blood was not spilled in vain. We will rejoice in the suffering of the prisoners, in the result of the suffering of the prisoners, who suffered so we would rejoice. These are the great ones, to whom we send blessings today; they are worthy of blessings for their manliness, for their stability, for their victory, them and their people, over the jailor…
Today – this is a call – once again, a second time, third time, and a thousand times – a sincere call to close this dark page of [Hamas-Fatah] rift and the despicable coup (refers to the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip; see note below –Ed.), which is not appropriate for us or for our religion. The call is made and the hand extended – let us reach an agreement, just an agreement: We worship Allah and are acting for the liberation of Palestine and its return. What do we disagree about? What is your disagreement with us? About what do you disagree with us? What the PLO has said from 1965 and until the 1990s, and what it says today – they will discover this in another 20 years. Therefore, we have no disagreement and are not divided. And even if we assume we are in disagreement – am I in disagreement about Palestine and about Jerusalem? The time has come for the damager to repent his damage and the sinner to regret his sin, and for unity to return to this people."
2007 Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip - Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah won the 2005 Palestinian Authority Presidential election. However, Hamas won the 2006 parliamentary elections in both the Gaza Strip and West Bank, with a majority of 74 out of 132 seats, to Fatah’s 45 seats. Fatah’s rule of the PA Presidency and Hamas’ rule of the PA government led to friction and eventually armed conflict between Hamas and Fatah. Hamas defeated Fatah militarily in the Gaza Strip in 2007, and since then Hamas rules in Gaza while the PA continues to rule the West Bank under Fatah.