بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Hizb ut-Tahrir gives sincere advice to Hamas in relation to the political agreement with the Authority of Ramallah

A delegation from Hizb ut-Tahrir Palestine met with some prominent personalities from Hamas, in both Gaza and the West Bank, on the 1st and 2nd March 2011, and delivered a letter of advice from Hizb ut-Tahrir Palestine to Hamas in relation to the political agreement with the authority of Ramallah whose signing has been decided.

Some of those who received the letter published it on the internet, in light of which we decided to publish the complete text, and it is as follows.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said,

(الدِّينُ النَّصِيحَةُ قُلْنَا لِمَنْ قَالَ لِلَّهِ وَلِكِتَابِهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِأَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَعَامَّتِهِمْ)

“‘The deen is sincere advice’. We asked, ‘To whom?’ He said, ‘To Allah, His Book, His Prophet, to the leaders of the Muslims and to their common folk’.”

Dear brothers / Hamas, may Allah honour you with tawfeeq of His obedience,

Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahu wa barakatuhu,

Re: The political agreement, referred to as the ‘reconciliation’

We write this letter to you, seeing that you are preparing to go the Cairo to sign the so-called ‘reconciliation’. Given that what you intend to do is not merely a reconciliation, rather it is a political agreement, directly related to the future of the issue of Palestine, we deem it our obligation, in fulfilling our responsibility to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, to address you with this advice. We pray that Allah, the Exalted, open your hearts to that in which is good, and that you consider this advice seriously, for this matter is of paramount importance.

We summarise our advice to you in the following points:

1. What you are moving to do is not just a reconciliation. Rather it is a political agreement with the authority of Ramallah, and is a precursor and essential condition to the continuation of path of the PLO towards solutions of surrender that squander the holy land, Palestine. The meaning of ‘reconciliation’ is to remove enmity and hatred, to purify the souls from what comes between them, and to desist from killing and fighting one another. This is reconciliation, but what you are going to do does not stop at this. Rather it takes reconciliation as a cover for a dangerous political agreement, and names this ‘reconciliation’. Thus we warn you to be conscious of Allah and of the consequence of His disobedience.

2. We are concerned about every drop of Muslim blood. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said,

(مَنْ أَشَارَ إِلَى أَخِيهِ بِحَدِيدَةٍ فَإِنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ تَلْعَنُهُ حَتَّى يَدَعَهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ أَخَاهُ لِأَبِيهِ وَأُمِّهِ)

“Whosoever points to his brother with a piece of iron, the angels curse him until he puts it down, even if it is his blood brother.”

We did our best, during the infighting that occurred between you and Fatah/the authority of Ramallah, to stop the bloodshed. We sent delegations and made contacts with you and with them in this respect.

3. There are some concepts which have been mixed-up in the political discourse of the two authorities, in the introduction to political steps. The concepts of ‘reconciliation’ and ‘political agreement’ have been confused, and we have clarified them above. The concepts of ‘internal strife/fighting’ [iqtital] and ‘division’ [inqisam] have also been confused. As for internal strife/fighting, we deem it’s occurrence between Muslims as a grave crime, and we exerted much effort in stopping it when it occurred.

As for what is referred to as ‘division’, it is two things:

– Geographical division between the West Bank and Gaza, and this exists and has existed since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority. It solution is only with the removal of the entity that separates them, that is, the Jewish entity, and this work is for the armies. The Ummah today, under the shade of a spirit of revolution and martyrdom which has appeared recently, is closer to the mobilisation of her armies than ever before.

– Political division between the two authorities, and this returns to the political thought that dominates both. The political thought and understanding of the two authorities converges, and, regrettably, it converges on the basis of co-existence with the political reality, which the major powers desire, not on the basis of Islam.

4. As for the people of Palestine, there is no division in them. The people of Palestine live in brotherhood and harmony. The purity of their life (after the disappearance of the rule of Islam and the Jewish invasion) is not spoiled except by the incitement and mobilisation from the authorities and the PLO. There is no harm in there being in the people of Palestine or other Muslim people’s differences in understanding and political opinions, so long as the political discussion between them is through proof and shar’i evidence, not through bullets.

Incitement and mobilization to material actions and transgression upon people and wealth, not to mention armed conflict, is not allowed in the Shari’ah. Rather, it is consider a crime. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said,

(كُلُّ الْمُسْلِمِ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِ حَرَامٌ دَمُهُ وَمَالُهُ وَعِرْضُهُ)

“The blood, wealth and honour of every Muslim are sacred and prohibited upon the Muslim”.

The solution of this problem is easy and facilitated if both authorities intended that. All they have to do is desist from this mobilisation and incitement to material actions, and transgression upon people and their wealth.

As for the political division aforementioned, then a thousand political divisions are better than unity upon the path of giving up Palestine.

5. Palestine, the holy land, is greater is the sight of Allah than the organisations and their interests. Therefore if the reconciliation is upon the basis of liberating Palestine from the sea to the river – and what is apparent is contrary to this – and is upon the basis of returning the issue of Palestine to its true origin and to call upon the armies to liberate it, than this is an action that Allah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم love. However, if the reconciliation is upon the basis of continuing with the false solutions – and this is what is apparent – than it a preparation to resume the path of comprise and concession, which the PLO began and the PA continued, and we fear that Hamas join them in this – may Allah prevent this. We remind you in this respect of the statement of Sa’ib Erakat, who is in-charge of negotiations, after the signing of the first reconciliation, whereby he said,

“The Palestinian reconciliation is a fundamental step towards peace and democracy, and without the reconciliation presidential and legislative elections or elections for the Palestinian National Council are not possible. Reaching the two-state solution on the borders of 1967 also depends on the achievement of the reconciliation.”

More than one official from the Palestinian Authority, including its leader Mahmoud Abbas, has said that,

“The tasks of the new government whose formation is intended from professionals (technocrats), following the agreement of Hamas and Fatah, is to prepare for upcoming elections, the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. As for the political matter, it is the prerogative of the PLO and its chairman, not the government.”

These statements and the like indicate that Hamas will be used as the Islamic seal upon the wrongs of the PLO and the Authority of Ramallah. So would you be pleased that this be the harvest of your efforts and sacrifices?

6 – Know, O brothers, that neither the PLO, nor the Authority, nor Hamas, nor all of them together are entitled to negotiate over Palestine. This matter is an issue of the Muslims as a whole, and it is not permitted for Hamas to appoint the PLO or the Authority to continue seizing the issue – with international complicity – from the hands of its rightful owners (the Muslims). Worse still would be if you partook with them in this action, may Allah prevent this.

(وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ)
“And be conscious of a day in which you will return to Allah; then every soul will be paid, in full, what it had earned, and they will not be wronged” (al-Baqarah: 281)

O Allah, we have delivered the message. O Allah, bear witness.

 

Hizb ut-Tahrir – Palestine
28 Jumada al-Awwal 1432
01 May 2011