Speech by Al-Sayyid Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi on the Occasion of the International Al-Quds Day
Thursday, 25 Ramadan 1445 A.H. (4 April 2024 A.D.)
I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, the outcast.
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that Muhammad, our master, is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.
O Allah, confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad's good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.
O Allah, guide us and grant us acceptance, for You are All-Hearing, All-Knowing; accept our repentance, for You are the Relenting and the Merciful.
Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The occasion of this year's International Day of Al-Quds comes in exceptional circumstances, different from the circumstances in which the occasion was observed in some previous years. The Israeli Enemy, over the past six months, has been committing acts of genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and escalating murders, kidnappings, and home raids in the West Bank, and it continues its aggressive assaults against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds. The Israeli enemy seeks to turn the Gaza Strip into an uninhabitable region through comprehensive destruction and extermination of the land and man and the use of starvation and epidemics as means of extermination.
The approximate total for the barbaric, savage, and criminal aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip has reached more than forty-one thousand martyrs and missing persons, with most of the missing persons being martyrs still under the rubble. Some statistics have estimated the number of those under the rubble to be around eight thousand five hundred Palestinian martyrs. The massacres committed by the Israeli enemy during the past six months amount to about three thousand, with more than fifty massacres being committed in this week alone.
This is in addition to the killings, through which it targets the Palestinian people on roads, in streets, and in various locations, and some of these crimes have been captured in video footage that has circulated widely. These are cold-blooded execution crimes that occur on roads, at checkpoints, and in different places.
There are also executions of captives and some civilians and displaced persons, whom the enemy executes and then removes them with bulldozers. The Israeli enemy has announced execution zones in the Gaza Strip, which are the same neighborhoods of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, their neighborhoods, roads, streets, and homes. It turned them into execution zones, announcing that in an unprecedented audacity and criminality, as this has no legal or legitimate basis whatsoever. This is blatant and flagrant criminality and audacity! This is not to mention its killing of the displaced through airstrikes targeting their gatherings, as it did in the Shejaiya club east of Gaza City.
Furthermore, the Israeli enemy continues to target the gatherings of civilians around food aid trucks, which enter in limited and rare quantities. When they gather around these trucks, it starts targeting and killing them. This has become a recurring pattern of behaviour! This is in addition to its major crime of executing hundreds of Palestinians during its invasion and destruction of Al-Shifa Hospital and its surroundings. What the Israeli enemy did in Al-Shifa Hospital is one of the most heinous, horrific acts of genocide and atrocities. It killed hundreds: It killed a large number of them after handcuffing and restraining them, including patients, medical staff, and displaced individuals there. It crushed some by tank treads, demonstrating its savagery in killing and executing civilians. It also destroyed all the necessary humanitarian medical supplies in Al-Shifa Hospital in a savage way.
The number of the wounded reached over 75,600, and the majority of the martyrs and wounded were predominantly children and women, with some estimates indicating that 73% of the martyrs were children and women. The same goes for the wounded, too.
Consequently, the percentage of the martyrs and wounded from the community of the Gaza Strip, from the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, is approximately five percent. This is a very great tragedy, a major disaster, and a stain on humanity.
Also in the West Bank, the Israeli enemy continues its crimes. The number of martyrs reached 457, and the number of wounded persons reached 4,750. The number of abductees is estimated to be around 8,000. The Israeli enemy is escalating its operations of abduction and home invasions, as well as committing all forms of aggression against civilians. This is also happening in other areas in occupied Palestine and Al-Quds.
The blockade and starvation continue, and the enemy even uses the rare and scarce provision of aid as a means to kill the Palestinians. As we previously mentioned, they kill them while gathering around the little aid that enters rarely. Also, what America and some of its assistants drop, in the name of aid to the Palestinian people, kills some of them and causes others to drown in the sea, resulting in many problems. Many persons have fallen martyrs due to this method of dropping aid on their heads.
Also, the crime of targeting relief workers has emerged, and the Israeli enemy has been targeting them since the beginning of its brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip. Particularly in regards to local workers, it intensified its attacks on them. Then it added to that the targeting of foreign workers, foreign relief workers, belonging to some organizations. Their governments' position was lenient towards the Israeli enemy, lacking any strong positions regarding the recent crime that occurred, which targeted foreign workers.
In addition to what the Israeli enemy is doing, the Americans—as we have repeatedly emphasized—is involved as a partner in the crimes of genocide and targeting of the Palestinian people. The Americans' involvement takes various forms. One of these forms is seen in their participation since the beginning of the brutal Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip with weapons, bombs, and missiles, providing a very large number of them. They have supplied thousands of comprehensively destructive bombs that cause extensive killing and massive destruction. There is also the participation of their military experts who administrate military operations and provide consultations in the field of military operations targeting the Palestinian people. In addition, its involvement includes the use of drones that also provide intelligence. It has become evident that they even provide information in their intelligence activities that leads to the killing and execution of civilians.
The Americans persist in continuing what they provide, and it is evident that they are complicit with the Israeli enemy in their criminal tendency and their goal of seeking to annihilate the Palestinian people. In this regard, an American congressman stated, speaking about the Gaza Strip, 'It should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Get it over quick.' This is America's policy, and it reflects its orientation and position. It indeed follows this criminal path, which is not strange to America and has been seen before.
This week, shipments of new American weapons and military equipment to support the Israeli enemy were announced. They are worth billions of dollars and include fighter jets and thousands of deadly bombs, more than 1,800 bombs, each weighing two thousand pounds, approximately a ton. It is militarily known that each one of those bombs can destroy a group of buildings, which demonstrates to everyone the extent of the American savage involvement in the comprehensive, systematic destruction of the Gaza Strip, wiping out entire residential areas, and killing civilians with the latest weapons in America's arsenal.
There are also reports of upcoming massive deals, with America nearing their delivery to the Israeli enemy, including dozens of warplanes to support the continuation of the atrocities. Therefore, the aggression against Gaza is a joint Israeli-American aggression in every sense of the word.
In a report published by an American newspaper, it was stated, 'Israel has received more U.S. military aid—and more U.S. aid of any type—than any other country since World War II.' Media reports have discussed over a hundred deals, including precision-guided munitions, bombs, deadly missiles with significant destructive power, and other forms of aid, which are lethal, deadly, and destructive.
This is despite the fact that the announced deals represent only a small part of what America provides to the criminal Israeli enemy. The Americans have resorted to activating the emergency act multiple times since the start of the aggression on the Gaza Strip, and according to the newspaper, 'The United States has maintained a stockpile of weapons in Israel,'—referring here to occupied Palestine—'known as the War Reserve Stocks for Allies-Israel, since the 1990s.'
On top that, the American enemy continues to openly and generously supply various types of weapons, including the most lethal, to support the current genocide happening in the Gaza Strip. This position exposes the blatant hypocrisy of America, which is attempting to deceive and cover up the extent of direct American involvement in committing genocide against the women, children, and residents of Gaza. There was a statement by an American senator last Friday, in which he said that they cannot beg Netanyahu to stop bombing civilians one day and the next send him thousands bombs.
With the scale of criminality and destruction and with American participation and open support, there is also continuous failure and defeat for the Israeli enemy. The factions of mujahidin in Gaza, including the Al-Qassam Brigades and others, persist in confronting the enemy on all fighting axis, inflicting losses by killing and injuring soldiers, destroying their military vehicles, launching sniper and artillery attacks, and setting explosive ambushes. The Al-Quds Brigades have also launched missile barrages into what is known as the buffer zone of the Gaza Strip, surprising the Israeli enemy and deepening the feelings of disappointment within its army.
This steadfastness, firmness, continuation of the fight, and confrontation of the enemy by the mujahidin in the Gaza Strip takes place amidst extremely challenging circumstances and under a tight blockade, preceded by years of blockade. The same applies to the cohesion of the people in the Gaza Strip, their rejection of displacement, and their resistance of all enemy efforts to blackmail them with aid to empower its proxies to manage the situation and spread chaos. All of that also demonstrates great steadfastness and firmness and at the same time, indicates failure and defeat for the enemy.
The steadfastness prevailing in the Gaza Strip, within a limited geographical area, has witnessed the enemy pouring tens of thousands of tons of explosives, committing genocide, and utilizing the means of killing, starvation, and epidemics. This is unprecedented in the history of the Palestinian people. Therefore, there is great concern from the Israeli enemy: How is this steadfastness possible? How is this firmness possible? Despite being contained in a limited area, subjected to thousands of tons of bombs and explosives, and facing daily acts of widespread genocide, there is this steadfastness, firmness, and cohesion! This heralds a new stage, where the Israeli enemy is heading towards demise, by the will of Allah.
As for the supporting fronts that support the Palestinian people and mujahidin, they continue their operations , with the intention to seek escalation in operations. Hezbollah in Lebanon continues its effective, impactful operations on its direct front, where it confronts the Israeli enemy. Similarly, in Iraq, escalation of operations has resumed to target the Israeli enemy in occupied Palestine.
Our front in Yemen continues its military operations in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and extending to the Indian Ocean. There have been bombardments targeting Israeli enemy targets up to Umm Al-Rashrash in southern occupied Palestine. In just one month, operations amounted to 34, executed with a total of 125 missiles, including ballistic and cruise missiles, and drones. The total number of targeted ships reached 90. This comes amidst American and British admission of their complete inability to stop the attacks, even expressing admiration for the advanced missile capabilities and successful tactics in the military operations of our Armed Forces, and their frustration because of that. These statements and the commentary of their media outlets regarding this matter are significant and useful, and our media outlets need to pay attention to them.
The American-British aggression against our country, in support of the Israeli enemy and in protection of its crimes in the Gaza Strip, has continued for nearly three months. In that period, they carried out 424 airstrikes and naval bombardments, focusing on targeting the missile and drone forces, navy, and air defence. In these operations, 37 fell martyrs and 30 were wounded. As we consider the martyrs as martyrs in the path of Allah (the Almighty) and in a dignified and great position as part of the Battle of the Promised Victory and the Holy Jihad, we affirm the failure of the enemies and their inability to prevent or limit the operations. The results achieved by our forces in targeting this large number of ships are significant. Despite the enemies' camouflage attempts and targeting efforts, they failed.
As for the occasion of the International Al-Quds Day, the significance of this occasion becomes more evident with the current developments and the Israeli aggression with its brutality, savagery, and heinous crimes against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. The International Day of Al-Quds is an occasion aimed at raising awareness among the Ummah, reviving the sense of religious, humanitarian, and moral responsibility, and keeping the Palestinian cause as well as the feelings of Jihad and rejection of Israel alive in the hearts of Muslims.
The title itself, 'Al-Quds' (the Day of Al-Quds), reminds the Ummah of its religious responsibility because at the forefront of this cause is something that cannot be compromised or abandoned for political deals, which is the sanctities of the Ummah. Chief among them is the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which was the Qibla for Muslims and is the place of the Prophet's Night Journey. It is one of the greatest and most sacred sanctities for Muslims. In addition to these sanctities, this has also to do with the oppressed Muslim Palestinian people, who are part of this Ummah and suffer from injustice, persecution, killings, and various Israeli criminal practices that have been ongoing for decades. This has to do with an entire country, which is part of the Muslim lands and belongs to a persecuted and oppressed people. Moreover, the Zionist Jewish enemy is an enemy of the entire Ummah, an enemy of all Muslims, and its aggressions and ambitions are well known to the Ummah. If it weren't for the Jihad of the Palestinian people, their dear mujahidin, and the resistance in Lebanon, the situation of other Arab countries, especially those neighboring Palestine, would be different from what it is currently. The Ummah needs to be reminded of its religious responsibility, from which it cannot be exempted through ignorance or complacency, nor does this exempt it from the consequences and repercussions of that.
Reminding also goes in the opposite direction to that one of distraction and marginalization, which occurred intensively and noticeably in Arab and Islamic countries. The Palestinian cause is marginalized in educational curricula, religious discourse, and educational and awareness-raising activities, as well as within the political framework as a cause that should remain a matter of concern for the Ummah, both officially and popularly. This cause is significantly marginalized in media, even though this cause is indeed compelling and has now imposed itself once again due to the efforts and sacrifices of the Palestinian people and their mujahidin.
Reminding serves also as a counter to the efforts of falsification, normalization, and deviation of the compass of enmity and action, as many efforts are made in this direction.
- There are intense and persistent efforts by the enemies to present a false image that covers up the ugly face of the Israeli enemy, the hostile, criminal, and brutal face and portrays that it is possible to seek peace, harmony, and normal relations with it and that it can be a friend to these peoples and countries.
- There are also attempts to portray the issue as merely fabricating a problem with the Israeli enemy for the sake of Iran. This language has been intensified by media outlets affiliated with certain Arab countries and Arab regimes, which have attempted to distort the Palestinian position itself and the position of the mujahidin in Palestine. They portray their Jihad, even though they are the ones with a clear cause and authentic cause that is inherently unambiguous—their country and homeland is occupied, and their people are persecuted and oppressed. Even so, their position is portrayed by these media outlets as if it were a position of fabricating problems for the sake of Iran!
- Additionally, any effort or supportive position towards the Palestinian people from the sons of the Ummah is portrayed as merely creating an unnecessary problem that only serves Iran. The Iranian position itself has its share of defamation, although it is an Islamic position, a commendable position, a position within the framework of religious and faith-based responsibility, and an honorable position to support and stand by the Palestinian people and support the mujahidin and provide them with weapons. However, there are very intense campaigns of defamation.
- There is also an attempt to divert the compass of enmity away from the true enemy of the Ummah, the dangerous enemy that poses a great threat to the entire Ummah, which is the Israeli enemy, and to present another entity as the enemy: Iran or under sectarian divisive titles that the enemies have worked on, creating various takfiri groups that have directed their malice and criminality towards attempting to fuel animosity among the Muslim peoples, destroy the Ummah from within, distort Islam, and annihilate those who oppose the Israeli enemy.
Therefore, it is extremely important to remind the Ummah of its cause, who its enemy is, and what its responsibility is towards this cause. While reminding the Ummah and for the sake of realizing the extent of negligence, it is necessary to compare the level of interest shown by the enemies in supporting and backing the Israeli enemy with the extent of interest shown by Arab and Islamic countries in supporting the Palestinian people.
During Operation Al-Aqsa Flood that took place in a single day or extended to two days—during one single day, how did the enemies react to that? How did America, Britain, and major European countries move when they sensed the danger and felt the threat to the Israeli enemy within a single day? That was despite the fact that the operation was characterized by morals and values. The Palestinian mujahidin from the Al-Qassam Brigades targeted the Israeli enemy in a just, rightful, and legitimate act, since they face an enemy that kills their people, oppresses and kidnaps their people, occupies their homeland, and threatens the sanctities of the Ummah, as well as oppressing them for decades. Within this framework and context, they hold a just and legitimate position and a just cause and carried out an operation within a specific geographical scope known as the buffer zone of the Gaza Strip. In contrast, how did America, Britain, and major European countries react?
America reacted as if it were an attack against it, considering it a state of alert, a state of emergency in every sense of the word. The American president took the initiative and moved there, along with American officials and the Secretary of State, who stated that not only as the Secretary of State, but also as a Jew and a Zionist. There was a great deal of attention and concern. America, with all its capabilities and concerns, moved politically, militarily, and through media—at all levels.
- America acted by providing open support and organized an airlift and a maritime bridge. The aircraft continued to transport supplies, military equipment, and various combat materials to occupied Palestine continuously without interruption! Similarly, at the maritime level, it moved urgently and intensively to provide its deadliest weapons.
- At the financial level, it constantly provided billions of dollars.
- There were visits by officials, including the American President himself.
- America moved and sent military experts to manage and plan the battle.
- American officials, including high-ranking officials, sat with the Israeli War Council, studying war plans, battle, combat operations, and their requirements and supplies, considering the battle to be the battle of all.
- They provided open political and media support.
- America also moved its naval forces to the waters of the region and threatened regional countries against intervening to assist the Palestinian people.
Serious movement took place at all levels, and they provided their support generously and with great interest.
Support came from major European countries, even with tank shells, various weapons, funds, media campaigns, and political backing. In addition, they hastened to pay visits to express solidarity. They provided financial assistance and more.
All of this movement was in response to an operation carried out on a single day, a day on which those individuals felt the danger posed to the Israeli enemy. They observed that it was in a state of defeat, facing danger, so they moved with all this interest.
As for the Palestinian people, they have been oppressed and subjected to injustice for decades, for more than seventy-five years. Throughout all these decades, there have been stages marked by significant escalation that witnessed genocidal wars, the commission of genocide crimes, and various forms of oppression, killing, injustice, and tyranny. However, the peoples of our Ummah, Arab and Islamic countries, governments, and regimes, even though the greater part of responsibility lies with them, have not taken any action that can even be regarded as equal to the action taken by the enemies in response to a one-day feeling of danger being posed to the Israeli enemy! This has been the case since then and all the way up to what has been happening in the Gaza Strip for half a year, with a stark contrast between what occurred in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood (which was, as we mentioned, in a specific area, where the enemies were targeted within a just and legitimate cause) and what the Israelis are doing. The Israelis are committing acts of genocide, inflicting comprehensive destruction, and starving 2 million Palestinians. They are committing horrific crimes that should to a great extent give enough of a reason for Arab and Islamic countries, the governments there, to take serious action.
Where are the major Arab countries, the leading Arab countries that are supposed to be at the forefront when it comes to taking action? In spite of that, some of them still aspire to lead the Islamic world and have a leading position among major Arab countries! Where is their position in comparison to the efforts made by others in support of the Israeli enemy? Where is the Arab embrace that we heard about at the beginning of the aggression against Yemen, nine years ago? Where is the Arab national security that we heard about in the context of the aggression against our Yemeni people? Where are all those titles, such as Arab nationalism? Where is the Arab League? Where are the mutual defence agreements within the Arab League?
Negligence has reached the point of inactively watching the starvation of the Palestinian people, without providing food and humanitarian aid. Those provide weapons, bombs, and all forms of support to the Israeli enemy to kill and destroy the Palestinian people. As for most of our peoples, our countries, and our Arab and Islamic governments, including the major Arab countries that have their weight in the Arab situation, where are their efforts to provide humanitarian support and to save the Palestinian people from starvation and blockade?!
Moreover, what is even more unfortunate is that there are information and news about the complicity of some Arab countries and their encouragement of the Israeli enemy, providing assistance or goods in one form or another to it! The Arab position, for the majority of Arab countries, has not reached a level of political position, economic position, or a boycott of the Israeli enemy. Mostly, there are no indications of intending to take serious action in this regard.
Why is there such a lack of action from most of the Islamic countries and nations, with few exceptions? There are movements by some, but they remain limited in scope.
Indeed, this indicates the urgent need for awareness, a sense of responsibility, and the realization that in the face of these events, tragedies, and great injustice, the Ummah needs awareness-raising efforts to be made internally. That is simply because the regimes shackle large peoples from mobilizing at the level of demonstrations, marches, or exerting pressure on them to take stronger, more impactful positions commensurate with the magnitude of the oppression and suffering the Palestinian people are facing and with the responsibility of those countries. However, the peoples are shackled; this underscores the urgent need for an awakening movement, a reminder of responsibility, and an effort to revive the sense of responsibility within the Ummah.
comparison between what the enemies do in supporting the Israeli enemy, who is the oppressor, the criminal, the occupier, and the usurper, and the significant negligence of most countries in our Ummah towards the Palestinian people, who are the oppressed, whose land is occupied, who fight for the entire Ummah and for a cause that is important and of concern to the Ummah, who face an enemy that is an enemy to the entire Ummah, and whose sanctities are sanctities to the entire Ummah. This negligence, compared to what the enemies do in supporting the Israeli enemy on the one hand and also compared to the real responsibility of the Ummah and what falls on this Ummah, which is responsible for being an ummah that enjoys brotherly relations among its people, cooperates in righteousness and Taqwa, with its people standing with one another, supporting the oppressed, and standing against their enemy—it has a responsibility to confront the oppressive enemy that targets it, its people, parts of it, or some of its countries. This Ummah has a responsibility to strive in the cause of Allah. When will this striving in the cause of Allah be carried out if it does not take action against the Zionist Israeli tyranny and criminality?! This Ummah, considering the magnitude of its responsibility, what is required of it, and how it should be, truly needs a reminder of its current position.
It is important for us to look at this issue through the Holy Quran and to act based on the responsibilities Allah defined for us in the Holy Quran, and it is important for the Ummah to stand in accordance with the position of the Holy Quran; otherwise, there is no salvation for it. In fact, there is no salvation for it except through that, because neglecting this issue is a very dangerous state for the Ummah: In the end, it means neglecting principles, ethics, values, the teachings and commands of Allah, religious responsibility, and sanctities. Therefore, its consequences are extremely serious for the Ummah, both in the worldly life and the Hereafter.
The Quranic context, found in Surah Al 'Imran and Surah Al-Ma'idah, which clearly illustrates the danger posed by that enemy to us, the danger of the Jews as enemies of this Ummah, their conspiracies targeting this Ummah, and the grave consequences of neglecting this cause and of engaging in the conflict with them, is what truly illustrates to us that neglecting reaches a level of neglecting principles, values, and ethics. This is evident in the current reality; it is clear.
Allah (Glory be to Him) says in Surah Ali 'Imran, {'O believers, be mindful of Allah in the way He deserves, and do not die except as Muslims'}. All of this is within the context that speaks of the danger posed by that enemy from the People of the Scripture: the faction of evil, criminality, aggression, and misguidance. They also seek to turn this Ummah into a disbelieving nation after its faith so that it disbelieves and neglects its principles, values, ethics, and the teachings of Allah.
Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {'O believers! Whoever among you abandons their religion, Allah will replace them with others who are loved by Him and love Him'}. This is in Surah Al-Ma'idah and within the same context in which Allah says, {'O believers! Take neither Jews nor Christians as Auliya. They are Auliya of each other'}. This situation is extremely serious. The situation is not merely a matter where the Ummah takes a position based on its mood or personal opinions, assessments, calculations, or speculations. This matter is deeply rooted in matters of faith and religion. This involves sanctities and a people who are part of this Ummah. This matter has to do with a religious responsibility in every sense of the word.
Therefore, establishing the Quranic perspective is what solidifies awareness, raises the level of awareness within the Ummah, protects it from the conspiracies of its enemies, and guides it towards the correct position that leads to fruitful, righteous outcomes. That is because the danger facing this Ummah is a danger to its religion and worldly affairs. Even targeting its religious principles, values, and ethics—which safeguard it, elevate it to the level of responsibility, and enable it to confront the threat—is for this reason: because such principles, values, awareness, and understanding elevate the level of consciousness within the Ummah, making it vigilant and proactive in facing those challenges and dangers and allowing it rise to the appropriate level that is commensurate with its responsibility in what protects it and keeps threat away of it.
Before anything else, the Quranic perspective reveals to us the clear, self-evident, established, and striking truth that should serve as the basis for our position as a Muslim Ummah. It is that those individuals are enemies, dangerous enemies, enemies in every sense of the word, and the most hostile towards this Ummah. Allah (Glory be to Him) has said in the Holy Quran, {'You will surely find the most bitter towards the believers to be the Jews'}—the Jews are the top enemy—{'and those who associate others with Allah'}. They come second on the list, as the Jews are at the top of this list. Allah started with them as no one bears enmity towards this Ummah more than them.
They are the enemy in every sense of the word, and this is what others try to conceal from the mentality of the Ummah, from its concern, from its perspective. Therefore, they present a different image of the Israeli enemy, aiming to transform the Ummah's relationship with it and its view of it into that of a friend with whom one can enter into alliances and start a normal relationship with. At the same time, they show that the true enemy that the Ummah should oppose and focus its enmity towards is another one other than the Jews. There are efforts made regarding this matter, very significant efforts.
Why did the enemies fuel the strife of takfiris? It was only as part of their efforts to turn the compass of enmity. Why do they always try to make the Ummah constantly talk about another enemy? Why do they attempt to sow discord among the people of the Ummah? It only comes in this context: to make this Ummah forget its true enemy, the enemy that poses a great danger to it, who is fiercely malevolent, a very wicked and ferocious enemy. This enemy is dangerous in every sense of the word, in terms of its malice towards this Ummah, in its activities, its programmes, and its goals. It moves as an enemy of this Ummah, as a criminal and ferocious entity that has no regard for values, morals, customs, laws, or any considerations. It is the enemy that the Ummah must oppose and recognize this reality, and it should act accordingly.
Also, concerning its war and the nature of the conflict with it, its war is a comprehensive war against this Ummah because the Israeli enemy is backed by the Jewish lobby, which operates in America, Britain, and Europe, and mobilizes everyone against this Ummah to target it significantly. It is well-known about the Zionist movement that it is linked to the Jewish Zionist lobby, which takes the lead in mobilizing efforts against humanity and Muslims in particular. It constitutes a threat to humanity.
Regarding the nature of the conflict with the enemy, one of the most important things that Muslims should understand and be truly aware of is that this enemy is working to target the Ummah comprehensively. The nature of the conflict with it is not limited to one field but is a comprehensive conflict: militarily, intellectually, culturally, economically, and in media. With this awareness, the Ummah should be present in all these fields and areas. It should also be present in media, while realizing that it is in a real battle, facing that enemy. The enemy has its terminology, methods, titles, and media programmes that is hostile to this Ummah and targets it. This applies to the political, cultural, and intellectual levels as well. This awareness should be present, and the Ummah should act accordingly in its reality.
It is an enemy that seeks to subdue the Ummah and infiltrate it from inside to make it obedient to it and gain its loyalty. This is done to exploit it and facilitate the process of controlling it. That is why Allah has warned about obeying them , the consequences of obeying them, and what they want to lead the Ummah towards: {'If you were to yield to a group of those who were given the Scripture, they would turn you back from belief to disbelief'}.
Allah warns against aligning with them because they are attempting to make the Ummah loyal to them. {'Whoever takes them as Auliya becomes one of them'}. That is clear and it is clear that their influence in these fields they target the Ummah in is significant. Their influence on some individuals within the Ummah is evident, as well as their influence on governments in their direction, policies, and positions, which have become aligned with them.
It is an enemy that seeks to mislead the Ummah in everything including religious misguidance through distorting and manipulating religious concepts to serve its interests, to subdue the Ummah, and to lead them astray from the true path of Allah. They seek to do the same at the level of thoughts and perspectives in various fields and topics. They seek to misguide the Ummah so that it falls into a state of loss in every sense of the word and acts in a way that servs their own interests. That is why Allah says about them that they {'want you , too, to lose the right path'}. He also says, {'A faction of the People of the Scripture wish they could mislead you'}.
It is an enemy that seeks to spread corruption in everything: corruption in spreading indecency and vices and facilitating them and what causes people to engage in them. It targets every value of chastity and all divine legislation and instructions that preserve the Ummah, maintain the family within society, safeguard the chastity and purity of the community, and protect individual integrity. It seeks to spread vices and immoral practices among people.
It also seeks to promote and spread alcohol and drugs, distribute them, and attract people to them, and it also spreads depraved pornographic content through media to destroy the purity of souls and lead people towards vice. It targets society in everything that affects it and brings it closer to corruption.
It also seeks to corrupt life in all aspects: corruption in the economic field, corruption in the political field, corruption in all fields. It works on corrupting people's lives in every aspect. It seeks to deprive the Ummah of the sources of its spiritual strength in its faith, as it does not want this Ummah to remain a believing ummah, believing in Allah and in the Hereafter and keen on preserving and adhering to its principles, values, and ethics. It wants to strip it of the sources of its spiritual strength and prevent it from remaining an ummah that enjoys the protection, victory, support, and assistance of Allah and that benefits from the great gains of faith in terms of morale, ethics, behaviour, practicality, awareness, interest, and more. That is why Allah warns against them and says, {'They would turn you back from belief to disbelief'}.
It seeks to strike the Ummah in its economy, aiming for this Ummah to either become a consumer market, where it merely functions as an economy centered around consumption, or to keep suffering from extremely severe economic crises. It also seeks to undermine the political and security stability of the Ummah, and to fuel discord, conflicts, and struggles: It constantly strives to tear apart the Ummah, scatter it, fragment it, and dismantle it. Thus, its targeting of the Ummah is a comprehensive targeting and according to a comprehensive plan.
The right thing for the Ummah is as Allah (Glory be to Him) says, addressing people regarding Shaytan—as the Jews and the Zionist orientation are the Auliya of Shaytan and act as his supporter and arm—{'Surely, Shaytan is an enemy to you, so take him as an enemy'}. Allah has also commanded us to take them as enemies and act according to that, since they are indeed enemies. They are moving to target us in everything, to destroy us in every aspect, to gain control over us, and to subdue and humiliate this Ummah. The danger to the Ummah lies in its negligence, its inaction, its ignorance of the enemy's actions and plans, and its vulnerable position that provides an open environment for the enemy's conspiracies to succeed—it is not a fortified or closed environment against the enemy. The Ummah needs to be in a state of complete vigilance towards the enemy's conspiracies and objectives; it needs to be aware of its conspiracies and schemes, take an active position to confront the enemy and counter its conspiracies in all fields, and strive to become a strong ummah.
Allah (Glory be to Him) has made it clear to us in the Holy Quran that the situation of the enemy is predetermined: He said about the Jews, {'They have been stricken with humiliation wherever they are caught'}. Wherever they are found, at all times and in all places, disgrace has been stamped over them. {'They have been stricken with humiliation wherever they are caught, except through a rope from Allah and a rope from the people.'} And here lies the danger: When does the rope from Allah come, the rope of divine empowerment? When is empowerment given against this Ummah? It comes when it abandons its principles, values, and ethics, when it shirks its great, sacred responsibilities. One of this Ummah's responsibilities is to be an ummah of goodness that calls people to goodness, enjoins what is right, forbids what is evil, and confronts corruption, evil, and tyranny in all aspects of human reality; however, it has gone so far as to abandon that even in its own reality, in its arena, in its field, within its people! As a result, it has become the kind of ummah that is subjected to violations, oppression, and injustice. It has become the target of its enemies, with their corruption, their evil, and their misguidance reaching its depth. They are undermining and targeting it from within.
The state in which the Ummah abandons and neglects its responsibilities is a dangerous state for it, as it makes Allah unleash the enemy on the Ummah. However, if this Ummah turns to Allah, responds to Him, and embarks on its sacred, great duties and responsibilities, then it has Allah's promise to support it, to stand with it, and to grant it victory.
{'Except through a rope from Allah and a rope from the people'}—the support they receive from the people is not sufficient without the rope that comes from Allah, within the framework of divine punishment. This is what constitutes a real danger to the people . The support that comes from people is partly because of the Ummah's negligence and shortcomings, as well as because what serves as support for the enemy from its side. The enemy receives significant support through economic support, purchasing its goods, and the absence of boycott. It earns a lot of money. The companies that support Israel significantly benefit from the markets of Arabs and Muslims, and they use some of that to support the Israeli enemy in killing the Ummah and the Palestinian people, benefiting from the Ummah's complacency, negligence, and support from other countries.
The practical action should be based on a clear vision and according to an action plan. It is not enough for the Ummah to hold a conference when facing an escalation from the Israeli enemy, to issue a statement, without considering the need to take any further action. The Ummah needs to keep moving according to an action plan that can correct and build its reality to be able to confront the enemy. The Ummah should act accordingly in all fields, turning this conflict into an incentive for building itself and building its civilization, the kind of distinctive Islamic civilization. This is a very important matter.
And when the Ummah moves to take action, therein lies all goodness: When it recognizes its responsibility, becomes aware of the enemy's conspiracies, and takes action to fulfil its duties and responsibilities, the outcomes, results, and consequences of this conflict are guaranteed to be in its favour, as this is what Allah has promised and made clear in His holy book. Even the removal of the Israeli enemy, its expulsion from Palestine, and the reclamation of sanctities, foremost among them the Al-Aqsa Mosque—all of that is something that Allah has promised in the Holy Quran. In fact, the Israeli enemy knows these truths, and the Israelis are aware of the inevitability of their demise. They know that this is something they have been promised even in the previous scriptures of Allah and in the Holy Quran as well.
The outcomes and consequences of this conflict are clear. For those people who move to take action according to divine instructions and teachings, there are promises of support and victory from Allah, Who never fails to fulfil His promise. As for the outcomes and consequences for the position of others who hasten to align themselves with the enemies of Islam, Muslims, and the Ummah, Allah has promised in Surah Al-Ma'idah to cause them suffer loss and regret. Therefore, the consequences and outcomes of this conflict are evident.
Therefore, this is a blessing bestowed by Allah (the Almighty) and success He grants for all those who act based on these truths that are clear and self-evident and that are also in harmony with the affiliation of this Ummah to its religion, its Quran, and its message, as well as its emulation of its Messenger (PBUH&F). When someone moves in this direction, it is an honour and a great blessing for him because this path is the path of salvation, triumph, and victory.
And for this reason, we witness the fruit, the positivity, and the tangible results of this movement that confronts the Israeli enemy: the movement of the mujahidin in Palestine and the mujahidin among the Ummah's sons in the supporting fronts. We see a clear and tangible fruit and tangible results granted by the support of Allah and His assistance. Despite the fact that this movement is still limited in scope, it is fruitful, considering the widespread state of indifference.
What could indifference, inaction, and shirking of responsibility yield for the entire Ummah? It only encourages the enemy to do to it what it has done to the Palestinian people.
On this important occasion, we emphasize the following:
- Firstly, our country remains steadfast, both popularly and officially, in its religious, principled, humanitarian, moral, and faith-based position in support of the Palestinian people, standing by them militarily and in every possible way, at all levels.
- Secondly, I call on all Muslim people in Arab countries and elsewhere to be mindful of Allah (the Almighty), uphold a sense of responsibility, show care for this cause, actively participate in supporting the Palestinian people, and practically strive to confront the enemies based on a deep understanding of the nature of the conflict and the arenas of confrontation. Thus, I call on them to move to raise awareness, boycott the American and Israeli goods, strengthen enmity, expose the enemies' conspiracies, and be vigilant against them.
- Thirdly, I call on our dear Muslim Yemeni people to participate in the large-scale million-person demonstration tomorrow, by Allah's grace. This demonstration combines their weekly million-person demonstration, which is part of their Jihad and their position in support of the Palestinian people, with the occasion of the International Al-Quds Day. The importance of this day lies in the significance of the cause and the position it holds as part of our religious and faith-based obligations.
Taking to the streets amidst what is happening to the Palestinian people and expressing our position should be a reflection of the fruits of fasting in the month of Ramadan and the outcomes of the Taqwa it installs in us, as well as our response to Allah (the Almighty).
I ask Allah (the Almighty) to hasten relief and victory for the oppressed Palestinian people and their dear mujahidin.
We also ask Allah (the Almighty) to grant us success in seeking what pleases Him. O Allah (Glory be to You), have mercy on our virtuous martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and grant us victory. You are All-Hearing!
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
