On 10 March a declaration appeared on an Islamic Arab internet forum—Sawt al-Haq[1], affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood—announcing the establishment of the Hamas movement in Kuwait. According to the declaration, the Kuwaiti branch of Hamas was formed specifically in order to fight the American forces in the region. Following is the translation of the declaration:

In the name of Allah the merciful

Declaration of the establishment of the Islamic Movement to resist the Crusader occupation – The Kuwaiti Hamas Movement

Praise to Allah who ordered the Jihad against the invaders, saying: “Fight for Allah those who fight you and don’t attack; Allah does not like the attackers.” Pray for the last of the messengers who was ordered to fight the Jihad against the infidels, the oppressors, and the attackers.

We obey what Allah has ordered us to fight the invaders by every legitimate means, in many verses of the precious book. He said: “Those who were oppressed are permitted to fight, and Allah can make them victorious.”

We received the Fatwah (ruling) of the Noble al-Azhar, the call of knowledge and of Islamic clerics, and also the Fatwah of Sheikh Qaradawi, which ordered the obligation of Jihad to defeat the invaders in case of attack against our Islamic countries. Those invaders are preparing to attack Iraq, not the Ba`thist regime, but the Iraqi entity and people, which are important element in our Islamic history, identity, and homeland, in order to stay there. The Fatwahs were accepted by other Islamic clerics all over the world, in addition to declarations of clerics and Islamic movements all over the Muslim world.

We studied the enormous threat of the American and British existence in Kuwait and the Gulf, for the region and the world. This threat is denied by most of the world, including some of the super powers, since it endangers the world security. Yet, the United States and the United Kingdom continue their plans, ignoring the enormous disaster they might bring into this region. This threat has sever consequences, first of all for our religion, but then to the future of Kuwait and the Gulf, the region, and to the heritage, the identity, and the honor, of this nation.

We have seen the feebleness of the Arab countries, despite their denial of the American and British threats on Iraq and the Arab world in the Arab conference in Sharm al-Sheikh, and in the Islamic conference in Doha. They denied the cooperation with the aggressors and taking part in this war.

Following the above said, we decided to establish a Kuwaiti movement to resist the Crusader occupation, which is just an introduction for a new imperialistic project. It would start by declaring war against Iraq, its destruction, and killing of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Then, they will spread their occupation over the Arab countries, as part of Zionist plans, supported by religious right-wing extremist views that even Jesus Christ could not approve. These views are denied by any true religion that believes in the Lord, and decrees justice, truth, and respect for human rights. Those extremists control key positions in the White House, and are allies of the Zionist aggressors in Palestine against our sacred places and the honor of our nation.

In the name of Allah and his might, we have faith in the just of our cause and the legitimacy of our right. Therefore, we publish this fundamental declaration, in which we call the Muslims in Kuwait and elsewhere to resist the new imperialism by Jihad, for the sake and honor of our nation.

Allah said: “If Allah helps you, no one could defeat you, and if he weakens you who might help you. The believers should rely upon him.”

The Islamic Movement for the resistance against the Crusader occupation – Kuwaiti Hamas Movement.
`Ashuraa 10th 1424

Commentary

This declaration could well be a fabrication, or may be an initiative on the part of one or more individuals for purposes of propaganda or psychological warfare. At the same time, it contains several important elements that should be noted:

* The language, terms used, and the forum on which the declaration appeared, clearly point to the Muslim Brotherhood as the source of the announcement, rather than any of the radical groups affiliated with Qa`idat al-Jihad.

* The author, or authors, of the declaration were motivated by the recent Fatwahs issued by Al-Azhar and the Qatar-based Egyptian Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradawi, who is the main Islamic authority for the Palestinian Hamas. It was not necessarily inspired by the writings and declarations of Osama bin Ladin, Qa`idat al-Jihad, nor those of other Islamic clerics in Saudi Arabia or the Gulf States, who are affiliated with al-Qa`ida.

* Sheikh Ahmad Yasin, the leader of the Palestinian Hamas has publicly stated in recent weeks that in the event of an American attack on Iraq, Hamas might operate against American interests. This has been echoed by some of Yasin’s senior aides, such as `Abd al-`Aziz al-Rantisi. Another senior Hamas official, Dr. Mahmoud al-Zahhar, recently declared that “If Iraq is attacked…all American targets will be open targets for every Muslim, Arab or Palestinian.”

It should also be noted that American troops have already been targeted in Kuwait by the Islamist “Kuwaiti Movement for change,” which is affiliated with Sulayman Abu Ghayth, the official spokesman of Qa`idat al-Jihad. Al-Qa`idah took responsibility for the killing of three American troops in the island of Faylaka in Kuwait in October 2002, in an official statement of the Politburo of Qa`idat al-Jihad. The “Kuwaiti Movement for Change” also took responsibility in a different statement.

The rising rage against the United States, a phenomenon seen all over the Arab world, has recently been bolstered by decrees issued by Islamic elements that might have been considered “moderate.” Some of these decrees have come from the Islamic establishments, from Al-Azhar in Cairo, or from scholars affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. Therefore, the above declaration, even though it might be a fabrication, should be taken seriously. It reflects the prevailing atmosphere in many circles of the Arab world, which are not linked to, or motivated by, the more radical elements. This atmosphere has been aided by recent information on the recruitment of Islamist volunteers to fight the American military forces in Iraq by suicide operations.

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Notes:

1. https://www.abo-feras.com/vb/showthread.php?threadid=366  The web site – www.abo-feras.com  – used for the Internet forum of Sawt al-Haq, is registered to a server in Atlanta/GA.
2. The position of Sheikh Qaradawi was presented by him in his Friday speech in Qatar on March 7th 2003. This was his first speech after several weeks of silence, imposed on him by the Qatari authorities. His long speech was immediately circulated on many Islamist forums and was cited as a Fatwah. See his Friday speech on-line at: https://www.qaradawi.net/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=3048&version=1&template_id=104&parent_id=15 
3. See on-line at: https://www.conrado.net/_vit_inf/?subject=1&rec=865 
4. See on-line at: https://www.7azm.net/vb/showthread.threadid?php=20851