Palestinian sermon: we will also defeat the United States
FBIS Report - Friday sermons broadcast from the West Bank and Gaza Strip on
5 September 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 0951 GMT carry a 37-minute live
sermon from Shaykh Ijlin mosque in Gaza.

Shaykh Ibrahim al-Mudayris delivers the sermon. He begins by praising God,
the messenger, and his companions and says that paradise is for those
"offering either their lives or their money for jihad." He says that God has
honored the Palestinian people by enabling them "to stand firm in the face
of aggression on this good, holy land." Condemning the Israeli practices
against the Palestinian people, the imam says: "The Israeli forces commit
ugly massacres throughout this homeland. Everyday, Palestinians are killed
by rockets in Jabalya, Gaza, Al-Nusayrat, Rafah, Khan Yunus, Bethlehem,
Nabulus, Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkarm, Salfit, holy Jerusalem, and elsewhere in
Palestine." The conflict in Palestine and elsewhere, he says, is between
right and wrong, adding that "the current battle in Palestine is between
right and wrong," stressing that the Palestinian people will score victory
"because we are strong by our right." The imam says that Palestinians have
to offer more sacrifices to deter "the United States and their Zionist
supporters," stressing that "if we close our ranks and unify our position,
then we will score a victory, God willing."

Condemning Palestinian agents working for Israel, the imam says that the
Palestinian people cannot be blamed for the existence of these agents. The
imam, however, urges them "to repent and to obey God before they die and go
to Hell." He also calls on the Palestinian Government "to carry out the
sentences issued against a number of agents." The imam then assails Arab and
Muslim rulers for having failed "to move their huge armies and to save the
sad Al-Aqsa Mosque."

In the second part of the sermon, the imam expresses his conviction that if
the Palestinian people close their ranks and stick to their rights, they
will defeat the enemy and "we will also defeat the United States, which
sticks to its criminal positions." The imam also says: "We view the United
States as our primary enemy for supporting our enemy. We are killed by US
warplanes, our homes are destroyed by US tanks, and we are struck by US
missiles. Our enemy commits aggression against us with US support. The
United States will remain our primary enemy as long as it insists on its
total bias toward our enemy at the expense of our cause. We will score
victory, God willing." The imam then condemns the Israeli forces for
preventing Palestinians from worshipping in Al-Aqsa Mosque, urging
Palestinians to stand firm on their land.

Concluding, the imam, prays to God: "O God, help us defeat our enemy. O God,
help us defeat those, who have disappointed us." He goes on: "O God, return
the prisoners to their families and get the siege on our people, our
leadership, and our nation lifted. O God, help our kinfolk in Iraq defeat
their enemy."

Ramallah Voice of Palestine, official radio station of the Palestinian
Authority, at 0951 GMT carries a 24-minute live sermon from Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Shaykh Muhammad Husayn delivers the sermon. He begins by praising God, the
messenger, and his companions. On the occasion of the new school year, the
imam praises the Palestinian people for taking interest in education, which,
he says, has kept the Palestinian people's cause alive despite the disasters
it has faced.

In the second sermon, the imam also discusses the subject of education and
warns Palestinian youths against quitting school at early ages, quoting the
messenger as encouraging education as a religious duty.

Turning to politics, the imam condemns the "occupation authorities" for
"allowing tourists and extremist Jews and settlers to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque
and preventing Muslims from reaching the mosque." He also says: "Muslims on
this blessed land reject these measures as an aggression against their
sanctities. Our Palestinian people also reject the building of the racial
segregation wall, which isolates the quarters of the holy city from one
another. The wall also encroaches on the inhabitants' lands, homes,
universities, and schools and devours a large part of the campus of the
University of Jerusalem. It also damages vast areas of West Bank cities,
villages, and lands and separates the family members from one another." The
imam then urges the Palestinian people to close their ranks and to be alert
to the conspiracies being concocted against them "in order to abort the
occupation's designs."

Concluding, the imam asks God to get the Palestinian prisoners released, to
protect Al-Aqsa Mosque, and to destroy the enemies.