Al-Zawahiri, Brother Of Al-Qaeda Leader, Proposes 10-Year 'Hudna' To The West

Watch out.

A hudna is a cease-fire.  But it is, by definition, a temporary and tactical one, meant to cover for rebuilding and infiltration.

Warning: This isn't what it seems.  And this is something Obama might spike the football over.  "Under my leadership I have me me me achieved a cease-fire with al Qaeda me me me."

--S.

http://www.memri.org/

Muhammad Al-Zawahiri, Brother Of Al-Qaeda Leader, Proposes 10-Year 'Hudna' To The West

On September 15, 2012, the Saudi daily Al-Shuroukh published a document authored by Muhammad Al-Zawahiri, the brother of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, proposing a 10-year hudna to the U.S. the West. The document's publication followed Al-Zawahiri's presentation of the main points of the initiative in interviews with Western media.[1]

In the preface to the document, Al-Zawahiri put himself forward as mediator, and explains the need for the initiative, and the reasoning behind it. He presented himself as a member of what he referred to generally as "the Islamic movement," and noted that the initiative aims to serve the interests of the movement and of the Muslims. Addressing the West, which he called "the Muslims' Enemy No. 1," he warns that the Muslims' war against it will only escalate, and that what has happened so far is only the beginning. In this way, he seeks to persuade the West that it is best for it to agree to a ceasefire now.

Al-Zawahiri then proceeded to lay out the main points of his hudna proposal, under which the Islamic movement will undertake not to attack the U.S. or the West in exchange for an end to Western interference in the affairs of the Islamic countries and Western agreement to the establishment of an Islamic state ruled by shari'a law in every country in which the majority of Muslims have expressed widespread support for it.

In a September 12, 2012 interview with the Egyptian daily Al-Watan, Al-Zawahiri stressed that he had no connection to his brother, and that he had not shown him the text of the initiative.  He said that Osama bin Laden had proposed the same hudna in 2004, and that he was proposing it again now, on the anniversary of 9/11, in order to expose to the American people that its government was misleading it and was continuing the "war on terror" with the sole aim of protecting the interests of businessmen profiting from this false war. Also in the interview, Al-Zawahiri demanded that the U.S. end its occupation of the Muslim lands and its interference in their school curricula, and that it release the jihadis held its prisons. In return, he said, the jihadis will stop attacking U.S. interests in the region – but only if such an agreement is signed between representatives of the U.S. and Al-Qaeda.[2]

Who Is Muhammad Al-Zawahiri?

An architect by profession, Muhammad Al-Zawahiri (b. 1953) is one of the founders of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad organization, and was for a time its deputy commander. In the 1980s, he joined his brother Ayman when the organization moved to Afghanistan, and served as its financial director. He was also involved in the establishment of the organization's cells in Europe.

In 1998, following the merger between the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and Al-Qaeda – a move that was led by Ayman – a rift emerged between the two brothers, and Muhammad refused to join Al-Qaeda and went his own way.

In 2000, he was arrested by Dubai authorities, and extradited to Egypt, where he was imprisoned and sentenced to death for his activity in Islamic Jihad. During his imprisonment he became one of the leaders of the opposition to the ideological revision led by several former jihadi leaders who called for renouncing violence against the Egyptian regime.

In 2011, following the fall of the Mubarak regime, the death sentence against him was rescinded, and he was freed from prison. Since then he has led the jihadi stream in Egypt at conferences and rallies, and speaks frequently in the Arab media and in public.[3]

It should be noted that in a recent interview with Al-Jazeera TV, Al-Zawahiri explained that the U.S. was the enemy of the Muslims, and expressed his support for the 9/11 attacks.[4] Also, in articles and books in 2011, under the pen name "Abu Ayman Al-Masri," he has expressed his firm opposition to participation in politics and to the concept of democracy, which he claims is contrary to Islam, and has also defended the use of violence as a means of attaining goals.

The following are excerpts from the document:

"America And The West Are The Muslims' Enemy No. 1"

Al-Zawahiri began the preface to the document by presenting himself as a member of the Islamic movements who can liaise between them and the West, but added that he does not purport to actually speak in the name of the Islamic movement or of the mujahideen (i.e. in the name of Al-Qaeda or any other jihadi organization). He stressed that his proposal is not an official one, but merely a starting point for negotiation and discussion, and at the same time noted that it is aimed at serving the Muslims and the Islamic movements, and not any personal interest. He also said that it is not coming from a point of weakness, but as a result of the victory of the Islamic movements, and that it is "[a proposal for] rapprochement that is conditional upon the proper shar'i conditions, and does not emanate from submission or subservience."

Al-Zawahiri then stated that the sole guarantee for quelling the conflict between the West and the Muslims is for "the Islamic movement to enter into an agreement, and for it to be given a treaty and promised what it strives to attain – that is, to institute and implement the law of Allah. The commitment to [this] treaty is to be approved by, and binding vis-à-vis, all [Islamic] movements, as it will be considered to be obedience to Allah… Just as martyrdom is worship, so too will undertaking agreements and treaties be a form of worship…"

Depicting the current situation as one in which it is in the West's interest to agree to a hudna with the Islamic movement, he added that "the majority of Muslims (who number over a billion) are willing to sacrifice themselves" and that they "consider themselves the victors in either case – whether by victory [in battle] or by shahhada [martyrdom]." He then warned of future attacks against the West, claiming that "it will not be possible to predict where the next attack or attacks will come from" and that "it will not be possible to predict which group or individuals will carry it out." For this reason, he adds, it will be impossible to either prevent or control them.

He explained: "Dozens or hundreds or thousands of attempts [at attacks] may fail, but one may succeed, and it can sow the destruction of Western civilization – particularly in light of the attempts to possess weapons of mass destruction and of the rise of violence and counter-violence (as in Iraq)."

Al-Zawahiri added that "the events so far have been nothing but a simple prelude," and that "the wheel has begun to turn faster and more powerfully, like a snowball that begins rolling down a steep slope." He said that [the violence] is not limited to one group or organization, for example Al-Qaeda, but that it " is a "genie out of the bottle" and an ideology that has spread throughout the Islamic movement and among the Muslim faithful. This, he said, is why a single blow or an assassination against the movement or against a particular faction "will not eliminate it or its cause, but will strengthen it."

He noted, "America and the West are the Muslims' Enemy No. 1, due to the hostility of America and its allies, and the West in general, towards the Islamic world," and added that this is manifested by "the blatant occupation, aggression, and interference" in the Muslims' affairs, pointing out as an example the "Crusades, the so-called imperialism, and what is happening today in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Gulf." He also noted the "West's support for the enemies of the Muslims, and their pact with them (such as [the case of] the State of Israel in Palestine, and others), in addition to the placing of rulers and regimes [in the Muslim world] to actualize and protect Western interests and to prevent the Muslims from establishing their own state and implementing their shari'a..." 

He said, "There are countries [whose religion] is distant from [that of] the Muslims and opposes it much more than [the religion] of the West – such as in the case of atheists and idol-worshippers. But the aggression of the West and of the U.S. against the Muslims sets them at the front of the war and the hostility against the Muslims.

"The goal of the Muslims and of the Islamic movement is to implement the shari'a of Allah, and to establish the state of the Muslims. That is their right; moreover, they are commanded to implement the precepts of their religion. The Muslims, Allah willing, will continue to work to fulfill that [duty], whatever the challenges. They will pay any price for this goal, and no obstacle will stand in their way. They will fearlessly sacrifice their money and their lives for this cause, and will aspire to it, and because of this they will elevate their standing with their Lord." 

Al-Zawahiri concluded his preface by saying that opportunities such as this proposal do not repeat themselves, and that he had presented a similar initiative prior to the 9/11 attacks that had had the potential to settle the conflict between the Islamic movement and the U.S., and between the Saudi and the Egyptian regimes – but that the regimes in those countries had ignored it.

The Main Points Of The Proposal: The West Will Allow The Muslims To Establish A State, In Return For An End To Muslim Attacks On The West

Al-Zawahiri proposes to mediate between the Islamic movement and the West based on a 10-year contract, which has two main parts:

·         "Mediation between the Islamic movement and the U.S. and the West in order to arrive at an agreement on a reconciliation or on a hudna, or on a pact, or on a contract, under which the West and the U.S. will leave the Islamic lands, will stop the war against the Muslims [and] the Islamic movement, and will refrain from interfering in the [Muslim] regions or from supporting their regimes and their rulers."

·         "Leaving the Muslims alone to implement their faith, to establish their state, to rectify what the West and the U.S. destroyed in this respect, and [a Western] commitment that they will be allowed to do this. In return, the Muslims will stop fighting the West and the U.S., and will stop interfering in their affairs, as long as the contract is in force."

A Proposal Of A Perspective And Principles To Be Discussed By The Sides

The following are the 13 main points set out by Al-Zawahiri for discussion by the sides:

1.      A hudna for a defined period, such as 10 years, with an option for renewal.

2.      The West, the U.S., and all those who join them as a side in this contract will immediately stop the interference in the Islamic lands (Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Gulf), and will withdraw from them.

3.      The U.S. and the West will stop supporting rulers and regimes that fight the Muslims and oppose the establishment of an Islamic state.

4.      To rectify what has happened until now, the U.S., the West, and the Islamic movement will: Allow the implementation of Islamic law and the establishment of the state of the Muslims – at least in areas where there is support for the Islamic enterprise; will permit the Islamic movement to operate, to be represented, and to express itself; will stop the regimes' violence against the Islamic movement; and will pressure the regimes on this matter.

5.      The U.S. will immediately stop its interference aimed at corrupting the Islamic faith, its precepts, and the methods of studying it – it will not interfere in these in any way, shape, or form.

6.      All captives, prisoners, detainees, and hostages on both sides will be freed; pursuit and surveillance [of all Islamic elements] will be stopped; all those detained in the West and the U.S., by the rulers and regimes that are their allies, and by the regimes that rule the lands of the Muslims and persecute the Muslims, will be freed.

7.      The war on Islam, in the guise of the war on terror being waged by the U.S., the West, and the regimes that are their agents, will be ended.  

8.      The Islamic movement will cease its war on the West and the U.S. and its operations in them.

9.      The Islamic movement will cease all attacks on Western or American individuals or property outside of the West or in the Muslim lands.

10.  The Islamic movement will defend the subjects and property of the West and the U.S. and of anyone else who is a side in this pact in the regions where Islamic shari'a is implemented and in which an Islamic state is established – provided that their presence there is proper and legal.

11.  The Islamic movement will refrain from provoking the West and interfering with its affairs, and the West and the U.S. will avoid interfering with the affairs of the Islamic movement.

12.  The Islamic movement will be free to implement Allah's law in its regions, and the West will have no right whatsoever to interfere in this or to try and impose anything at all in this matter. The movement will be responsible for reaching an understanding among its factions and for implementing any framework that it sees fit. Western-style democracy, which makes the people the source of legislation, is forbidden by Islamic law. The Islamic faith has its own precepts and its own principles, which it successfully implemented for centuries prior to the emergence of Western democracy and capitalism. The Islamic state will implement its rules in its activity vis-à-vis external [elements], in its commercial activity, and in its internal activity; it will establish a caliphate and appoint a caliph for the Muslims.

13.  Regarding countries that do not enter into the pact with the West or with the Islamic state: The Islamic state is entitled to treat them as it sees fit, whether by making peace, a contract, or a coalition, or by boycott or jihad. The West will have no right to interfere in this or to support these countries. On the contrary: the West will be entitled to act similarly – to sign a contract, or to fight countries that are not part of the Muslim states and have no pact with it. Any country that wishes to make a pact with one of the sides can do so with the agreement of both sides, i.e. the West and the Islamic movement.

In addition, Al-Zawahiri proposed the establishment of a "mediation committee that will include a limited number of people accepted by the Islamic movements, [and] will establish contacts amongst ourselves, will hold meetings, and will facilitate communication among all [parts] of the Islamic movement. [Likewise,] a consultative body will be established, to include, in addition to the mediation committee, an additional number of people with influence in the general Islamic movement; this body will facilitate the internal discourse among the elements of the movement, in order to make it possible to implement this initiative."

Reactions To The Initiative

Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiyya Shura Council member Nageh Ibrahim denounced Muhammad Al-Zawahiri's initiative to cease the violence against the West, pointing out that Muhammad's brother Ayman had rejected all initiatives for reconciliation with Egypt, and that he sees the U.S. as infidel. Ibrahim claimed that the Zawahiri brothers could neither speak for the Islamic Jihad organization nor sign agreements on its behalf. He explained that currently there was no active movement that took orders from its leader and executed them unquestioningly, but that there are only ideas that are adopted by young people across the world.[5]

Another Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiyya Shura Council member, Tariq Al-Zummur, said that he welcomed any initiative to stop the bloodshed, persecution and oppression. He said that he did not expect the initiative to succeed due to the overwhelming voices in the U.S. calling for escalating the conflict rather than ending it, and listed a number of factors responsible for the increase in hatred in the Islamic world and the West against each other, and for the escalation of the conflict: the West's assault on Islam, the Koran, and the Prophet Muhammad via the media and school curricula; the U.S.'s support for Israel; and the U.S.'s support for the oppressing regimes that remain in power in the Arab world. He expressed his rejection of Al-Zawahiri's proposed committee to mediate between the U.S. and the Islamic movement, and said that such mediation should be undertaken by the states, particularly by Egypt under President Muhammad Mursi, or by Turkey. 

Al-Zawahiri's offer was also received with reservations by his comrades in the jihadi movement in Egypt. Sheikh Ahmad 'Ashoush, a prominent figure in the Salafi-jihadi movement in Egypt, said that while he appreciated the initiative, "America is an imperialistic country that understands only the language of force and its imperialistic interests, embodied in the plundering of wealth, and the subjugation of nations." He said that the initiative offers fair and just terms for both parties, but questioned its timing, because it could be interpreted by the U.S. as a sign of Al-Qaeda's weakness, coming as it does shortly after the death of Sheikh Abu Yahya Al-Libi. He added that Muslims worldwide are capable of fighting America on all global fronts, and that the U.S. be the one asking for a truce, just like in Vietnam.[6] 

Endnotes:

[1] Al-Zawahiri presented the initiative in an interview with CNN on September 10, 2012: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/10/world/meast/zawahiri-peace-plan/?c=&page=2.

[2] Al-Watan (Egypt), September 12, 2012.

[3] See also MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 780, In the Post-Mubarak Era, Egyptian Salafi-Jihadis Renew Their Da'wa, December 29, 2011.

[4] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 4942, Egyptian Salafi Muhammad Al-Zawahiri, Brother Of Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Explains and Justifies 9/11, September 10, 2012.

[5] See also MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 780, In the Post-Mubarak Era, Egyptian Salafi-Jihadis Renew Their Da'wa, December 29, 2011.

[6] Al-Shorouk (Egypt), http://shorouknews.com/news/view.aspx?cdate=16092012&id=2be02f84-fa84-42b6-92e6-56ce324d063c, September 16, 2012.