PA sermon: "destroy the enemies of Muslims", "Arab rulers...have forgotten
the Palestine question"

FBIS Report - Friday sermons carried by the news media of the Palestinian
Authority on 23 May 2003:
[With thanks to www.mideastweb.org/mewnews1.htm ]

WEST BANK & GAZA STRIP

Gaza Palestine Satellite Channel Television in Arabic, official television
station of the Palestinian Authority, and Gaza Voice of Palestine in
Arabic -- Second Program -- official radio station of the Palestinian
Authority broadcasting from Gaza -- at 0945 GMT carry a 30-minute live
sermon from Shaykh Ijlin mosque in Gaza.

Shaykh Muhammad Jamal Abu-Hannud delivers the sermon. He praises God, the
messenger, and his companions, thanking God for revealing Islam through
Prophet Muhammad and stressing that Islam will succeed because it has come
to establish justice and to preserve man's dignity.

Turning to politics, the imam denounces Israel and says: "Children have been
orphaned, houses have been destroyed, farmland has been damaged, and a siege
has been clamped on the leader and the people." He says that all this is
happening to the Palestinian people just because they seek freedom, blaming
the international community for keeping silent over Israeli practices in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip. He also says: "Our people are offering sacrifices
for the sake of freedom, dignity, and sovereignty over their land and their
homeland. We will not step back. We will remain loyal to our religion, our
homeland, and Jerusalem. We will remain loyal to God and His messenger and
will liberate Jerusalem and our sanctities and regain the usurped rights."
The imam also stresses that the Palestinian people will continue struggle
"until they liberate land and man and establish their Palestinian state,
with holy Jerusalem as its capital, God willing."

In conclusion, the imam prays to God: "O God, strengthen Islam and Muslims
and elevate justice and Islam. O God, destroy he who harbors evil to Islam
and Muslims. O God, send us a man, who can close the Muslims' ranks."

Ramallah Voice of Palestine, official radio station of the Palestinian
Authority, at 0945 GMT carries a 35-minute live Friday sermon from Al-Aqsa
Mosque.

Shaykh Yusuf Abu-Sunaynah delivers the sermon. He praises God, the
messenger, and his companions, calling on Muslims to obey God before it is
too late. The prophet, he says, called neither for communism nor capitalism
but for tolerant Islam to spread justice. He gives examples of Islam's
justice from the Islamic history and urges Arab leaders to pursue fair
policies toward their peoples.

In the second part of the sermon, the imam turns to the situation in
Palestine and says: "The forces of tyranny and aggression continue killing,
oppressing, and humiliating the Palestinian people. A million Palestinians
are now besieged in large prisons in their cities, villages, and camps.
Barricades and numerous checkpoints are erected on roads, assassinations
continue, homes are destroyed, farmland is destroyed, and plants are
uprooted. Arab and international media organs carry reports on all this as a
daily serial to amuse their peoples. Regrettably, our Arab and Islamic
nation has forgotten the Palestinian Muslim people. The Arab rulers and
leaders also have forgotten the Palestine question." Criticizing the United
States as unjust, the imam says: "Tyrannical America has launched the
so-called road map to realize the Zionist dream and to strengthen the
Zionist political, military, and economic situation. Nevertheless, the
Palestinians have accepted the road map, although the Israeli Government has
rejected it." The imam then says that Israel wants the Palestinians to fight
one another, but that "our people are aware of the conspiracy and refuse to
fight one another."

In conclusion, the imam prays to God: "O God, destroy the enemies of
Muslims, for they are within your power. O God, disperse them. O God,
forgive Muslims."