The online magazine 'The Voice of Jihad,' which is published by Al-Qa'ida members in Saudi Arabia and describes itself as a "biweekly dealing with Jihad and the Mujahideen in the Arabian Peninsula," devoted its ninth issue to two main subjects: Osama bin Laden's most recent speech, excerpts of which were broadcast on Al-Jazeera television, and the ongoing debate in Al-Qa'ida over attacks in Saudi Arabia. The following are excerpts from this issue: [1]
A New Communiqué: 'Young Mujahideen Seek Martyrdom As You Seek Life'
This issue of The Voice of Jihad features a communiqué dated January 20, 2004, written by Sheikh Abdallah Al-Rashoud. In it, Sheikh Al-Rashoud presents arguments opposing Islamist Sheikhs who have expressed disapproval of Al-Qa'ida attacks in Saudi Arabia, saying: "… Today the House of Saud is doing everything it can to fulfill the Crusaders' demands and disarm the people of the Arabian Peninsula.
"This is another chapter in the deceitful series by the triple axis of corruption – the Jews, the Crusaders, and the House of Saud – whose aim is to bring the people of the Arabian Peninsula into a vicious cycle of weakness in a way that will affect their struggle with the occupying invaders, so that when they want to defend their religion and their honor, they will find nothing but stones and curses…
"Know you, House of Saud and your soldiers: Among the young Mujahideen of the Arabian Peninsula are those who seek martyrdom as you seek life. Many of them are awaiting today to carry out martyrdom operations, with the aim of fulfilling their obligation and dying… The throne of the House of Saud is on the rim of the volcano under which the pot is boiling…"
Commentary on Bin Laden's Speech: 'Anticipate a Large-Scale Attack In U.S.'
Excerpts from Osama bin Laden's most recent speech are posted, followed by commentary by one of the leading ideologues of Al-Qa'ida in Saudi Arabia, "Louis Attiya Allah" [2] (an alias),who stated: "… In my opinion, this is in fact a futuristic speech, and it contains important signs and clues that are perhaps not understood by all commentators and news editors and that can only be understood by those with the same ideology and the same mentality as Sheikh Osama.
"… I sense that the Sheikh wishes to make us understand that what he is warning us of are actually events that he sees in his mind's eye which will take place in the near future. Therefore, the Sheikh presented, for the first time in all his speeches, two issues: the issue of the [need to establish an Islamic] Authoritative Council [Majlis Al-Hall wa Al-Aqd] and the issue of the Imam. I can almost swear that the Sheikh presented these two issues only because he anticipates the total collapse of the situation and the fall of regimes in the region as a result of some future events in which he and Al-Qa'ida will play a role…
"In this speech, Sheikh Osama looked like someone appealing directly to the clerics and the preachers who signed the communiqué [against] changing the school curriculum [in Saudi Arabia]… It is as if the Sheikh is saying to them: I am with you. I agree that America wants to eradicate our identity and remove our religion from us. But I criticize the thinking of some of you that any vestige of good remains in these rulers, or that they seek good and aspire to obtain it.
"You must wash your hands of them, take responsibility upon yourselves, and cling to Allah… Your first obligation is to establish the Authoritative Council in a 'safe place.' I do not doubt for a moment that when the Sheikh [Osama] used the expression 'safe place' he meant that this council will arise in the future situation that the Sheikh sees in his imagination…
"The Sheikh expects that the U.S. will directly attack the oil sources and will declare their occupation. This situation will lead to a total collapse of the regimes in the region… Anyone interested in correcting the situation of the [Muslim] nation must be prepared for this situation by establishing a council of clerics and preachers that will deal with the anticipated total collapse.
"In order to avoid anyone claiming that the Mujahideen are acting without taking into account the situation of the [Muslim] nation and without warning it, the Sheikh conveyed a hidden message, in which he told these preachers and clerics: You need to realize that these rulers are too contemptible to defend the land, the honor, and the religion.
"We continue on our path and in our Jihad against America. We continue to strike at America and we expect that our next blow will cause the collapse of the situation [in Saudi Arabia] due to the vengeful response, the first result of which will be the direct occupation of the oil sources and America's entrance [into Saudi Arabia] with the aim of changing the situation from its foundations.
"Therefore, you must prepare and anticipate this scenario. The responsibility and the mighty obligation expressed by establishing the Authoritative Council that will crown an Imam from among the Muslims who will manage the affairs of the direct confrontation with the Crusaders is incumbent upon you…
"It is clear that the Sheikh is not so naïve as to call people to convene and to establish an Authoritative Council under conditions like our present conditions, in which two men known [to the authorities] cannot meet without the intelligence apparatuses following them… There is no alternative but to conclude that the Sheikh spoke of a scenario in which America will enter the Arabian Peninsula… It should be assumed that America will prefer direct occupation only in two scenarios:
- The collapse of these regimes, and primarily the regime of the House of Salul. [3] Then America will enter in order to secure what it thinks are its direct interests.
- America will take a mighty blow, will go berserk, and will decide to punish the extremists deep in the Arabian Peninsula, by means of direct occupation. This is like the Zionists, who were not satisfied with all the treacherous deeds of the Palestinian Authority and with the repression of the Palestinian Mujahideen by Yasser Arafat and his [Palestinian] Authority in the days of the implementation of the Oslo Accords. The Jews were led by the repeated operations to bypass the collaborator [i.e. Arafat], and occupy the territories in order to punish the [Palestinian] Mujahideen by themselves…
"[With regard to the coming attack], the correct answer is found in the hands of the Mujahideen [in Saudi Arabia], even though there are powerful signs for each of these two options… A long time ago, I directed a simple but specific and clear question to some of those who are connected to Al-Qa'ida. I asked them whether another great blow was expected. From the answers, I sketched out some salient characteristics regarding the next blow:
"It will be a surprising blow, that is, one that is completely unexpected. They cannot conceive or imagine the way in which it will be carried out… It is a great blow. That is, the losses that will be caused to America and the Western world in its wake will be very great. Due to its magnitude, the blow will change the international balances of powers…"
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The Continuing Debate About Attacks in Saudi Arabia
Also appearing in this issue is part one of an article by the Voice of Jihad editorial board, dealing with "questions regarding the Jihad against the Crusaders in the Arabian Peninsula." The article states:
"Questions from some lovers of Jihad and the Mujahideen, loyal and credible people, have proliferated [recently] regarding the interest in waging Jihad in the Arabian Peninsula. The reason for these questions is that there are several opponents who raised doubts in this matter… For each issue, we will present one of the questions and the answer to it.
"The first question is, 'Don't these operations [adversely] affect the accomplishments in preaching Islam (Da'wa), in the land of the two holy places [Saudi Arabia]?'
"… Those who present this question think that in this country, despite the spreading of corruption among the government and the rulers, and despite the tyranny of the despots and their arrogance regarding the rulings of Allah, there still remain in the country a vestige of good and some benefits in the field of preaching that the tyrants cannot eliminate in ordinary times. In contrast, waging Jihad in the Arabian Peninsula neutralizes these benefits and gives the enemies of the religion an excuse to eliminate them.
"The answer to this doubt is completely clear. Allah commanded fighting so that there will be no Fitna [internal strife] and so that the religion will be all for Allah. It is forbidden for a Muslim to agree to concessions and to evade the obligation incumbent upon him [in exchange for] a pinch of religion, a pinch of Shari'a law, and a pinch of religious ritual.
"On the contrary: The obligation according to the Shari'a as it is written in the Qur'an is that the religion will be all for Allah, and it is not possible to stop the fighting if part of the religion is for Allah and another part is for someone else."
Jihad Must be Waged Even Against Countries Tolerant of Islam
"Relinquishing the Shari'a obligation for some [religious] accomplishments is a situation that can happen in other countries too, and not only in the land of the two holy places [Saudi Arabia]. It can even happen in countries in which there is no dispute about the [obligation] to fight. In Palestine, for example, the Muslims have had accomplishments even under the Zionist occupation. They can preach to Allah, conduct their religious rituals, open schools, and conduct lessons in memorizing the Qur'an – while bearing the suffering of the loss of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
"In all the countries, except for rare cases, there are accomplishments in the area of preaching and Shari'a interests. Even in America, the head of unbelief and the greatest enemy of Islam and the Muslims, the centers of preaching are still open. But just because they exist does not mean that it is permitted to halt the Jihad against America while it kills the Muslims and occupies their lands, defends Israel, and preserves it [Israel] from its enemies…
"My Muslim and Mujahid brothers, don't you see the Muslims being killed in Afghanistan and in Iraq?! Don't you see, on the television screens, the bereaved women crying out for the Muslims' help?! Don't you see the torn body parts of children, and their skulls and brains scattered…? Is it conceivable to agree to such a price for those [religious] accomplishments that you demand to preserve? Haven't you seen that the [American] military headquarters in the war were located in the Arabian Peninsula, and that its logistical support was located in this country – which the Prophet ordered cleansed of the polytheists?…"
We Must Act Now Before the U.S. Controls Mecca
The issue also includes a 'study' written by Yahyah bin Ali Al-Ghamdi, titled "The Years of Deception." In it, he writes: "[Some claim] that the blessed operations carried out by the Islamic youth against America and its helpers, such as the Bali operation and the blessed Tuesday operation in Riyadh, are not useful at all! They argue that these operations have not removed the enemy from the Arabian Peninsula and have not deterred America from continuing its aggression and oppression of the Muslims. All these operations have done is to distort the image of Islam and the Muslims and present them in the eyes of the West as people from the Stone Age, who apply makeup [made of] blood and perfume themselves with body parts!…
"Don't you know that the clerics have stated that Jihad becomes a personal duty if the enemy raids the land of the Muslims…? According to those [who disagree with this], a new formula should be put forth … that Jihad will become the personal duty when the enemy attacks the land of the Muslims – only if the enemy can be repelled and vanquished, and only if the [Muslim] nation is completely prepared, and only if the ruler – and we do not know who this ruler is – will permit it…
"Do you want us to be like the people of Baghdad who were slaughtered like goats by the Mongols but remained silent, and were paralyzed by fear, and none waved a stick before the Mongols? The truth is that we must forgive the people of Baghdad because by waving the stick they would not have gained anything because the Mongols were not about to leave their country!…
"Every day we grow weaker and weaker. Every day America attacks us in another country, so what is preferable? That we act now while our veins still pulse, or that we wait until we see an American solder arranging the worshipers' entrance into the mosque in Mecca…?"
'The [Saudi] State of Sheikh Muhammad bin Abd Al-Wahhab Arose Only by Jihad'
In his article "The Experience of Jihad and the Dead End," Abu Abdallah Al-Sa'di answers those who argue that the Jihad movement has failed: "… It is completely forbidden from a religious perspective to use the defeat of the Muslims in this or that battle as an excuse to prevent voluntary Jihad and to refrain from joining the obligatory Jihad… Is it fitting that Allah's commandment to wage Jihad will be conditioned upon the success of [previous] attempts…?
"Covert and open Islamic groups have been trying for decades to establish the Islamic state, and so far they have made no progress, not even a single step, in this area. [This], while Jihad for the sake of Allah has managed to establish blessed states and entities that defended the Muslims and succeeded in applying Islamic Shari'a law for certain periods. The state of Sheikh Muhammad bin Abd Al-Wahhab [Saudi Arabia] arose only by Jihad. The state of the Taliban in Afghanistan arose only by Jihad. The Islamic state in Chechnya arose only by Jihad. It is true that these attempts were not perfect and did not fill the full role required, but incremental progress is a known universal principle. Yesterday, we did not dream of a state; today we established states and they fall. Tomorrow, Allah willing, a state will arise and will not fall…"
A New Al-Qa'ida Film
The Voice of Jihad also reported on a new film by the Sahab company, which produces Al-Qa'ida's films. The film, Badr Al-Riyadh, depicts the attack on "the Al-Muhayya Crusader settlements" during Ramadan of 2003, in November. The report claims that the Voice of Jihad obtained a copy of the film, which includes excerpts from the "wills" of the perpetrators of the attack, interviews with them, footage of them assembling the car bomb, ideological discussions regarding the religious legitimacy of carrying out attacks in Saudi Arabia, footage of the Al-Qa'ida members in camps in Saudi Arabia and of their training exercises, and an "audio-video" recording of the attack.
An Appeal to Readers to Distribute Copies of 'Voice of Jihad' at Hajj
On the last page of the issue, the editorial board appeals to readers preparing to carry out the commandment of Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca: "… If you intend to make the pilgrimage, or know someone who is planning to do so, take with you issues of The Voice of Jihad, printed out on sheets of paper or copied onto CD, to distribute to all the Arab pilgrims and primarily to the people of the Gulf, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt…"
[1] http://www.hostinganime.com/image111/sout/mag9.htm.
For reports on other issues of The Voice of Jihad, please see:
New Al-Qa'ida Online Magazine Features Interview with a 'Most-Wanted' Saudi Islamist, Calls for Killing of Americans and Non-Muslims, October, 17 2003, "New Al-Qa'ida Online Magazine Features Interview with a 'Most-Wanted' Saudi Islamist, Calls for Killing of Americans and Non-Muslims,".
2nd Issue of 'Voice of Jihad' Al-Qa'ida Online Magazine: Strategy to Avoid Clashes with Saudi Security Forces, Convert the World's Countries to Islam, October, 31 2003, "2nd Issue of 'Voice of Jihad' Al-Qa'ida Online Magazine: Strategy to Avoid Clashes with Saudi Security Forces, Convert the World's Countries to Islam,".
Al-Qa'ida Magazine Debates Attacks in Saudi Arabia – Proposes More Attacks in the U.S. will Boost Support, December, 23 2003, "Al-Qa'ida Magazine Debates Attacks in Saudi Arabia – Proposes More Attacks in the U.S. will Boost Support,".
[2] For more on Louis Attiya Allah , please see:
Al-Qa'ida Magazine Debates Attacks in Saudi Arabia – Proposes More Attacks in the U.S. will Boost Support, December 23, 2003, "Al-Qa'ida Magazine Debates Attacks in Saudi Arabia – Proposes More Attacks in the U.S. will Boost Support,".
[3] A highly derogatory term used by Islamists for the Saudi royal family, the house of Saud. The term is derived from Abdallah bin Ubay ibn Salul, considered in Islam to be the leader of the hypocrites.
