Text Transcript of Video Clip Interview With "Azzam
The American”
Interviewer:
"You are an American who has joined a movement for
waging war on America and killing large numbers of Americans.
Don't you in any way feel you are betraying your people and
country?"
Mujahid 'Azzam, the American:
"First of all, the allegiance and loyalty of a Muslim
is to Allah, his Messenger, his religion and his fellow believers
before anyone and anything else. So, if there is a conflict
between his religion and his nation and family, then he must
choose the religion every time. In fact, to side with the
unbelievers against Islam and Muslims is one of the acts
that nullifies one's Islamic faith and there's a verse in
the Qur'an (recites a verse from the Qur'an in Arabic) you
will not find any people who believe in Allah in the last
day loving, loving those who resist Allah and his Messenger.
"Even if they were their fathers or their sons, or
their brothers, or their kindred or their clan. As such he
has written faith in their hearts and strengthens them with
spirit from himself. So, some of the early Muslims fought
and killed their closest relatives during battle, prompting
the revelation of this verse. And, even our Prophet Mohammed,
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, er, fought, uh,
and after a lot of defeat the Quraish tribe, to which he
belonged. when it fought to impede Islam's propagation, sought
to impede the message of Islam, rejected the message of Islam,
and sought to impede its propagation. And some of the staunchest
enemies of Islam were from among his closest cousins like
Abu Jahl. Thus, Allah's religion takes precedence over all
else: Wealth, status, family and nationality."
Interviewer:
"OK, how do you respond to the Muslim clerics and
governments around the world who say that you are a small
fringe group of extremists, unrepres"
Mujahid 'Azzam, the American:
"Well, they would say that, wouldn't they? These Crusader
pawns are the ones who don't represent Islam and Muslims,
despite their claims to the contrary. And they know very
well that the Mujahidin stature has increased substantially
among the Muslims after September 11, and the events that
followed, which poses a direct threat to their continuing
hold on power. This argument of theirs is especially well
liked by their masters in the White House and 10 Downing
Street, who apply it not just to us, but to all Muslims who
reject Crusader domination. Uh, but the truth in evidence
is on our side. Open the Qur'an, open the books of Sirah,
the prophetic biography, and Ahadith, the prophetic teachings.
Open the books of Fiqh, jurisprudence, both modern and ancient
and you will find our position well supported. Jihad isn't
something that al-Qa’ida made up. Ruling by Islam law
wasn't started by the Taliban. Hamas didn't invent the concept
of martyrdom. Uh, where we differ from these defeatists and
hypocrites is that we don't believe that these divine orders
and principles are open to negotiation and compromise.
"I'd like to tell these people, this is our religion.
If you don't like it, that's your problem. But don't tell
me that you're the true Muslim and I'm the extremist. You
know, the same clerics and people who call us violent extremists
and outcasts and endlessly repeat that Islam is a peaceful
faith, permit or even encourage their followers to join the
American and European militaries and intelligence agencies
and the armies of the idle kings in the Muslim world and
take part in the killing of thousands of Muslims in Iraq,
Afghanistan and elsewhere. So in effect, they're saying that
for the Muslim to kill unbelievers in defense of Islam and
Muslims is unacceptable, and if he does so, he's an extremist.
While for the same Muslim to kill fellow Muslims in the name
of America and so-called freedom and the supposedly civilized
world is just fine and dandy and he will be practicing moderation.
"Look at this logic. These are evil, uneducated, ignorant,
backwards people who should not be speaking on behalf of
Muslims, much less talking about what is true Islam and what
is not and accusing others. We are defending those who have
no defender. We are holding fast to genuine Islam at a time
when it's under siege from all sides. And we're standing
up to confront an enemy that has intimidated governments
and international organizations with fear. It's only natural
that the governments and individuals who stand the most to
lose from the defeat of the crusaders and Zionists will seek
to hide our true nature and goals from the Muslim majority
that is desperately looking for a way out of the nightmare
that these traitors have imposed upon them for decades.
"We have strong support from within all sectors of
Muslim society and from within all Islamic groups. This is
what terrifies the enemies of truth and causes them to resort
to this sort of accusation. It's wishful thinking on their
part. It's like they're telling themselves, 'Maybe if we
repeat the lie often enough, it will come true.'"
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