http://www.imra.org
Background: Hamas Charter - unchanged before elections?
Dr. Aaron Lerner 22 March 2005
It should be noted that while considerable attention was focused on
the need
to change the PLO's Charter that the extremely radical Hamas Charter has
been ignored and it would appear that no party to date is insisting
that it
be changed before Hamas "politicians" can participate in PA elections.
Below are selections from Prof. Raphael Israeli's [Professor of Islamic
History, Hebrew University] translation of the Hamas Charter published in
"The 1988-1989 Annual on Terrorism", published in 1990 by Kinwer Academic
Publishers.
IMRA interviewed Prof. Israeli on March 26, 1996.
IMRA: What is the status of the Hamas Charter?
Israeli: The 36 article Charter of Hamas was apparently drafted by some
heads of Hamas and then announced to the public in 1988. While the PLO
Charter is a political document which can be amended, the Hamas
Charter is
presented as a religious document, based on the Koran and with many
references to sacred texts, which cannot be changed once it has been
published.
IMRA: Who does the Hamas Charter apply to? The "political wing", the
"military wing" or all the wings?
Israeli: There are no "wings" to Hamas. They are all the same
organization.
The talk of wings is just a game. The so-called military wing cannot
exist
without the financial backing of the so- called social-welfare wing.
THE HAMAS CHARTER
("Hamas" = "Harakat Muqawama Islamiyya", Islamic Resistance Movement)
Preamble:..."Israel will rise and will remain erect until Islam
eliminates
it as it had eliminated its predecessors." The Imam and Martyr Hasan
al-Banna
Introduction: "...This is the Charter of the Islamic Resistance (Hamas)
which will reveal its face, unveil its identity, state its position,
clarify
its purpose, discuss its hopes, call for support to its cause and
reinforcement, and for joining its ranks. For our struggle against the
Jews
is extremely wide ranging and grave, so much so that it will need all the
loyal efforts we can wield, to be followed by further steps and
reinforced
by successive battalions from the multifarious Arab and Islamic world,
until
the enemies are defeated and Allah's victory prevails. Thus we shall
perceive them approaching in the horizon, and this will be known before
long: "Allah has decreed: Lo! I very shall conquer, I and my
messengers, lo!
Allah is strong, almighty." Sura 58 (Al-Mujadilah), verse 21.
Part I KNOWING THE MOVEMENT
Article One - THE IDEOLOGICAL ASPECT
The Islamic resistance movement draws its guidelines from Islam...
Article Two - THE LINK BETWEEN HAMAS AND THE ASSOCIATION OF MUSLIM
BROTHERS
The Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the wings of the Muslim
Brothers
in Palestine...
STRUCTURE AND ESSENCE
Article Three
The basic structure of the Islamic Resistance Movement consists of
Muslims
who are devoted to Allah and worship Him verily...
Article Four -
The Movement welcomes all Muslims who share its beliefs and thinking,
commit
themselves to its course of action, keep its secrets and aspire to
join its
ranks in order to carry out their duty. Allah will reward them.
Article Five - DIMENSIONS OF TIME AND SPACE OF THE HAMAS
As the Movement adopts Islam as its way of life, its time dimension
extends
back as far as the birth of the Islamic Message and of the Righteous
Ancestor. Its ultimate goal is Islam, the Prophet its model, the Quran
its
Constitution. Its spacial dimension extends wherever on earth there are
Muslims, who adopt Islam as their way of life...
Article Six - PECULIARITY AND INDEPENDENCE
The Islamic Resistance Movement is a distinct Palestinian Movement which
owes its loyalty to Allah...
Article Seven - THE UNIVERSALITY OF HAMAS
By virtue of the distribution of Muslims, who pursue the cause of the
Hamas,
all over the globe, and strive for its victory, for the enforcement of
its
positions and for the encouragement of its Jihad, the Movement is a
universal one...Whoever denigrates its worth, or avoids supporting it,
or is
so blind as to dismiss its role, is challenging Fate itself. Whoever
closes
his eyes from seeing the facts, whether intentionally or not, will
wake up
to find himself overtaken by events, and will find no excuses to
justify his
position...
Hamas is one of the links in the Chain of Jihad in the confrontation with
the Zionist invasion. It links up with the setting out of the Martyr Izz
a-din al-Qassam and his brothers in the Muslim Brotherhood who fought the
Holy War in 1936; it further relates to another link of the Palestinian
Jihad and the Jihad and efforts of the Muslim Brothers during the 1948
War,
and to the Jihad operations of the Muslim Brothers in 1968 and
thereafter...
...Hamas has been looking forward to implement Allah's promise
whatever time
it might take. The prophet, prayer and peace be upon him, said:
"The time will not come until Muslims will fight the Jews (and kill them;
until the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, which cry: O Muslim! there
is a
Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him! Cited by Bukhari and Muslim"
Article Eight - THE SLOGAN OF THE HAMAS
Allah is its goal, the Prophet its model, the Quran its Constitution,
Jihad
its path and death for the case of Allah it most sublime belief.
Part II OBJECTIVES
MOTIVES AND OBJECTIVES
Article Nine
...The state of truth has disappeared and was replaced by the state of
evil.
Nothing has remained in its right place, for when Islam is removed
from the
scene, everything changes. These are the motives.
As to the objectives: discarding the evil, crushing it and defeating
it, so
that truth may prevail homelands revert (to their owners), calls for
prayer
be heard from their mosques, announcing the restitution of the Muslim
state.
Thus, people and things will revert to their true place. Allah is the one
whose hold we see.
Article Ten
The Islamic Resistance Movement, while breaking its own path, will do its
utmost to constitute at the same time a support to the weak, a defense to
all the oppressed. It will spare no effort to implement the truth and
abolish evil, in speech and in fact, both here and in any other location
where it can reach out and exert influence.
Part III STRATEGIES AND METHODS
THE STRATEGY OF HAMAS: PALESTINE IS AN ISLAMIC WAQF
Article Eleven
The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine
has been
an Islamic Waqf throughout the generations and until the Day of
Resurrection, no one can renounce it or part of it, or abandon it or
part of
it. No Arab country nor the aggregate of all Arab countries, and no Arab
King or President nor all of them in the aggregate, have the right,
nor has
that right any organization or the aggregate of all organizations , be
they
Palestinian or Arab, because Palestine is an Islamic Waqf throughout all
generations and to the Day of Resurrection.
Who can presume to speak for all Islamic generations to the Day of
Resurrection? This is the status (of the land) in Islamic Shari'a, and
it is
similar to all lands conquered by Islam by force, and made thereby Waqf
lands upon their conquest, for all generations of Muslims until the
Day of
Resurrection. This (norm) has prevailed since the commander of the Muslim
armies completed the conquest of Syria and Iraq , and they asked the
Caliph
of Muslims, Umar Ibn al-Khattab, for his view of the conquered land,
whether
it should be partitioned between the troops or left in the possession
of its
population, or otherwise.
Following the discussions and consultations between the Caliph of Islam,
Umar Ibn al-Khattab, and the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, be
peace
and prayer upon him, they decided that the land should remain in the
hands
of its owners to benefit from it and from its wealth; but the control
of the
land and the land itself ought to be endowed as a Waqf (in perpetuity)
for
all generations of Muslims until the Day of Resurrection. The
ownership of
the land by its owners is only one of usufruct, and the Waqf will
endure as
long as Heaven and earth last. Any demarche in violation of this law of
Islam, with regard to Palestine, is baseless and reflects on its
perpetrators.
Article Twelve HAMAS IN PALESTINE: ITS VIEWS ON HOMELAND AND NATIONALISM
Hamas regards Nationalism (Wataniyya) as part and parcel of the religious
faith. Nothing is loftier or deeper in Nationalism than waging Jihad
against
the enemy and confronting him when he set foot on the land of the
Muslims.
And this becomes an individual duty binding on every Muslim man and
woman; a
woman must go out and fight the enemy even without her husband's
authorization, and a slave without his master's permission....
Article Thirteen PEACEFUL SOLUTIONS (PEACE) INITIATIVES AND INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCES
(Peace) Initiatives, the so-called peaceful solutions, and the
international
conferences to resolve the Palestinian problem, are all contrary to the
beliefs of the Islamic Resistance Movement. For renouncing any part of
Palestine means renouncing part of the religion; the nationalism of the
Islamic Resistance Movement is part of this faith, the movement
educates it
members to adhere to its principles and to raise the banner of Allah over
their homeland as they fight their Jihad: "Allah is the all-powerful, but
most people are not aware."
>From time to time a clamouring is voiced, to hold an International
Conference in search for a solution to the problem. Some accept the idea,
others reject it, for one reason or another, demanding the
implementation of
this or that conditions, as a prerequisite for agreeing to convene the
Conference or for participating in it. But the Islamic Resistance
Movement,
which is aware of the (prospective) parties to this conference, and of
their
past and present positions towards the problems of the Muslims, does not
believe that those conference are capable of responding to demands, or of
restoring rights or doing justice to the oppressed. Those conferences
are no
more than a means to appoint the nonbelievers as arbitrators in the
lands of
Islam. Since when did Unbelievers do justice to Believers?
"And the Jews will not be pleased with thee, nor with Christians, till
thou
follow their creed. 'Say: Lo! the guidance of Allah (himself) is the
Guidance. And if you should follow their desires after the knowledge
which
has come unto thee, then you would have from Allah no protecting
friend nor
helper." Sura 2 (the Cow) verse 120.
There is no solution to the Palestinian problem except by Jihad. The
initiative, proposals and International Conferences are but a waste of
time,
an exercise in futility. The Palestinian people are too noble to have
their
future, their right and their destiny submitted to a vain game...
Article Fourteen - THE THREE CIRCLES
The problem of the liberation of Palestine relates to three circles: the
Palestinian, the Arab and the Islamic.
...the liberation of that land is an individual duty binding on all
Muslims
everywhere...
Article Fifteen THE JIHAD FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE IS AN
INDIVIDUAL
DUTY
When our enemies usurp some Islamic lands, Jihad becomes a duty
binding on
all Muslims. In order to face the usurpation of Palestine by Jews, we
have
no escape from raising the banner of Jihad...We must spread the spirit of
Jihad among the (Islamic) Umma, clash with the enemies and join the
ranks of
the Jihad fighters.
The ulama as well as educations and teachers, publicity and media men as
well as the masses of the educated, and especially the youth and the
elders
of the Islamic Movements, must participate in this raising of
consciousness...We must imprint on the minds of generations of Muslims
that
the Palestinian problem is a religious one, to be dealt with on this
premise...
Article Sixteen EDUCATING THE (YOUNG) GENERATION
...it is also necessary to study conscientiously the enemy and its
material
and human potential; to detect its weak and strong spots..
THE ROLE OF MUSLIM WOMEN
Article Seventeen
The Muslim women have a no lesser role than that of men in the war of
liberation...
Article Eighteen
The women in the house and the family of Jihad fighters, whether they are
mothers or sisters, carry out the most important duty of caring for
the home
and raising the children upon the moral concepts and values which derive
from Islam; and of educating their sons to observe the religious
injunctions
in preparation for the duty of Jihad awaiting them...
Article Nineteen THE ROLE OF ISLAMIC ART IN THE WAR OF LIBERATION
...It is Islamic art which renews the activity, revives the movement and
arouses lofty concepts and sound planning...
SOCIAL SOLIDARITY
Article Twenty
...The Nazism of the Jews does not skip women and children, it scars
everyone...As we face this misconduct, we have no escape from
establishing
social solidarity among the people, from confronting the enemy as one
solid
body, so that if one organ is hurt the rest of the body will respond with
alertness and fervor...
Article Twenty One
...It is incumbent upon the members of the Hamas to look after the
interests
of the masses the way they look after their own interests...
Article Twenty Two THE POWERS WHICH SUPPORT THE ENEMY
The enemies...stood behind World War II, where they collected immense
benefits from trading with war materials, and prepared for the
establishment
of their state...The forces of Imperialism in both the Capitalist West
and
the Communist East support the enemy with all their might, in material
and
human terms, taking turns between themselves...
Part IV OUR POSITION VIS-A-VIS THE ISLAMIC MOVEMENTS
Article Twenty Three
The Hamas views the other Islamic movements with respect and
appreciation.
Even when it differs from them in one aspect or another or on one
concept or
another, it agrees with them in other aspects and concepts...
Article Twenty Four
Hamas will not permit the slandering and defamation of individuals and
groups, for the Believers are not slanderers and cursers...Whenever the
Hamas detects faulty positions and modes of conduct, it has the right to
point to the mistake, to denigrate it, to act for spelling out the
truth...
THE NATIONAL (WATANIYYA) MOVEMENTS IN THE PALESTINIAN ARENA
Article Twenty Five
...All the nationalist streams operating in the Palestinian arena for the
sake of the liberation of Palestine may rest assured that they will
definitely and resolutely get support and assistance, in speech and in
action...
Article Twenty Six
The Hamas, while it views positively the Palestinian National Movements
which do not owe their loyalty to the East or to the West, does not
refrain
from debating unfolding events regarding the Palestinian problem, on the
local and international scenes...
Article Twenty Seven THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION
The PLO is among the closest to the Hamas, for it constitutes a father, a
brother, a relative a friend...the PLO has adopted the idea of a Secular
State...Therefore, in spite of our appreciation for the PLO and its
possible
transformation in the future, and despite the fact that we do not
denigrate
its role in the Arab- Israeli conflict, we cannot substitute it for the
Islamic nature of Palestine by adopting secular thought. For the Islamic
nature of Palestine is part of our religion, and anyone who neglects his
religion is bound to lose.
"And who forsakes the religion of Abraham, save him who befools himself"
SuraII (Al-Baqra - the Co), verse 130
When the PLO adopts Islam as the guideline for life, then we shall become
its soldiers, the fuel of its fire which will burn the enemies. And until
that happens, and we pray to Allah that it will happen soon, the
position of
the Hamas towards the PLO is one of a son towards his father...
Article Twenty Eight THE ARAB AND ISLAMIC STATES AND GOVERNMENTS
...The Arab states surrounding Israel are required to open their
borders to
the Jihad fighters, the sons of the Arab and Islamic peoples, to
enable them
to play their role and to join their efforts to those of their brothers
among the Muslim Brothers in Palestine...
NATIONAL AND RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATIONS, INSTITUTIONS, THE INTELLIGENTSIA,
AND
THE ARAB AND ISLAMIC WORLDS
Article Twenty Nine
Hamas hopes that those Associations will...mobilize the Islamic peoples
ideologically, educationally and culturally in order to fulfill their
role
in the crucial war of liberation...
Article Thirty
...Jihad means not only carrying arms and denigrating the enemies.
Uttering
positive words, writing good articles and useful books, and lending
support
and assistance, all that too is Jihad in the path of Allah, as long as
intentions are sincere to make Allah's banner supreme.
"Those who prepare for a raid in the path of Allah are considered as
if they
participated themselves in the raid. Those who successfully rear a
raider in
their home, are considered as if they participated in the raid" (Told by
Buykhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi)
Article Thirty One THE MEMBERS OF OTHER RELIGIONS, THE HAMAS IS A HUMANE
MOVEMENT
...Under the shadow of Islam it is possible for the members of the three
religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism to coexist in safety and
security. Safety and security can only prevail under the shadow of
Islam...
...The Nazi Zionist practices against our people will not last the
lifetime
of their invasion, for "States built upon oppression last only one hour,
states based upon justice will last until the hour of Resurrection."...
THE ATTEMPTS TO ISOLATE THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE
Article Thirty Two
World Zionism and Imperialist forces have been attempting, with smart
moves,
and considered planning, to push the Arab countries, one after
another, out
of the circle of conflict with Zionism in order, ultimately, to
isolate the
Palestinian People...
Hamas is calling upon the Arab and Islamic peoples to act seriously and
tirelessly in order to frustrate that dreadful scheme and to make the
masses
aware of the danger of coping out of the circle of struggle with Zionism.
Today it is Palestine and tomorrow it may be another country or
countries.
For Zionist scheming has no end, and after Palestine they will covet
expansion from the Nile to the Euphrates. Only when they have completed
digesting the area on which they will have laid their hand, they will
look
forward to more expansion, etc. Their scheme has been laid out in the
Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and their present (conduct) is the best
proof of what is said there.
Leaving the circle of conflict with Israel is a major act of treason
and it
will bring curse on its perpetrators.
"Who so on that day turns his back to them, unless manoeuvering for
battle
or intent to join a company he truly has incurred wrath from Allah,
and his
habitation will be hell, a hapless journey's end." Sura 8 (Al-Anfal -
spoils
of war), verse 16.
We have no escape from pooling together all the forces and energies to
face
this despicable Nazi-Tatar invasion. Otherwise we shall witness the
loss of
(our) countries, the uprooting of their inhabitants, the spreading of
corruption on earth and destruction of all religious values. Let everyone
realize that he is accountable to Allah...
Within the circle of the conflict with world Zionism, the Hamas regards
itself the spearhead and the avant-garde. It joins its efforts to all
those
who are active on the Palestinian scene, but more steps need to be
taken by
the Arab and Islamic people and Islamic associations throughout the
Arab and
Islamic world in order to make possible the next round with the Jews, the
merchants of war...
Article Thirty Three
...calling upon the Arab and Islamic peoples as well as their
governments,
popular and official associations, to fear Allah in their attitude
towards
and dealing with Hamas...
Part Five THE TESTIMONY OF HISTORY
CONFRONTING AGGRESSORS THROUGHOUT HISTORY
Article Thirty Four
Palestine is the navel of earth, the convergence of continents, the
object
of greed for the greedy since the dawn of history...
....Only iron can blunt iron, only the true faith of Islam can vanquish
their false and falsified faith. Faith can only be fought by faith...
Article Thirty Five
...the current Zionist invasion had been preceded by a Crusader invasion
from the West; and another one, the Tatars, from the East. And exactly as
the Muslims had faced those invasions and planned their removal and
defeat,
they are able to face the Zionist invasion and defeat it...
EPILOGUE
THE HAMAS ARE SOLDIERS
Article Thirty Six
The Hamas....does not seek fame for itself nor material gains, or social
status. Nor is it directed against any one member of our people in
order to
compete with him or replace him....It will never set out against any
Muslims
or against the non-Muslims who make peace with it, here or anywhere
else. It
will only be of help to all associations and organizations which act
against
the Zionist enemy and those who revolve in its orbit...
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Give underprivileged students the materials they need to learn.
Bring education to life by funding a specific classroom project.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/FHLuJD/_WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
--------------------------
Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL
PROTECTED]
--------------------------
Brooks Isoldi, editor
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.intellnet.org
Post message: [email protected]
Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
*** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has
not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of
The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT
YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of
intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods,
techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other
intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes
only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material
as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use
this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,'
you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
