Ismail Ridhwan, a senior member of the Hamas movement and former Palestinian Minister of Endowments, addressed the first day of the International Islamic Unity Conference on Tuesday evening, October 18, transferring the greetings of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas Islamic Resistance Movement’s political bureau and the people of Gaza and the allies of the resistance to the Supreme Leader, officials, government and people of Iran, stated: “Islamic unity is a religious duty and a human necessity. It is as if God Almighty has stated many verses in the Holy Qur'an about the necessity of unity. At the same time, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) says: “The parable of the believers in bonding, friendship, love and mercy to each other is the parable of a living body, and if a part of it hurts, the other parts of the body sympathize with it by awakening and suffering”.
He said: “Allah in the Quran avoided humanity of division and conflict and said:
« وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَا تَنَازَعُوا فَتَفْشَلُوا وَتَذْهَبَ رِيحُكُمْ وَاصْبِرُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ»
“and obey God and His Messenger and struggle not, so that you do not become weak and your power and glory do not disappear, and be patient and persevere, for God is with those who persevere.”
Ridhwan stated that the Palestinian issue is currently going through a dangerous phase: “Today, Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa Mosque are in danger, and the Zionist occupiers are trying to exploit and take advantage of US support and normalize relations with some regional regimes, to implement their projects in the field of Judaization of Al-Quds and the division of time and space of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The ultimate goal of the Zionist occupiers is to destroy Al-Aqsa Mosque and build the imaginary “Temple of Solomon” on its ruins. Therefore, preventing the implementation of this sinister goal requires the integration of the efforts of the Arab world and the Islamic world to support the resistance of the people of Quds and to institutionalize the culture of resistance among the different generations of the Islamic Ummah.”
Referring to the importance of Quds in Islam, he said: “Quds is the first qibla of Muslims and the second mosque and place of ascension of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Quds today is an issue that concerns the entire Islamic Ummah. Al-Aqsa Mosque is also one of the three mosques that have been said that you should not travel to other places except them. In this regard, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) says: “Do not travel except to three mosques; Masjid al-Haram, my mosque and Al-Aqsa Mosque.” According to what has been said, when the Holy Prophet (PBUH) ascended from the Sacred Mosque to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Quds and Palestine were bound by the beliefs of the Islamic Ummah. Therefore, the issue of Quds and Palestine is related to the whole Islamic Ummah.
Ridhwan continued: “We believe that the Zionist occupiers will not be able to destroy the vigilance and insight of the Islamic Ummah through the normalization of relations with some regional regimes, because the policy of normalization of relations reflects the views and attitudes of Islamic nations that love Palestine and reject any normalization of relations with the Zionist enemy.”
Senior member of the Hamas movement stressed that the normalization of relations with the Zionist enemy is a “betrayal dagger” that was struck at the Palestinian people from behind. This action is a deviation from the principles and values of the Islamic Ummah. The normalization of relations with the Zionist regime encourages its political leaders and military commanders to commit more crimes against the Palestinians. This sinister act is a danger to the Islamic Ummah, because the greed of the Zionist occupiers is not limited to the borders of Palestine.
He stated: The sons of the Islamic Ummah in Palestine are at the forefront of the fight against the occupation projects of the Zionist regime. These were the revolutionary youth who rubbed the noses of the Zionists on the ground and forced them to stop their hostile actions in the occupied Quds. It was the Palestinian revolutionary youth who stood up in defense of Al-Aqsa Mosque with their bare chests and proved that it is possible for a stone to win over a weapon. They proved that Israel is weaker than the house of Spider. The revolutionary youth of Palestine proved that the Islamic identity of Quds will be preserved forever and that Palestine is the central issue of the Islamic Ummah.
Ridhwan also greeted the hero prisoners of the “Freedom Tunnel” and said: “Although these prisoners were finally arrested, their arrest does not change the reality in any way. The fact is that the six captured Palestinian heroes were able to secure their release from the Zionist regime’s “security” prison with a strategic operation. By doing so, they dealt a fatal blow to the security and military structure of the Zionist regime and showed that defeat can be imposed on the Zionist regime with empty hands.”
Referring to “Operation Saif al-Quds”, he stressed: “The Battle of the Sword of Quds shook the foundations of the Zionist regime, during which a number of Zionist soldiers were captured. After that, the Zionists were forced to release more than 1,020 Palestinian prisoners. The Palestinian people were also able to defeat the Zionists during the return marches and establish new rules of engagement on the battlefield.”
A senior member of the Hamas movement stated: “The Palestinian resistance sent a message to the Zionists that any military aggression by this regime will face a harsh response from the resistance.”
The Palestinian people also declared that Quds was their red line and that they were willing to sacrifice their lives and property to defend it.
“We believe that the ‘resistance’ option is the best option by which all of Palestine can be liberated in the shortest possible time,” he said, noting that the Zionist enemy understands only the language of force. We believe that the time has come for the largest Arab-Islamic organization to be formed with the aim of liberating Palestine and facing the dangers and challenges that threaten the Islamic Ummah.
Emphasizing that the resistance is in its best condition and has great power, he said: “Today’s resistance is preparing itself for the battle of the ‘promise of the hereafter’.”
Ridhwan said: “Today, it is the duty and responsibility of the Islamic Ummah to take a step towards the realization of Islamic unity and to support the resistance of the Palestinian people and to defend Quds and Al-Aqsa Mosque. We believe that the occupying Zionist regime has no place in the Palestinian territories. We believe in God’s promise that victory belongs to the Muslim Ummah.”
He mentioned some points in this regard and said: “The first point is that: Quds and Palestine are the central issue and the axis of conflict with the Zionist regime. Second; Our battle with the Zionist occupiers is a battle of identity and existence. Third; The nature of Quds remains Islamic and Quds will be the eternal capital of Palestine, because it is the first qibla of Muslims and the place of ascension of the Prophet (PBUH). Fourth; The deal of the century and the occupation is declining and the occupiers have no place in the Palestinian territories.”
Ridhwan called on the entire Islamic Ummah to support the Palestinians in occupied Quds and the resistance groups in Gaza in countering the Judaization projects in Quds, and called on the scholars of the Islamic Ummah and various political leaders, thinkers and the media to mobilize to support the children of the Islamic Ummah in supporting Quds and Palestine.
Stating that “Islamic unity” is a power, he said: “It is through “Islamic unity” that we can overcome the challenges and dangers that threaten the Islamic Ummah, so it is necessary that the children of the Islamic Ummah avoid conflict and Avoid division.”
He also called for the formation of the largest Arab-Islamic organization by mapping the axis of resistance to draw a strategy for a comprehensive confrontation with the occupiers and said: “We call on the children of the Islamic Ummah to confront the normalization of relations with the Zionist enemy, because we believe that it is a dagger on the back of the Palestinian people.”
In the end, the senior member of Hamas called for the internationalization of the issue of Palestinian prisoners and the support of their resistance against the Zionists, emphasizing: “The future belongs to the Islamic Ummah and the oppressed nations.”
