Exclusive Interview MINA with Mahmoud Zahar, One of the Hamas’s Leader
Assalamualaikum. This is Mohammad Shaban, MINA Correspondent in the Gaza Strip.
Welcome to our exclusive interview with the Dr. Mahmoud Zahar a Palestinian politician, and a leader in the Hamas movement in Gaza. Before talking to Dr. Mahmoud I will tell you on a brief about MINA, a news agency.
It’s an international agency that focuses on the international issues and based on the basis of the Islamic values. One of MINA’s main missions is to focus or to fight for the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque and want Palestine to be an independent country.
Thank you Dr. Mahmoud for being with us, here, we have the some questions related to the last Israel aggression to the Gaza that we seeking to clear answers from you. So, the first question,
MINA: You know that the last Israeli aggression to the Gaza that’s aimed at defeating the Palestinian resistance faced unexpected result that they found the high military abilities from the Palestinian resistance and so they were forced to end the the violation, and sorry the aggression by signing the unconditional ceasefire between the both sides. So what is your comment? on this aggression on Gaza. Another question is, do you think that there is a possible return to another a new escalation to the both sides?
Dr. Mahmoud: Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, first of all, I’d like to address that since the establishment of Israel state on 1948, the aggression has been continuous, not only to the Palestinian people, but also against the Arab countries, against Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Gaza Strip. So, this is an aggressive system, the aggression is the main item they are depending on their power and order to defeat the area and to make the Israelis what’s called Israeli State, more safe condition.
The last aggression was very remarkable. Because the reaction from the Palestinian side. Especially, from Gaza was unexpected by the Israelis, covers every area, specially the strategic area, the area and provide 48 in particular, in addition to the West Bank, this is the first time from the Arab countries and from the our side, it was very indicative that I think it is will be the first step for the liberation of Palestine.
We don’t believe that they are going to stop their aggression. So, we are doing our utmost effort in order to strengthen our ability and to make our field of confrontation more effective, more destructive against the our enemy and till we liberate Palestine. inshaaAllah.
MINA: So thank you.. Now the second question is related to the Iran supports to the Palestinian resistance, you know, that amid the Arab the normalization with the Israeli aggression and they cut support to the Palestinian resistance inside Gaza. Iran didn’t hesitate to support Gaza. But regarding the last Israeli aggression in Gaza, let me ask you, how important is the role of the Iran is supporting the Palestinian resistance in Gaza and the last Israeli aggression on Gaza?
Dr. Mahmoud: No body can deny that the only enemies of this Israeli, we are happy to have the Israeli this very bad situation. So, Israeli is suffering from a wide area of position and enemies on Iran, the south of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Gaza Strip. Palestine, the area for 1948, and also West Bank. For this reason, Iran is using benefit from the last confrontation between Gaza, which is already supported by Iranian money when we were running the government. And also by all means in order to strengthen our ability in the military field to defend ourself. And also to attack this Israeli assets have been in the last confrontation. I think, I am sure that they are honest and their support of the Palestinian, not only because of the their interest but also they are depending and ideological items. They are believing the destruction of Israel and elimination of this for the state.
So we have to make ourself to do every effort in order that in order to strengthen our relationship. When I was a Minister of Foreign Affairs for Palestinian, I visited Iran there are many times and actually still, we have a good relation with them and I think they are ready to help us by all means to reconstruct what had been destroyed by the Israeli with are from the military side or for the similar side.
I think this is very important for the Palestinian resistant because we are also supporting Jihad Islam or Islamic Jihad and also the other other Palestinian faction and we are in need for an urgent, need for the help of every Muslim everywhere. And actually, I hear the Asian Islamic countries, to help the Palestinian because the Muslim is the brother of Muslim, and I think, as an Indonesia, Malaysia. The other should help the Palestinian people, by all means specially for the civil affairs. Because our houses and our towers destroyed by the Israeli aggression and we are in need to reconstruct and also to strengthen ourselves till we reach to the degree of liberation of Palestine.
At that time, it will be a new era new operative, it will be a new political atmosphere in the region. There will be no aggression against the Arab countries and also against the Islamic countries. For this reason, I actually asked every Muslim everywhere, especially in the modern and advanced and rich countries, like Malaysia, Indonesia, and others to help the Palestinian side.
MINA: Okay, thank you.. Now you know that I still move, since I was a child as a statement that Sheikh Ahmad Yasin said, and Dr. Abdul Azis Ranti said that the Israeli occupation doesn’t know the language of Peace. Okay. And we believe that this is a solution, all the end of the conflict between Palestinian and Israeli side, will not be with the arguments or agreements or something like this or look it will be with war fight. Okay. So, And this regard, do you believe in the two-state solution as a real solution to end the conflict between the Palestinian side? And the Israeli side?
Dr. Mahmoud: We have to read our Quran in Surah Al-Isra.. there will define very clear. Statement about the elimination over this called Israeli State. We described it in Arabic “Wa’dil akhiroh”, the last promise. This is a foreign body and this will known that foreign body in the body of human will be rejected, for this reason the Palestinian side, Arabic countries the Islamic court rejected the existence of Israel as a foreign body.
We as in the front line with Israel, we are paying the price of the confrontation. Since 1948, 56, 72 and up to this moment, for this reason, for the sake of the welfare of the Islamic court, Israel should be finished.
These are foreigner. These are believing in Messiah. They are believing that Jesus will come back and he shouldn see the Jews are present in Palestine in order what is called to shift them for the second return.
This is amethyst which is not written in Quran. It is not written in any, any holy book, considerable book. This is a part of Israeli state who is still a part of the imperialism era.
For this reason, we have to defend ourselves and we are calling for every Muslim to help the Palestinian people that will provide what is called the Middle East, especially the Holy, Holy country, Holy places, Holy mosques like Aqsa Mosque and others to live in peace and to avoid the continuous aggresion by the Israelian, by the settler.
We are calling every Muslim everywhere to help the Palestinian people. This is a part of our religion. Muslim is the brother of Muslim. We are calling in order to fulfile what is called the battle of “Wa’dil akhiroh”, the last confrontation, the last promise from Allah subhanaw taala to eliminate the existence of what is called Israeli state in order to allow the spirit of Islam, everywhere. InshaAllah. And there are many, many Hadiths and many verses in Quran indicating this issue.
MINA: That means that you don’t believe in the two-state solution, you believe that?
Dr. Mahmoud: No country in the world will accept under the title of two-state solution to allow their land and their people to be under the control of foreign countries or foreign groups.
MINA: You believe that Palestine and Israel is just for Palestinians?
Dr. Mahmoud: Palestine for all Palestinians. As Malaysia, all Malaysia for Malaysian people, as Indonesia, as American. For this reason, this is a foreign body, they have no relation to the country and they were in element what is called British Empire in the area order to avoid reconstruction and the reunions of the Islamic States in one state in order to defend their with their affairs against the British occupation.
For this reason, I think if every Muslim can see what is the real attitude, what is the real order of Islam? Concerning the existence of what is called Israel in our land.
MINA: Okay. Do you think that it’s a might be a temporary solution?
Dr. Mahmoud: We are in, we have in Quran the verses call “Wa’dil akhiroh” the last the promise, the last the promise means the elimination of the existence. So it is a part of our religion and we are believing that we are starting the first step of “Wa’dil akhiroh”, the last the promise, insha Allah, which is the liberation of Palestine or state Palestine.
So by this reason, by this idea we established our organization and we also established our state when we participated in the election, to put the majority of Palestinian and we run a real diplomatic relation with every countries but unfortunately, we went again to Mahmoud Abbas and Fattah fellow and I think it was a big mistake, but we should isolate ourselves from any secular and any foreign policy in order to purify our affairs and to fulfill our Quran inshallah and to put it practically
MINA: Okay, on same with regarding to two-state solution, Indonesia and organization of Islamic cooperation believe in this solution as a solution to end the conflict between the both sides. What is your comment?
Dr. Mahmoud: The question is Indonesian people ready to divide their state into two state, some for the Muslim and some of the other for Christian, all these other for the Jews coming from America or coming from the China.
MINA: The Indonesian attitude towards the two-state solution and the Islamic cooperation, they support the solution of two state, do you believe in this?
Dr. Mahmoud: We believe in only Islamic learn should be controlled by Islamic people.
There is no a temporary solution because our experiences 1948, and before that was very, very passive, was very destructive, very impressive against our people, they used their existence to establish their state. They killed our people, they destroyed our integrity, discharge our people, to be immigrant, to be living in different countries. And lastly, they became an aggressive system against Syria, against Lebanon and against Egypt, and against Palestinian.
So this foreign body should be eliminated and we should not allow everybody from the Christian zionists or Jews zionists or Arab zionists to live in one square meter in our land.
MINA: Okay, Now finally, the last question is that let me ask you that about your preparation of new escalation. Do you expect that there might be or maybe new escalation?
Dr. Mahmoud: We are not looking for escalation, we are looking for liberation of our land. It is written in the Quran, what is called the last the promise, or “Wa’dil akhiroh” and in the “Wa’dil akhiroh” we are going to liberate our land, every inch of our land, Palestine from the north, to the south, from the East to the South.
We we are going to liberate our land at that time are going to live in independent state, participating in the welfare of human being everywhere, especially for the palestinian.
MINA: Okay, that means that you are expecting the escalation war in anytime and upcoming days?
Dr. Mahmoud: Since the establishment of Israel 1948, no single state in the region have been immune against Israeli aggression, Lebanon were the target for the Israeli aggression many times, the Syrian land occupied by the Jewish, the Jordan occupied by the Jewish, part of Palestine occupied by Jewish, part of Sinai, all Sinai was occupied by the Jewish.
So, no state was immune from the Jews occupation since the establishment of Jews state in 1948 up to this moment. For this reason, for the welfare of this region, what is called Arabic countries or Islamic land should be free from the Jewish occupation or any foreign occupation, in order to restore our role as a civilian, as Islamic civilization to be implemented everywhere in the Islamic society.
Okay, thank you Dr. Mahmud, for allocating us, you time and we do appreciate it, really, and thank you for watching us. I’ll see you next interview inshaaAllah. (W-T-G/RE1/R6)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
