THINK-ISRAEL

THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD IN ITS OWN WORDS

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

The Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) translation of "Jihad is the Way" by Mustafa Mashhur, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, from 1996-2002

A very important book for understanding Muslim Brotherhood ideology has been translated by Palestinian Media Watch (http://palwatch.org/). Jihad is the Way by Mustafa Mashhur explains the beliefs and aspirations of the Muslim Brotherhood. Particularly significant today are how the Brotherhood sees violent Jihad and the necessity of patience and timing in bringing about a world under Islam."

PMW's op-ed "The Muslim Brotherhood's Patient Jihad" that appeared in yesterday's bulletin cited from Jihad is the Way.

To read the translation of the entire book, click here.
[NOTE: Some browsers occasionally have trouble reading pdf. If so, go to PMW's website at http://palwatch.org, where it can downloaded directly.]

PMW has selected the following quotes from the book to illustrate the critical ideologies of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Muslim Brotherhood goal: Islamic world domination

• "...the Islamic Ummah [nation]... can regain its power, be liberated and assume its rightful position which was intended by Allah, as the most exalted nation among men, as the teachers of humanity..."
• "...know your status, so that you firmly believe that you are the masters of the world, even if your enemies desire your degradation..."
• "It should be known that Jihad and preparation for Jihad are not only for the purpose of fending-off assaults and attacks against Muslims by Allah's enemies, but are also for the purpose of realizing the great task of establishing an Islamic state, strengthening the religion and spreading it around the world..."
• "...Jihad for Allah is not limited to the specific region of the Islamic countries.The Muslim homeland is one and is not divided. The banner of Jihad has already been raised in some of its parts, and it shall continue to be raised, with the help of Allah, until every inch of the land of Islam will be liberated, the State of Islam will be established..."

Means: Jihad - a mandatory religious duty

• "Jihad is a religious public duty... incumbent upon the Islamic nation. Jihad is a personal duty to fend off the infidels' attack on the nation..."
• "The problems of the Islamic world, such as Palestine, Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, or the Philippines, are not issues of territories and nations, but of faith and religion. They are problems of Islam and the Muslims, and they can be resolved neither by negotiation nor by recognizing the enemy's right to the Islamic land he stole. Rather, the only option is Jihad for Allah, and this is why Jihad is the way."
• "The symbol of the [Muslim] Brotherhood is the book of Allah [the Quran] between two swords. The swords symbolize Jihad and the force that protects the truth represented in Allah's book."
• "You should be prepared to answer the call of Jihad whenever you are called, in any region of the Islamic world. Our Islam is universal not regional, and all Islamic countries are one homeland. ...Go out to battle, oh believers, young and old, by foot or on horseback, under all circumstances and conditions..."

Timing: Don't rush, prepare carefully for Jihad

• "The [Muslim] Brotherhood will never rush after the youth's enthusiasm to carry out immature and unplanned actions, which will not alter the corrupt reality and may even harm Islamic activity, and will benefit the people of falsehood...""
• "...it is not necessary for the Muslims to repel every attack or damage caused by the enemies of Allah immediately, rather [this is required] when ability and the circumstances allow for it."
• "Prepare yourself and train in the art of warfare, and possess the components of power. You must learn the ways, manners and laws of war. You must learn them and embrace them and adhere to them, so that your Jihad will be accepted by Allah."
• "... every Muslim has an unavoidable personal duty to equip himself and prepare for Jihad..."

Personal goal: Aspire to Shahada - Death for Allah

• "Allah is our goal, the Prophet is our leader, the Quran is our constitution, Jihad is our way, and death for Allah is our most exalted wish."
• "Jihad is our way and Shahada (Martyrdom - Death for Allah) is our most exalted wish. This is the call that we and the men of Da'awa (Islamic missionary activity) have always called ... Many of our beloved ones have already achieved this wish ... We ask Allah to accept all of them... May He join us with them..."

Jihad against Israel

• "Honorable brothers achieved Shahada (Martyrdom) on the soil of beloved Palestine, in 1947 and 1948, in their Jihad against the criminal, thieving gangs of Zion."
• "The problems of the Islamic world, such as Palestine... are not issues of territories and nations, but of faith and religion. They are problems of Islam and the Muslims, and they can be resolved neither by negotiation nor by recognizing the enemy's right to the Islamic land he stole."

The entire translation of Jihad is the Way in PDF is at http://www.think-israel.org/Jihad_is_the_way_by_Mustafa_Mashhur.pdf
[NOTE: Some browsers occasionally have trouble reading pdf files. If so, go to PMW's website at http://palwatch.org, where it can downloaded directly.]

Itamar Marcus, Director of Palestinian Media Watch(http://www.pmw.org.il), is an authority on Palestinian Arab ideology and policy. He was Israeli representative to the Tri-Lateral Anti Incitement Committee established under the Wye accords, and has written reports on Palestinian Authority, Syrian and Jordanian schoolbooks. Nan Jacques Zilberdik is an analyst at PMW, focusing on the opinions and messages of the Palestinian Arab leadership as transmitted to the Palestinian Arab public, with an emphasis on the impact on peace, messages and values communicated to children, and glorification of terrorists. This article is archived at
http:/palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=7201