MEMRI Special Dispatch|3004| June 7, 2010
Palestinians/Jihad & Terrorism Threat Monitor

Narrative of Struggle and Jihad in Statements By Islamist Participants in
Gaza Flotilla

The following are further excerpts from reports in the Arab press about the
participants in the Gaza Flotilla, and statements by participants and their
acquaintances.
For earlier reports, see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 2990, "Arab Media
Reports on Flotilla Participants: Writing Wills, Preparing for Martyrdom,
Determined to Reach Gaza or Die," June 1, 2010,
http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/833/4265.htm.
To view the MEMRI page for Flotilla, visit
http://www.memri.org/subject/en/833.htm.
To view the MEMRI TV page for Flotilla, visit
http://www.memritv.org/subject/en/834.htm.
To view the MEMRI Guide to the Middle East's page about the Flotilla, visit
http://www.memri.org/flotilla/.
Report on Hamas Website: 'Abdallah 'Azzam's Son-in-Law and Grandson
Participated in the Flotilla
The website www.albian.ps, which is affiliated with Hamas, reports that
among the flotilla participants were 19-year-old Muhammad, grandson of
'Abdallah 'Azzam (a global jihad activist killed in Afghanistan in 1989),
and his father 'Abdallah Anas (husband of 'Abdallah 'Azzam's daughter
Sumayya). The report states that Sumayya, who left Afghanistan a few years
after her father's death and settled in Britain, had asked the flotilla
organizers to include another son of hers, 17-year-old Ahmad, in the next
flotilla even before discovering how her relatives had fared in this one.
The website quotes her as saying: "If [my son] Muhammad has been martyred
[on board the ship], [I] praise Allah, if he has been wounded, [I] praise
Allah, and if he and his father are alive and well, [I] praise Allah." The
website also stated that Sumayya was willing "to sacrifice herself and her
five sons - Muhammad, Ahmad, Salam (11), 'Omar (10) and 'Azzam (1) - as
martyrs for the sake of Allah." She explained that her father had instructed
her and her siblings "to raise their children by the light of the Islamic
faith, [upon principles of] steadfastness, and upon the sound of [bomber]
planes, so they would serve Islam and the [Palestinian] cause."[1]

'Abdallah 'Azzam
Flotilla Participants: The Turks Captured Three Soldiers; We Agreed in
Advance to Prevent a Takeover
Flotilla participants reported that Turkish activists had attacked several
of the soldiers who boarded the ship and tried to take them hostage. Turkish
delegation head Bülent Yildirim said: "The Turks captured several of the
Zionist soldiers after beating them vigorously."[2] Similar accounts
appeared in the Turkish daily Hurriyet.
Members of the Kuwaiti delegation also told of the Turks' assault on the
soldiers. Salah Al-Jarallah said: "[The Turks] beat the three commando
soldiers vigorously with clubs, and the Israeli forces responded by sending
in troops who shot bursts of [live] fire at the Turks and killed them."[3]
Flotilla participant Sinan Al-Ahmad likewise reported upon her return to
Kuwait that "at the beginning of the attack, the Turks attacked three
Israeli soldiers and beat them."[4]
Kuwaiti parliament member Walid Al-Tabtabai, who was on board the ship, told
the Kuwaiti channel Al-Rai TV: "There were violent clashes between the
activists and the army, and our friends managed to capture three Israeli
soldiers. One of the Turks grabbed a soldier and brought him to us, saying:
'Here is a new [Gilad] Shalit." Al-Tabtabai noted that "the Turks had no
weapons but used pipes and sticks they found on the ship." In answer to a
question about whether the activists "had made any preparations before the
arrival of the soldiers," he replied: "We agreed not to let them take the
ship... We agreed to fend off any Israeli soldier who came near. Our goal
was to prevent a takeover."
Al-Tabtabai also reported that Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the northern
branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, was "the star of the trip and gave
rousing speeches."
Asked whether he would participate in another Gaza flotilla, Al-Tababai
said: "If I have to, I will not hesitate. When they asked me, I agreed in
principle."[5]
Turkish flotilla participant Mahir Tan took photos of the captive Israeli
soldiers that were published June 6, 2010 in the Turkish daily Hurriyet, and
also described their capture in an interview with the paper.
Friends and Relatives of Turkish Activists Who Were Killed: They Wanted to
Become Martyrs
In interviews with the Turkish press, friends and relatives of some of the
activists who were killed said that they had expressed a wish to become
martyrs. Yusuf Bilgen, son of activist Ibrahim Bilgen who was killed, said
that his father had always wanted to become a shahid and that he was proud
of him for being one.[6]
The wife of Ali Haydar Bengi told the Turkish paper Al-Watan that he had
always beseeched Allah to grant him martyrdom.[7] His friend Sabir Ceylan
told the Milliyet daily: "Before setting out on this journey he told us he
wanted to become a martyr. He wanted very much to die as a martyr."[8]
Mehmet Faruk Cevher, a friend of Ali Ekber Yaratilmis, head of the IHH in
the city of Iskenderun, likewise told the paper Sabah that his friend "had
always wanted to be a martyr."[9]
At a solidarity rally in Aqaba, the former general guide of the Muslim
Brotherhood in Jordan, Salem Al-Falahat, recounted that Turkish delegation
head Bülent Yildirim had told the Turks on the ship: "Smile. Those of you
who die will become shahids." He had also said: "Either we [act] like the
men [who fought in the battles] of Badr and Uhud,[10] or we [act] like the
men of Al-Hudaibiyya [who accepted humiliating terms of surrender[11]]."[12]
Members of the Jordanian Delegation: We Hoped to Return in Shrouds
During the reception in Amman for the Jordanian delegation, the head of the
delegation Wael Al-Saka, said: "We had hoped to return to you in shrouds,
like our Turkish brothers who gave their lives." He called the latter
"Turkish shahids who demonstrated the noblest form of jihad and
resistance."[13]
Jordanian delegation member Raed Al-Bustanji said: "The Turks kept us away
from the dangerous areas. They took the lead and [spearheaded] the
resistance against the Zionist soldiers, using the simplest means... We
hoped to return in shrouds and to give our lives for the sake of Allah." He
referred to the Jews as "the brothers of snakes and the descendents of apes
and pigs."[14]
Kuwaiti Delegation Members: We Wrote Our Wills
Members of the Kuwaiti delegation, including MP Al-Tabtabai,[15] said that
they wrote wills before setting out with the flotilla. In an Al-Rai TV
interview with 11 delegation members, Salah Jarallah said: "[Before setting
out] I made a verbal will and wrote out its [main] points. All the
delegation members agreed that it was necessary to write a will before
setting out."[16]
Attorney Mubarak Al-Mutawa' said: "I wrote a will and purchased a one-way
plane ticket because [I knew that] all options existed. It was not just me.
The Turks did the same before us."[17]
'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Kharraz said: "I wrote my will before joining the
flotilla... We reminded each other of the [principle] of self-sacrifice.
That was our approach [even] before we boarded the ship: victory or
self-sacrifice."[18]
Raed Salah: When the Activists Learned About the Fatalities, One of the
Turks Handed Out Sweets
In an interview with the Iqra TV channel, Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the
northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, recounted that when the
wife of one of the activists heard of the death of her husband, she said: "I
will not cry over him. I regard him as a martyr for the sake of Palestine."
Also, when the activists on the ship learned that there were many
fatalities, one of the Turks said to Sheikh Salah: "Congratulations, my
Sheikh! Blessings to those who gave up their souls for the sake of Allah."
Salah also reported that, at this point, "one of the Turks began to hand out
sweets, namely raisins, to [the other activists]."[19]
Egyptian MP from Muslim Brotherhood Bloc: The Journey of the Freedom
Flotilla Was a Journey of Jihad
Deputy secretary-general of the Muslim Brotherhood bloc in the Egyptian
parliament Muhammad Al-Baltaji, a flotilla participant, told the Muslim
Brotherhood website upon his return: "Everybody was ready for anything that
might happen, because all the options were open and we did not rule anything
out, especially since the basic goal of the participants was to reach Gaza
or else die for the sake of Allah... For all the participants, who came from
40 different countries, the journey was a journey of faith or jihad, call it
what you will..."

Muhammad Al-Baltaji
Asked whether he would join future flotillas, Al-Baltaji said: "Without a
doubt. Moreover, I'm sure that all those who participated in the flotilla
will repeat the experience, because our goal of reaching Gaza was not
achieved... I am sure that in the coming days we will see flotilla upon
flotilla... even if the participants have to sacrifice their lives, for this
is a religious obligation and duty..."[20]
Flotilla Participants: Foreign Activists Converted to Islam En Route to Gaza
and Cried "There Is No God but Allah"
Flotilla participants reported that some of the foreign activists on board
converted to Islam during the trip. In an interview with Iqra TV, Sheikh
Raed Salah said that he had befriended several non-Arab activists from
Europe and the U.S., and that some activists had converted to Islam after
befriending their Muslim fellows. He said that one had approached him in
tears, saying, "I converted to Islam when I witnessed your brave Muslim
conduct."[21]
Numerous newspapers and websites reported that British activist Peter Venner
(63) had converted while aboard the Mavi Marmara, after boarding the ship in
Antalya. Venner was said to have many Muslim friends in England whom he
occasionally accompanied to Friday prayers at mosque. It was also said that
Venner had visited the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, where he resolved to
convert to Islam.[22]
The Hamas website cited Turkish activist Ayub Gukhan as saying that "some of
the foreign non-Muslim activists resisted [the Israeli soldiers] and shouted
'there is no God but Allah' after witnessing the Zionists' attack and the
activists' resistance [against it]."[23]

Peter Venner
Hamas Member: Those Killed Will Celebrate Their Marriage to the Virgins of
Paradise
In article in the Hamas bi-weekly Al-Risala, Palestinian Legislative Council
Member from Hamas Dr. Salam Salama wrote: "The pure Muslim Turkish Ottoman
blood mixed with the Palestinian soil when the shahids and the wounded
arrived in our holy, occupied land [after] the savage, barbaric, rapacious
Nazi attack on the blockade-breaking flotilla... The Jews, those
21st-century Nazis, did not realize that they were putting the train back on
the tracks from which it had been derailed when the Zionists stole Palestine
in 1948.
"Behold, the pure Islamic blood mixed once again with the soil of Al-Israa
wal Mi'raj [Muhammad's ascent to heaven from Jerusalem], in a communal
wedding [a reference to martyrdom], an unprecedented international festival,
so that 20 grooms could celebrate their marriage to the black-eyed [virgins
of Paradise] last Monday, [May 31, 2010]... These valiant shahids who left
their homes and families and came to help their enfeebled brothers in the
blessed and holy land knew that the sons of Zion would try to stop them
[from reaching Gaza]. But they were determined to proceed even if it meant
giving their lives. This spirit of self-sacrifice and enthusiasm was a clear
expression of their love for the holy land and its inhabitants."[24]
Turkish Islamist Leader Fethullah Gülen: The Activists Should Have Obtained
Israel's Permission
Fethullah Gülen, the most influential Turkish religious leader, who resides
in the U.S., criticized the flotilla for operating without Israel's consent.
In his first-ever interview with a U.S. news channel, he said that by
refusing to obtain Israel's permission for their activity, the flotilla
participants had "defied authority," which would not lead to any positive
outcome. Mr. Gülen recounted that when a charity organization linked with
his movement wanted to help the Gazans, he insisted that they coordinate
with Israel. He added that the task of assigning blame in the affair was
best left to the United Nations.[25]

[1] www.albian.ps, June 3, 2010.
[2] www.palestine-info.info, June 3, 2010.
[3] Al-Rai (Kuwait), June 3, 2010.
[4] Al-Rai (Kuwait), June 3, 2010.
[5] Al-Rai (Kuwait), June 3, 2010.
[6] www.haberler.com, June 6, 2010.
[7] Al-Watan (Turkey), June 1, 2010.
[8] Milliyet (Turkey), June 2, 2010.
[9] Sabah (Turkey), June 2, 2010. Ali Ekber Yaratilmis was initially thought
to be among those killed, but has since been discovered to be alive.
[10] In the Battle of Badr (624 A.D.), the Prophet Muhammad's men defeated
the Meccans, who outnumbered them three to one. The Battle of Uhud (625
A.D.) is frequently mentioned in connection with martyrdom, because it is
associated with the Koranic verse: "Think not of those who are slain in
Allah's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the
presence of their Lord (Koran 3:169)."
[11] In the Hudaibiyya Treaty (628 A.D.), the Prophet Muhammad accepted
humiliating terms dictated by his Meccan enemies, because he realized that
his military power was inferior to theirs and that he could not defeat them
at that time.
[12] www.albosata.com, June 5, 2010.
[13] Al-Dustour (Jordan), June 3, 2010.
[14] www.albosata.com, June 5, 2010.
[15] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 3002, "Eyewitness Reports about the
Flotilla Clash: There Was Resistance and Israeli Soldiers Were Captured; IHH
Official: Our Goal Was to Reach Gaza or Die Trying," June 6, 2010,
http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4337.htm.
[16] Al-Rai (Kuwait), June 5, 2010.
[17] Al-Rai (Kuwait), June 5, 2010.
[18] Al-Rai (Kuwait), June 5, 2010.
[19] Iqra (Saudi Arabia), June 4, 2010.
[20] www.ikhwanonline.com, June 3, 2010.
[21] Iqra (Saudi Arabia), June 4, 2010.
[22] Kul Al-Watan (Saudi Arabia), May 31, 2010. Al-Wiam (Saudi Arabia), June
3, 2010.
[23] www.palestine-info.info, June 3, 2010.
[24] Al-Risala (Gaza), June 6, 2010.
[25] Wall Street Journal (U.S.), June 4, 2010.

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